<p>Hello, everyone!</p>
<p>Reading through posted stats and application choices a question has raised in my mind - if superb SAT's, GPA's and the rest of an ordinary application package guarantee admission at Ivies? Maybe some of you are familiar with W.E.B. Griffin's "Brotherhood of War" where main hero's, Craig Lowell, life evolves with a central claim that "There is an exception to any rule".</p>
<p>Is there any possibility for Ivies to make an odd choice - an applicant with average stats get enrolled with a full ride???</p>
<p>Or is it possible only in Griffin's books =)</p>
<p>westmonster -- It might do you some good to read back through alot of the older posts.</p>
<p>First --there is no "free ride" at the Ivies. They do not award any merit aid, only financial aid. So -- you will get help paying for school if your parents and you are poor. No matter how poor you are, all ivies have an amount the the students are expected to earn and pay for. some ivies are better than others in giving fewer loans.</p>
<p>Second -- there is no guarantee in regards to admissions at the ivies. Perfect test scores and a 4.0 GPA will not do it -- they reject many of these students every year.</p>
<p>as far as stats -- yes, the ivies take plenty of people that have "average stats". but that is "average" for their school -- not the United States. Those people whose stats seem slightly lower than other applicants are usually "hooked", i.e. athletic recruits, developmental candidates, URM, celebrities, etc. They have something that makes them stand out very significantly in a way that benefits the school.</p>
<p>If you are just talking about a regular kid with average stats (for the ivy) then teacher recommendations, essays and extracurriculars can help them stand out, but if they don't have the stats to stack up against the other applicants -- they will not get in. The Ivies have tons of outstanding, well-qualified applicants with great stats.</p>
<p>"No matter how poor you are, all ivies have an amount the the students are expected to earn and pay for."</p>
<p>Actually, some Ivies (Yale and I think Harvard, maybe others) are now offering a free education if your parents earn less than a certain amount.</p>
<p>no -- parents who make less than a certain amount (it varies with the institution) are no longer expected to pay anything towards college costs. The student is still expected to contribute -- you are perfectly capable of working part-time and summers to pay something. they don't expect a tremendous amount (I think it is usually around $3,000 -- $5,000) and the amount increases for Juniors and Seniors, since you are expected to be in a position to earn a little more by then.</p>
<p>Hi again!</p>
<p>Sorry for not writing in response to your suggestions - I had to be away from Internet because of job... I was happy to read your posts! Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Can I ask you to refer to my question here once again but now in the context of the content of the following link =)</p>
<p>I will appreciate your time and consideration very much.</p>
<p>Thank you beforehand</p>