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<p>This is unusual? It happened at all but the largest schools we’ve visited unless we visited on a “special” day where oodles of people were coming and going.</p>
<p>It was unusual in that he wanted to know the name of the high school, then proceeded to make comments such as “that’s a great high school” or “we have a number of students from there”. It was really sort of silly.
On the tours and info sessions we’ve done, I can think of only one other inquiring the name of the high school…indeed it was another small LAC</p>
<p>What scared me about watching the Bloomberg video was the fact that go2girl has led a fairly charmed life. She’s been blessed with a good family that works very hard to make sure she’s had many opportunities. We’ve been so fortunate. No major illnesses, no alcoholism (athought I’m tempted to start drinking now), no natural disasters or financial empires crumbling for her to digress in a college essay. She works hard–I’m not taking that away from her and has many gifts and talents–but will her life be deemed “too perfect” for her to find a place at a school like Amherst? </p>
<p>I hope no one takes this the wrong way that I begrudge any child who has been less fortunate the opportunities that these schools will afford them. I’m not writing out of jealousy but out of the recognition that her path to college will have its own rather ironic set of challenges!</p>
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<p>I advised both my '11er and my '14er thus as well. The '11er did not fall in love. I think the '14er has, with a school he can probably get into, but that we probably can’t afford, unless he gets a big merit scholarship, which will be a big reach. </p>
<p>Fortunately he has other schools that he likes almost as much that we are almost certain to be able to afford. In the end, he’s a pragmatic kid and will go without too much complaint where the money works out, but I wish he hadn’t fallen in love (especially since the love is not enough to motivate him to kick his but for the grades he’d need to get big merit…)</p>
<p>Two of the “interesting” students with “hooks” have hooks that the committee would have a hard time documenting. Alcoholism is a disease and protected by HIPAA laws, so if the family chose not to have medical confirmation, the committee wouldn’t be able to corroborate that essay. Also, how would you ask the dad if he really had an affair with a prostitute? I’m not saying either student made up those situations, but they COULD. If Mom and Dad played along, it could gain entrance for someone based on, well, CREATIVE WRITING skills! I think it is sad that a student who clearly lives a blessed life, but also works very hard at academics and ECs gets nixed as too “in-the-box.” If EVERYONE who is chosen is “out-of-the-box” then they ARE missing out on a large segment of society today.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Amherst per se, but most schools are quite happy to have a student with great grades and test scores and ECs with no “tragic hook”.</p>
<p>The point of the kids who are chosen because of the hook isn’t so much that the school wants kids of alcoholics for “diversity” but rather to give a kid a chance who could not achieve to her full potential because of other cr@p going on in her life.</p>
<p>I watched the video after reading all of your comments. I can’t believe they are selecting students based off of qualities like that. I think we do not know the complete story of the admitted students, may be there are other things that got them admitted. But watching video kind of gives me chill. May be bloomberg only showing the extremes in the two minutes? I wonder how many are selected based on “extreme” situation vs the typical hard working?</p>
<p>Remember that only those apps that are on the margin go to committee (I think the NPR piece explains this). So for all we know those with blessed and ordinary lives are admitted with greater frequency than those with tragic circumstances. </p>
<p>And perhaps I’m naive but I am willing to assume that most applicants don’t fabricate alcoholism, infidelity, and other hardships for essays. I’m sure there have been some cases but my faith in human nature compels me to think they are rare. </p>
<p>On another note, it’s a tough night here, with DS’s team losing AGAIN in penalties after quadruple overtime. So sad to see these boys sobbing and consoling each other after playing their hearts out. </p>
<p>DS cramped up in both legs and had to be carried off the field with a few minutes left in the final overtime. He could barely walk to the car and is in fact sleeping downstairs on the couch since he cannot walk up the stairs. </p>
<p>The standardized test he’s taking tomorrow is the last thing on his mind but he can pass those with no problem since they just test for minimum competency. He does want to keep his perfect streak of pass advanced going though.</p>
<p>Now the video makes better sense after reading your first paragraph. Thanks for explaining about the committee. </p>
<p>So sorry to hear about the loss, it is sad to see them lose. I get teary eyed when I see kids upset. However, it only makes them better later in the life.</p>
<p>2014novamom: So sorry to hear about the soccer loss. And hopefully, your son’s better this morning. Cramping is never fun. Losing the game only made the situation worse.</p>
<p>Son '14 competes in his regional track and field meet today. Since it’s more than two hours away, I’m electing not to go. He promises to call and let me know how things go. He’s in one of the state’s toughest regions for distance runners, so he’s looking for a personal-best time. If that gets him to the state meet, awesome. Regardless, he continues to improve, and that’s the most important thing.</p>
<p>Novamom - sorry for the loss. I hope your guy is feeling better this morning…</p>
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<p>This is still what we found usual except at large schools… my older guys were homeschooled through high school, so the comments (or lack thereof) were interesting compared to the comments about high schools. (But mine got accepted w/merit aid, etc, just fine…) I remember wondering if I had chosen correctly considering their minority status and then wondering if my guys would be able to hold their own considering all the private schools I was hearing about (or top overseas schools). Both ended up doing just fine - or better than that. But at the time… it did kind of shake my confidence just a tad and there were some comments from them in the car about being the only homeschoolers in the sessions… </p>
<p>I consoled myself by reminding myself that if they had staying in our high school, they likely wouldn’t be attending those info sessions - just as my '14 guy has no reason to attend (lower stats). Fortunately, he doesn’t want the higher level schools. He should do just fine at the schools he wants - IF we can afford them. High stats tend to come with better aid offers if one selects schools which give merit aid.</p>
<p>@novamom. I’m so sorry that your son had such a rough couple of games in the post-season! As I said before, the lose in PKs is heartbreaking and to happen twice! </p>
<p>I’m actually not sure that is the “marginal” group on the Amhearst segment. The dean says the applicant pool has been culled before it even gets to committee and so they are looking at “a very, very accomplished group.” I am sure, though, that whatever was filmed for the segment, was heavily edited to make a statement. </p>
<p>I also don’t have a hard time believing that at least a few kids might make-up essays to make themselves sound more interesting. I’ve certainly had students make-up things for a variety of reasons. Also, a relatively small incident (dad got drunk once and, boy, was that embarrassing) can be turned into a bigger deal to make a literary point (dad is a raging alcoholic). And don’t be too sure that their parents read their essays ahead of time! I have been on admissions committees (albeit high school) and it is CLEAR there are some families where parents do not read what their kids write on their applications. </p>
<p>However, I’m with you in general. Most people are trying to do their best and be good people.</p>
<p>Oh, I don’t have a hard time believing that some might fabricate or exaggerate, but I am hard pressed to believe that most do. </p>
<p>Also, it’s not inconsistent to have very accomplished students to also be on the bubble. We’ve all heard stories of amazing candidates who get rejected or wait listed. They actually say in the NPR piece that only bubble applicants get to committee. And if I’m recalling correctly that visit how it is done at many other schools too. </p>
<p>Have you guys read The Gatekeepers? Fascinating look inside Wesleyan admissions.</p>
<p>Novamom, so sorry about the soccer loss! Hope your sons legs are feeling better today. I think S3 has his last SOL today as well, the last part of the English exam. For some reason other parts were taken in early April. He had USH yesterday. These are actually beneficial to our kids as any course they have a corresponding SOL (state exam), and earn pass-advance they get 100 in the final. Teachers can choose not to do this, but most do. </p>
<p>momreads, good luck to your son at the meet to today. He’s been doing so well. I’m hoping a personal best will get him to states! :)</p>
<p>I have mixed feelings about the Amherst video. I am not shocked. I also feel there are only a very small subset of schools that make decisions in this way. This gives the image of looking to reject, most are looking to admit. I will say that 25 years ago no one told me to write about my alcoholic father who had an affair, leaving us. I knew before my mother. When confronted my father said I needed psychiatric help and was crazy. I wonder when the tide turned in admissions where it was encouraged to write about hardships. I was trying my best to appear as normal as possible in suburbia when I was anything but. Write that on an essay?! Never! I’m not saying this generation is taking advantage of hardships, they’ve been instructed to do so and admissions rewards that, as we can see. I’m just curious when this happened.</p>
<p>I haven’t read the Gatekeepers. By the time I was wading through this stuff the book was fairly old. It was published in 2002 and chronicles the admissions year 1999. Admissions changes. Look how much electronic submission and wide use of the common app has changed things in just the last five or so years. I think it’s probably an interesting read, but not the eye opener it once was, and certainly outdated. I’m surprised as popular as it has been that someone has not tried to replicate an updated version considering its now 14 years later.</p>
<p>It’s true that it’s outdated in some ways but I think the thought process in admissions committees presented in the book remains the same. It also shows the influence a good relationship between a guidance counselor and the admission rep can have.</p>
<p>One of the funniest Modern Family shows was when the oldest daughter complained she had nothing to write about because there was no tradgey or hardships in her house. Her Mom drives her to the middle of nowwhere and tells her to make her way home. When she gets home the mom says “Now you have something to write about!”</p>
<p>Are there good college admission books that are truly helpful and relatively new? I read the Gatekeepers and liked it. I agree it’s outdated in some ways. I also liked ‘Making it into a Top College’ by Howard Greene. It’s comprehensive like a text book and full of how-to but also old (2009). I read the 'A is for Admission by Michele A. Hern</p>
<p>I’m sorry, in rereading my post I believe I came across too negative on the Gatekeepers. I agree that the relationships remain the same even if the rest seems to morph every few years. I don’t think there’s been another book that’s hit the same ‘a-ha’ insider feeling since. Crazy U was humorous in parts but tbh it lost a lot of it’s message with me when you realize the BSU (Big State U) referred to in the book is UVA, the students instate flagship. Using the BSU generic label gives the reader the feeling that this is just your regular, run of the mill flagship where good students can expect to be accepted.</p>
<p>The book Admission comes at it from the angle of a school guidance counselor. Ok and primarily interesting because of the viewpoint.</p>
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<p>A great book.</p>