Good for her! She can take that bar and do a pull-up! 
1 Like
It seems to be a bit of a mystery. You often read on CC that after a certain stat level āitās a lotteryā. But if that were true wouldnāt we see a more even distribution among these top students who look so similar on paper? Rather than many being rejected from all the T20s and some accepted to several? This difference between a ālotteryā and what really happens is interestingāsome have said itās LOR, or essays. Maybe so. A student who is accepted to Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia (kind of an odd combo anyway of very different college experiences) has something that appeals to multiple AOs. It might help future students to identify what these kinds of features or qualities are.
2 Likes
True - the problem is that it typically is not something quantifiable, such as GPA, class rank, testing scores, etc. So there may be 10% of all Ivy applicants who ācheckā those āsubjectiveā criteria, and some might even get two or more admission offers, the next 10% may or may not get one admission, or at least waitlisted.
For the other 80% the odds are outright 0.
Because there often is almost no āquantifiableā difference in the profile of admitted vs. rejected students, the comparison to a lottery is not really that far-fetched.
1 Like
I really do think itās a hook like URM. Or some sort of national or International recognition, something truly outstanding that no one else has. One canāt make a kid into someone like that. Itās not like, if we knew the reason, all kids could try to do those things. Those kids are rare.
6 Likes
My sophmore would love this. She wants to write storyboards for video games some day.
1 Like
It isnāt quantifiable. It isnāt just the style of writing but what the student chooses writes about. Some kids are more reflective. Some can more naturally articulate their curiosity and drive without saying it outright.
Creating a diverse class is more than race or hometown. Colleges are creating communities of students with different life experiences, different interests, and different views about their role or purpose in our world. Some students share this naturally. Others could try to create it but it would be forced.
2 Likes
I disagree about the recognition part. The kids I have seen here all have the same near perfect scores in GPAs and standard tests. What seems to set them apart for the highest ranked schools are outstanding awards in areas that others donāt have.
I agree that URM is not a significant hook. Nor is first gen, low income/pref. school. If they were, there would actually be many such kids in those schools from past years. But it seems obvious from the stats that there arenāt.
1 Like
How do you know?
Some think itās essays, some thing itās diversity, some think itās outstanding things like international basket weaving champion. But really, no one knows. If they did, someone would write about it and sell it and it would change again.
Itās very likely that all these outstanding kids are writing outstanding essays, doing amazing ECs, and other things.
1 Like
I think the students who get multiple top 10 acceptances have a very unusual story to tell in addition to excellent stats.
Like Eileen Gu, Olympic gold medalist AND supermodel.
Or someone born and raised for ten years in a remote cabin with no running water or electricity who saved the life of his dog as a child and was inspired to go into medicine.
In short, someone who can write a compelling and memorable authentic essay about a remarkable life experience unlike any of their peers.
8 Likes
I think that for our S16 it was definitely the essays. He had 4.0 uGPA, 2400 SAT, two SAT subject tests of 800. But there are many with the same academics. What we heard back from several of his acceptances were comments on the essays.
Would have been interesting to see how our D22 would have fared, but she was accepted in the ED round so we will never know about her essays (sh had almost the exact same academics)
4 Likes
Yes, I agree that is almost certainly one path to many acceptances. But I think many more are admitted with less exceptional stories that are more closely related to what they plan to do.
2 Likes
I am a parent of one of those kids.
Did your son ever request to see the comments on his application after he was accepted? Supposedly Stanford lets you do that.
2 Likes
We loved that museum when we were touring the Rochester area colleges. It was a great way to break up the trip and everyone liked even more than the side trip to Niagara Falls! Lol.
2 Likes
He did not. We tried to get him to do so out of curiosity , but he just gave us an eye roll. We did talk with the regional AO at a reception and she felt that his essays were among the best she had ever read. They made him āinterestingā
2 Likes
So you say itās quantifiable and you know that because your kid is one of those accepted to many T20. Ok, Almost all on here are parents. And almost all the kids applying to these schools are outstanding. How can any parent think their kid has more assets than the thousands of other kids without meeting/knowing them?
So this all applies to your kid/those who got into multiple top schools but not others. OK. Lol
Some of those schools get 50K plus apps and yet his were some of the best. Hmm.
Sorry if I sound cynical. I just donāt believe that the essays are the thing. I know many kids who have gone/go to top schools and they usually can check a box.
And I know kids who are nationally/internationally ranked and they donāt all get into these schools. A lot depends on if you are the most outstanding in your bucket.
3 Likes
They (at least at that time) had regional AO readers. She covered apps from our state and two others. There were also hand written notes on his acceptance letter from the regional AO and two others from the review team. Iāve heard similar experiences from others on CC, so not unusual.
7 Likes
D21 and S19 also had handwritten notes on a handful of their acceptance letters calling out their essays. And D21 had one acceptance letter quote one of her recs (which I think probably shouldnāt have happened since she waived her right to read those). All of these schools were top 15 LACs or top 20 unis.
6 Likes
I think if we are hypothesizing that itās the essays that make the difference between identical stats kids, then we have to intuit that there is something broadly appealing about them. The AOs (and their staffs) at Harvard, Columbia, and Stanford would all have to think the essay is remarkable enough to move an application to the yes pile. That must mean somethingāis it the actual writing style (either natural or coached)? Is it the subject matter? I bet we are past the era of the quirky/whimsical essay (why Iām afraid of ladders, all about my motherās pickle jar collection, etc.) So what are the subjects that are catching the attention of multiple AOs?
2 Likes