<p>@hanna have you looked at the rejections on the Stanford thread? These people aren’t people with zero chance of getting in. For whatever reason they were rejected but clearly Stanford wasn’t getting rid of those who had no chance anyways. </p>
<p>“clearly Stanford wasn’t getting rid of those who had no chance anyways.”</p>
<p>I don’t think we can know that. We aren’t seeing the applications. Assuming that people are telling the truth on CC, we can tell they had competitive stats, but that doesn’t mean they had a real chance. Students’ own assessment of how their essays, recs, and interviews came across is close to meaningless. </p>
<p>Often times, I think what happens is that kids with ultra high GPA’s, almost perfect test scores and great EC’s underestimate the level competition at places like HYPSM. For example, here on CC I see many students brag about the thousands of dollars they have made creating their App and selling it on the App store, and then I run across something like this: <a href=“High school student scores $72M playing the stock market”>http://nypost.com/2014/12/14/stuyvesant-hs-student-nets-72m-on-the-stock-market/</a></p>
<p>^^ so instead of being a Harvard student, this boy wonder investor can hire Harvard students. </p>
<p>On a tour of one of the top lacs, the guide spoke of how the government was trying to buy the patents his roommate received while in high school. But he wanted an education. </p>
<p>^^ If he decides to apply to college, I would imagine everyone would want him. But, he’ll probably skip college and, as you said, employ HYPSM grads.</p>
<p>^^If he did attend, the college would probably provide him with a staff, including a personal assistant from the Development Office. </p>
<p>^ That’s funny, but probably true!</p>
<p>There MUST be more to that kid’s story than meets the eye. The odds against someone day trading thousands of dollars during their lunch hour and turning it into a million dollars let alone $72 million are astronomically high. </p>
<p>Probably give him some money to invest.</p>
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<p>Follow the money - one of your competitors is offering a service to review deferred and wait list applications for $8,500. The more people deferred = more money for these types of services to people who are very well connected to the admissions staff.</p>
<p>Cynical? Maybe, but there are a lot of us who have been around long enough to remember the $400 hammer.</p>
<p>^^ Buyer beware is all that I can say. As Hanna I’m sure can tell you, it is a huge myth that these people are somehow well-connected to the admissions staff. </p>
<p>I’d do it for a lot less than $8500!</p>
<p>@gibby In other news, looks like what is too good to be true is too good to be TRUE.</p>
<p><a href=“EXCLUSIVE: New York Mag’s Boy Genius Investor Made It All Up | Observer”>http://observer.com/2014/12/exclusive-new-york-mags-boy-genius-investor-made-it-all-up/</a></p>
<p>As a parent, I loved the part about his parents’ reaction. At least they seem to have tried with this kid.</p>
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<p>As I said. Totally not surprised it was a hoax since what he claimed to have achieved during the one hour of his lunches would have been exponentially harder than what Buffet has done in his lifetime. He would have had a Sharpe and information ratio so many standard deviations above the norm it is virtually inconceivable that he could have done this . </p>
<p>^^ I wonder if the kid applied early to college, whether he was accepted, and if that acceptance is now in the process of being rescinded. Ouch!</p>