<p>how many schools offer and get approved for 15 APs in the U.S.? not many
how many people score 2250-2400 on the SAT or 34-36 on ACT? not many
how many people apply to ivies and other top schools? too many
therefore... a person with 4-6 APs, 3.7-4.0 and above GPA, 1850-2100 SAT
(sometimes it's relaxed for race or low-income circumstances), several ECs (not 10, maybe 3-5), a little leadership (1 or 2), and a nice essay....can get into the ivies, and other top colleges..</p>
<p>people these days... think they must impress and impress and impress... but so few know that they already are impressive (especially people at competitive highschools), just by being above average. </p>
<p>and on this site there are too many people who want to impress, or are overly impressive (and sometimes get rejected). to really know if you have good enough stats to get into your dream college...... just apply and at least make the SAT/ACT cut off range.... you'll be suprised where you get into.</p>
<p>colleges don't need- the person with the biggest profile... the most genuine is better.</p>
<p>oh and people need to stop telling people when a school is a "reach"..... just cause they didn't get in.... besides there may be more to the person than meets the eye, despite his/her standardized testing. they could have an excellent essay/ interview. people with 600s and 700s on all SAT sections can get into good schools.</p>
<p>This is, I'm afraid, a pretty idealistic point of view.</p>
<p>True, not many schools offer all the available APs. That's why schools look at how many AP's you've taken relative to how many your school offers.</p>
<p>True, not many people score above a 2250 on their SAT. But when a school can afford to accept a single-digit percentage of applicants, it's hard to get in if you're not one of those people. Sure, it happens. But other parts of your application have to shine.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Yeah, maybe people get too caught up in trying to design their lives around getting into a top school. But you can't argue that those schools aren't competitive, and that you don't have to impress them to get in. They are, and you do.</p>
<p>Nor do I understand what you mean by "the most genuine is better." How many colleges are going to look at two applications and say, "Well, this person is a better student -- but this one is GENUINE!" College admissions is not a feel-good process.</p>
<p>If you've read A is for Admission by former Dartmouth admissions officer Michelle Hernandez, you'd know that essay and interview don't matter much in the process for most people, despite what college officers say in information sessions.</p>
<p>GA has a point, in that there are people that are admitted to the Ivy's, and other prestigious schools because of who they are. These people have a passion that shines through in their applications. They have might have accomplishments that dwarf a high score on a standardized test. An example is the young lady in another thread that got into Harvard without a 2100 SAT, but is one of those people you just say "Wow" when you meet them. These aren't folks that have been focusing on a college resume, but have been focussing on other things important to them, and to society at large. But these amazing folks are not enough to fill up all the Ivy classes. So then they look for filling out their class, and those with high GPAs and test scores are often given the nod. If you don't have the charisma or passion to astonish those around you with your accomplishments, you need the scores.</p>
<p>-- take some APs, but don't get all worked up in self-studying them or dropping another class or EC you are really interested in just to be able to say you took every AP class your school had</p>
<p>--don't fret about scores on the standardized tests. do some prep -- but don't waste time and money on expensive prep classes and taking the test fives times</p>
<p>--work hard in school and do well, but don't over think the process. don't spend hours trying to figure out what class you can take that will increase your rank or help you GPA. Take difficult classes that interest you or that will educate you well.</p>
<p>--do some ECs that you like, not everyone available. show some leadership -- but no one will believe that you did a good job as a leader of 15 clubs. </p>
<p>--be genuine. I think this is the key -- if the student is genuinely interested in spending his free time eating pizza and playing video games in his parents basement, it might not help in his quest to get into an Ivy. if being genuine means that he pursues an interest either through volunteer work or activities -- then this can really make a difference.</p>
<p>With this strategy, the student could do well in school while enjoying their time. If their gpa, test scores and activites don't get them into an Ivy -- they probably wouldn't be happy with the amount of work needed to do well in the Ivy. On the other hand, if they do well with this strategy and make it into an Ivy -- great.</p>
<ul>
<li>Academically it is better to be safe than sorry so
a. Show diversity and take some tough courses outside of your comfort. i.e take 3 year history if passion is science/math. Try taking 4 year FL.
b. Do take the prep courses for Standardized testing and try to do your best. Don't retake tests if possible. Don't take Subject tests if you are sure you won't do good on it.
c. Take the hardest courses possible for your comfort, if these are AP then take those and do take the exams at the end.
d. Keep the goal to be UW GPA > 3.8, > 3 on APs, Subject SATs > 700, SATI > 2100 with each component > 700.</li>
</ul>
<p>-- Choose EC's according to your passion and not to show off, so stick to 1, 2 or 3 beyond that it might backfire</p>
<p>-- Do community service if you genuinly feel otherwise spend time doing the activity you like more.</p>
<p>You can still enjoy life keeping this rigorus curriculumn and even if you don't get into top schools after this you will be a success at where ever you endup going. So it will never be a waste.</p>
<p>A strong base will take you far irrespective of your matriculation to any college,
But if you slack off in High Schools, it will be difficult for you to cope up with the pressure at the Universities. </p>
<p>You can work hard for 4 years at high school and party all the way to your retirement otherwise you can party at high school and work all the way till you say good by to the world.</p>
<p>On the one hand, hard-working "genuine" kids will get in to great schools across the country. On the other hand, highly selective schools, including all the ivy's, have so many great applications that generally only the best students (with the best grades, scores, ECs, etc) will get accepted. For instance, my D and 3 of her friends, all valedictorians of local schools, all "genuine" kids, all with good SATs (2200 for my D), got rejected from every ivy to which they applied.</p>
<p>^^^ I don't think if you get rejected form Ivy that suddenly you will become a bad student. If your daughter had good SATs and rigorous curiculumn she will be successful at another school. </p>
<p>The point is, to give up trying because you know there are students with perfect grade didn't get in but student with 1600 SATs did, not a correct one.</p>
<p>It is all probability and decreases if student doesn't try following is the descending order of probability for each</p>
<p>a. School Name
Known Private - Public
Rigoros Private - Public
Unknown Private - Public</p>