<p>Guys! stop and lissen to yourselves, you are discussing about HYPS, which one is the best. Come on, its like choosing the prettiest girl among the top five models (sorry for the mundane symil). Just go get YOUR prittiest girl, they are all still pretty.</p>
<p>I'm not going to emmulate anyone's stats... or even try for that matter. I would have just liked to know what type of activities and pursuits in one's interests these types of schools like.</p>
<p>Sorry if I annoyed anyone.</p>
<p>SuperiorChild,
I just happened to revisit the P'ton website this a.m., & while I was looking for some other piece of info, noticed in the FAQ's section that they specifically denied looking for a "type" of student or applicant. But let me try to answer for my D's profile. (A P'ton acceptee.) Because she was accepted without super-fabulous test scores (very good, just not as good as some others), I have to believe that scores would not be the most important factor. I just see evidence that virtually all the Ivies, & all the top LAC's + MIT & S, look for academic promise as demonstrated by the applicant's history. It's how & what you contribute in class, what kind of a scholar you are (or show you are capable of becoming), whether you have a genuine, internally born love of learning & thirst for learning. That's often shown by taking the initiative to pursue specialized academic passions in summers, pursuing independent study of an additional foreign language or an additional (non-required) science if allowed to in high school, etc., & doing these things consistently.</p>
<p>Secondly, I think that having at least one e.c. (not just a standard co-curricular such as a school sport or school club leadership, an actual <em>extra</em>-curricular) that one is particularly accomplished in, & makes sacrifices to continue in, is something that all top colleges like to see. Co-curriculars can work as hooks (I've seen that) if one's role or accomplishment in them is particularly stand-out (top-level, regional, national awards, for example). But I've seen plenty of captains of athletic teams, possessing great standardized test scores, rejected from top-level schools, while students with lower scores but a dozen yrs of impressive performing arts accomplishment, get accepted. So not all co-curriculars are created equal, is my view. </p>
<p>I also cannot overstate the importance of personal qualities in the review of the applicant. I believe I stumbled across Princeton's Common Data Set --the one most recently published -- & noticed that personal qualities were, as I remember, in the first column. My memory could be faulty in that, but you can determine that by searching.</p>
<p>So....The exceptional student, the person of exceptional e.c. accomplishment, and the person of outstanding character -- these altogether are what they seem to seek in each of their applicants.</p>
<p>"Why? Trying to emulate a successful applicant here won't get you into Princeton - there's no formula, and Princeton doesn't want to admit the same type of person year after year."</p>
<p>Actually, it worked for me.</p>
<p>(Well, I didn't emulate EXACTLY, he did choir, i did band.)</p>
<p>Thanks epiphany... I plan to probably pursue meteorology or aerospace engineering or something of the sort and have a schedule that I would like to ulfill already in mind for my summers and ECs. Thanks for the concern.</p>