That isn’t what I said. I said authentic and self driven by interests they have a passion for. Not something a parent choose in the hope of winning favor. More kids are “talented” then there are spots.
I am not trying to argue with you, just telling you what I have seen first hand.
I agree with this fully.
Regarding the news story about a student being accepted to 18 colleges, this isn’t good evidence of colleges liking non-profits. I expect the many acceptances has more to do with a combination things like receiving Regeneron for her research in using AI to detect strokes with presentations to various medical societies + starting female led company to collaboratively share tech knowledge to tens of thousands internationally, with stated goal of “to help encourage and empower female and minority students to explore the field of AI” and recognition via Diana award and numerous publications + highly rigorous classes + near perfect stats + a lot more that we don’t know about…
A typical college applicant with a non-profit is likely to have extremely different results. I interview for a HYPSM college, and have interviewed many kids who started non profits. None were accepted.
That’s basically how it is in local high schools I’m familiar with, note that the 19 honors/AP or 8.5 full-year courses and the 30 (or 15) is based on 10-12th grades in Fall 2020, not their most recent 2021 class, though the GPA calculation used for admission and reported is 10th-11th as others have pointed out. Also if you take a sport or in a class associated with an EC (journalism, yearbook maybe), that’s another class period where you can’t take an honors or AP. Fifteen would be doable only if you’re on the +1 or +2 math track, more stem-oriented students (more AP sciences/math esp if you include AP CS, Env), but that’s really a small amount of students. But UCLA says 25% of their class take over 15 APs/honors.
Interesting take! I do have a younger kid who’s not a great test taker. Do we think most schools (or even just LACs) will stay test-optional?
Perhaps they are including within 12th grade, which is not included in HS GPA recalculations for UC.
I have to believe by now that AOs see through the whole “I started a non profit to xyz” thing (that half the time ends up fizzling the second a kid is accepted to college – who then takes over these non profits?!?). Not that there’s anything wrong with doing the service if it’s truly of use, but there is pretty much an existing non profit for just about everything and probably little need to ever start a new one. In any case I agree that doing things in the community that help real people you know is just as valuable or should be. My middle child helps take out and put back the recycling bins for an elderly neighbor + accompanies that same neighbor once a week to take her grocery shopping, helps put the items away, sometimes stays with her to make sure she can safely shower, etc. It’s not splashy, but it’s still meaningful, and she’s developed a special relationship along the way.
The wealthy suburbs and private schools have a massive advantage in getting kids into better schools up and down the spectrum of students. The top kids at the wealthier schools are going Ivy and T20, whereas maybe 1 or 2 kids from the middle class schools go to those places. Many of the top kids in the middle class schools are happy with the state flagship or other good state schools, where they will meet middle of the pack kids from the wealthy schools. And so on down the line.
I think public commendation of some kind is helpful. If a kid is inclined to volunteer (say tutoring) is it over reaching for a parent to guide them to an organization that has awards, etc.?
A lot of kids are interested in science and regeneron contests, but need school support to participate. There is passion and drive but without that school support, it doesn’t go anywhere. DD22’s school has only a handful of teachers willing to lead a club (knew this going in), and some orgs (deca/fbla/mun) require a teacher or school lead. I’m not complaining about this, it is what it is - but colleges don’t have the AO bandwidth to weigh high schools accordingly.
deleted
a little late to the party, but speaking of “pyramid” things - i know of a national foundation who is SO SMART - using kids to raise funds, and then calling them ***Foundation Student of the Year – after their parents have emailed everyone they know, and blasted social media posts everywhere for their kid to become this student of the year. I donated the first time; thinking this student had been personally affected by this health-based foundation. Then, when i saw the student’s neighbors doing the same thing the next year - trying to become student of the year through raising funds through the parents – it hit me how smart it all was, but slightly deceitful on the side of the student. ok. rant over!
PS: my #3 did the coolest EVER nonprofit thing for three years with his friends. it was probably the happiest times/most amazing times of our family’s lives. he held haunted houses in our garage. autocad planned 8 rooms, lights, sounds, 10 actors, held a coat drive, won a national grant, got in the papers, had traffic jams in the neighborhood, waiting lines down the street; screaming happy people everywhere. 500+ through each year. WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF THIS. but it didnt help him with elite admissions in any way shape or form; and that’s not why he did it. He loves haunted houses! 
Just FYI–the vast majority of the time the kids do it all for that organization. They go through an application and interview process with the organization to even be selected in the first place, then the kids recruit friends to be on their teams, and lead these teams. By themselves, they reach out to local companies for sponsorships, have to give presentations, send emails, develop community events and raise awareness at their school. It is not the parents doing it, at least not in our state. Based on how the national nonprofit teaches the kids about fundraising and advocacy(the kids go through multiple hours of training), the parents doing it would be completely against how it is designed. It is like a full-time job for many weeks on end. I do not know anyone who got through the selection process that did not have a personal connection with these types of diseases. And . IMO, working for a well-respected and established nonprofit and learning valuable leadership and development skills along the way is above and beyond what most typical “start a non-profit” teens do.
thanks for sharing that! i’m glad to know the background of that all. 
I’m also in the boat that if your kid wants to volunteer, find an existing not for profit and put the time and energy there.
My D did a ton through the youth program at our church starting in 3rd grade and going right through high school. They focused a lot on food insecurity and when she hit HS she continued finding volunteer opportunities in that arena. By junior year, she was leading week long intensive sessions through school in the summer. Almost everything was locally based but she did do one Habit for Humanity build trip over a spring break.
Did it help her with college applications? Who really knows but I don’t think it hurt and more importantly, giving back to the community was a value that was ingrained in her early, and something she actually enjoyed.
I don’t believe she wrote more than one line on her common app but one of her recommenders was very involved in the summer program at the school and he told us he wrote about her leadership inside and outside the classroom. That couldn’t have hurt the application but who knows how much that really moves the needle.
And D21 had ZERO community service and did great in admissions. Everyone has to just be themselves.
That’s right, sorry that wasn’t clear. Anyway, I think 15 APs is as indicative of wealth as a high test score, maybe more, as AP exams cost more that SAT/ACT, teachers that can teach AP subjects are going to be found more in the wealthier districts.
“I think it wasn’t the non-profit that propelled in this case but the research and regeneron. Big national things.”
Agree, I mentioned other threads from an older Crimson article that 25% of Intel (which I think is Regeneron now) are at Harvard, probably not difficult to guess where the other 75% are.
Is it typical for public schools to have a fund to pay for AP tests for kids qualifying for free and reduced lunch? I believe we have that here, so AP test cost is less of an issue. I do agree that signing up for lots of AP classes tracks with parent education level which tracks with wealth. But I’d hope the cost of the test is not a barrier, and locally I’ve seen the efforts to make that barrier disappear.
i dont live in CA; but i’m trying to figure this all out. in the name of equity, how can UC schools deny smart students who don’t go to schools that offer lots of AP classes, or dual credit classes?
– my daughter’s small school has 3 AP classes. that’s it. I think 5 or 6 Dual Credit classes. But mostly for seniors. Good teachers; some smart kids coming out of there (last year’s val was a 36/NMF kid) - but would these students be looked at by UC’s? are there schools like that in CA? what do those students do if they want to go to a UC, have great scores and grades, but not a lot of AP extras for the GPA?
Our HS is close to 30% qualify for free lunch. Every student gets 1 AP test for free each year, but has to pay for additional tests.
UC’s are permanently test blind and all applicants are reviewed in the context of what types of courses are offered at their HS. A student that has little to no AP or IB classes available to them will not be penalized. Some students will consider taking Dual Enrollment courses in place of AP and IB classes. All the information regarding the # of Honors courses listed are averages and ranges.
The UC application review criteria and there are 13 areas:
Quality of your academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in your high school.