<p>i heard that it was a hook for many people. i mean it shows overocming a lot of obstacles.</p>
<p>could just completing an intel project be considered good for a school like princeton?</p>
<p>Accepted ED at Penn.</p>
<p>800 CR, 760 M, 710 W.</p>
<p>3.8 GPA.</p>
<p>No legacy, no athletics, no notable awards.
ECs were school newspaper, literary journal, and coaching minor hockey.</p>
<p>I know a white male with more Bs than As, 3s and 4s on APs, and an SAT score in the low 1300s who was admitted early to Penn Arts & Sciences. He really wanted Penn, so he worked really hard to make a great application (essays, etc.)--worked for him.</p>
<p>i guess the single parent , intel project and volunteeering is gonna be mmy hook? anyone else have any comments.</p>
<p>I spoke to many admissions officer and have a close friend who is director of admissions at a top university. I am a single parent and that is no longer "a hook." There are so many applicants who come from broken homes that it is no longer something that differentiates candidates. He did say if your mom is a crack addict, you live in public housing and your absent father is in prison yet you overcame all these obstacles then maybe. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that admissions to an Ivy is not guaranteed for anyone. Some have a better chance then others but there are no guarantees (unless you are famous or can build the school a new building). We always joke that we should have moved to somewhere like Alaska before applying as geographic diversity plays such a large part. If you live in a well educated metro area you have much more competition typically. </p>
<p>The other side of the coin is that perfect scores do not guarantee admission either. We had a student at our high school last year who had a perfect ACT of 36, was 10 points shy of a perfect SAT and scored 800 on 4 SAT II's. His extra-curriculars were amazing, the only thing missing was finding a cure for cancer. He was personable and I assume had excellent essays as he was editor of the school paper. He was denied at Harvard and Princeton, waitlisted at Yale (currently attending), and deferred from Georgetown. We all thought he was a lock at any college. The truth is that some of it is luck of the draw and how much your regional admissions officer fights for you when it gets to the final days. </p>
<p>Have your child apply but have safeties. Do not be sucked in by prestige, pick schools that are a match for your child's interest and personality. Prepare for rejection because applying to a true reach school is a risk and all ivies are a reach. I told my d that when you reach higher you may get slapped down but it is worth the risk. You can't achieve dreams if you don't try. Not getting into an Ivy League school is not a failure or a reflection of the student as a whole there are just too many brilliant, well rounded kids out there.</p>
<p>
[quote]
i guess the single parent , intel project and volunteeering is gonna be mmy hook? anyone else have any comments.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No, that's not a hook. Unless of course, you're an intel finalist or something. </p>
<p>I think you're looking too hard to find a hook, when in fact, hooks are for national / international recognized talent, TASP, RSI, etc. Other smaller hooks include URM, first generation, etc.</p>
<p>my friend was abused by his father and his father went to jail and he hasnt seen his father in 16 years? he said that was the hook that got him into yale. so maybe it can be a hook. but his case was more extreme. mines was just divorced parents.</p>
<p>btw i still have a decent chance right?</p>
<p>I'm not sure if it's just me, but trying so eagerly to use some hardship in life like that for the purpose of college admissions is a bit ridiculous.</p>
<p>Having divorced parents won't make the adcoms jump and start having sympathy for you, and somehow tip you into the admit pile. Get that thought out of your head.</p>
<p>"Decent chance" at colleges you're aiming for such as Yale and Princeton means about 9~10%. That's what it is for just about all students applying. </p>
<p>Sorry if my post seems too direct. I just think you're trying a bit too hard to find a hook, when there really is none.</p>
<p>Parent
Popped in here for the heck of it.
There are a few rules of thumb.
1) SAT I over 1450 with verbal over 700, Verbal 750+ is better. Worth prepping to get those scores.
2) Demonstrated passion that indicates that the student might one day be a national leader in the field--could be athletics, arts, politics, science...you name it. Intel is one way but not the only science way--and Intel finalists do not get into every Ivy. There are long threads in the Parent's forum about 'lopsided' passion.
3) Diversity is an asset--be it geography, race, background. Tough to be diverse from Northern New Jersey but it happens.
4) Some Ivies only take 3.9 GPA and above. Some require that private competitive schools deliver students 4.0+ and above. Some are sticklers for the stats--ie if you don't have the SAT and the GPA forget it. Some are 'slightly' more forgiving. You have to research the threads to find which are which. You should ask the GC if you can see the scattergrams for your school. Scattergrams don't lie. If the scattergram from your school says that the Ivies haven't taken a student like your child in the past, it's not going to happen. </p>
<p>Don't drink that Kool-aid, as curmudgeon would say.</p>
<p>5)It's tougher to get in to an Ivy if you are from the Northeast corridor, if you are Asian, if you are applying from an elite school, if you are international and you need financial aid and if you are a girl.</p>
<p>6) It's tough to get into an Ivy. Period. It's not exactly a throw of the dice, but once the student has the general stats, it takes a bit of chance to get accepted.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<ol>
<li>im sure i could get tose sat scores with a bit of studying.</li>
<li>i have a passion for science. i have taken 4 lab science when the requirement is 3. 2 honors scinces as well as doing intel. my science grades are mostly 95's with a few 90's and 97's . overall science is my strongest subject area. i ahve gotten a 710 on the bio sat m. and i will take a.p bio next year.
3.im indian from nyc.
4.92 average and it is only going up. (which qualifies as a 4 right) this is uneighted btw.</li>
</ol>
<p>plus i will be joining some clubs next year as well as a sports team.</p>
<p>so i guess i have the stats right?</p>
<p>guess its up to luck now. maybe those mit kids could help me with this game of chance(anybody else get this?)</p>
<p>How can you have a 4.92 unweighted?</p>
<p>not 4.92 uneighted. (92 unweighted)</p>
<p>i meant 4 as in the 4th thing im responding to like a list</p>
<ol>
<li> (92 average)</li>
</ol>
<p>Harvard...
SATs 660/730/720
GPA: 3.7
Asian
Non-athlete, non-legacy
Singer-songwriter, sent CD in</p>
<p>collegebond78,</p>
<p>The single parent thing isn't really a hook at all. Actually, coming from a divorced family is not all that uncommon. You really are trying too hard to find a hook..:p</p>
<p>You should ask for chances when you actually get your scores--saying "I'll probably get them," is doubtful, because a lot of people think they'll do well on the SATs, and study a lot, but don't actually get the score they anticipated. </p>
<p>Joining clubs in your senior year also shows that you're only doing so for resume, and does not look well to adcoms.</p>
<p>2160
Asian
Smart</p>