I don’t really know the answer. I wouldn’t be surprised if some AOs might have a lower hurdle for essays from likely STEM majors.
With that said, good essays really allow the AO to get to know the applicant which is a definite advantage, and even STEM majors are expected to have good writing skills.
Good luck to your kiddo in the RD round.
AOs have different thresholds for STEM kid essays and non STEM kid essays based on invited AO comments at our school. Moreover authenticity is more important than literary brilliance.
I find some of these arguments odd. No one (including the student) can see their OWN application not to mention other students in their school. Perhaps there are schools which share all recommendations, but most do not. So the complete picture isn’t known.
I always find references to Val, Sals and even top numbers invalid. What if a kid attends a public exam school or private high school which has a 10% acceptance rate. Those kids are MOSTLY going to be at the same level or even higher than kids in a weak school where they have dozens of kids with 4.0+
The record of the high schools to various colleges matters. As does how many kids chose to attend. Things change. Some schools may be inflating grades or CG might have changed things. Colleges are familiar with schools in their region via the regional reps. This can have a BIG impact on acceptances.
The idea that kids with standard high stats and high SAT’s (98%+) are strongly competitive for Ivies/Top 10 schools is dead. This idea died in recent years with all of the changes to holistic admissions. As a parent, I wouldn’t let my kid think their 99% anything is going to get them any further than consideration. Same as other standard strong applicants. It’s a stretch for all. If you get in, great.
You cannot compare one student to another at the same school or across schools. You can’t see the entire app or even one kid. And you don’t know why anyone is accepted/rejected. The best you can do is tell your kids to present their best application and then wait. Most kids will find a school they like.
Serious question: What does “authenticity” really mean? My D22 feels it is all so contrived and has noticed that some applicants embellish (and more) and get in to highly selective schools.
It is probably like pornography. You know it when you see it, but can’t describe it. It is also possible that your essay will look authentic if your LORs corroborate your story to an extent and your whole package hangs together. A good start is to let the kid write the essays. These AOs read many hundreds of essays each season – they can probably tell. I have read the essays of a small handful of kids over the past few years and I can tell whether the kid wrote the essay or had it written by some one else.
Okay. I’ll let my D22 know! 
Please don’t :-). I shouldn’t have used that reference. That’s what immediately came to mind.
Don’t worry. Just kidding around.
AOs muse on authenticity:
I think that is a good question. My kiddo gave me an essay to review after it had been reviewed by a college counselor. I said: this does not sound like you, can I see your first draft? The first draft did sound like my kiddo so I thought that was the version to go with bc it’s better to be authentic. Would the revised draft have made for a better application?...honestly, maybe, who knows? But isn’t it better for these kids to learn to be themselves, the best version of themselves, of course, but still their authentic selves. I think so and I hope I still feel that way a couple of months from now if and when my kid’s authentic self gets rejected from various schools! Its so competitive, with so many different adults involved, it’s stressful and probably a bit ridiculous……
I agree with this in general. The issue my D22 has seen is that students embellish to make their stories to sound better or fill in the blanks so their experience sounds more insightful/instructive than it really was. And it’s their own writing (no outside interference except to get feedback).
I told my son, around January of the junior year, that the college wants you to bare your soul at some level. The question is are you willing to do it. You need to meditate on that question for a while. Then the rest falls into place. There are many things to write about once you decide you will show yourself to them. It is not obvious that you want to show yourself to them. if you don’t want to, and you are capable, then you can paint a completely false picture. If you can, more power to you. The college is not entitled to know who the true you is. It is your choice to let them know. You need to play the game the way you want to play the game. They are an outsider.
Incidentally colleges predict ahead of time which kid will come in and do what at the college (i.e. participate in what student organization), what their 4year GPA might be etc. This is known at least at my son’s college.
Same! On the ridiculous degree of competition, our solution - due to our location in the UK rather than any foresight - was to apply to schools here as well, where admission chances are a bit more predictable. Best wishes to all D/S22s - it’ll soon be over!
That’s a good way to frame it.
That’s interesting.
There are students who pursue their talents and abilities outside of high schools…either because there aren’t opportunities to do so there or they are beyond what is offered. Such individuals may not broadcast their experiences, achievements, or scholarships, and thus are not considered exceptional by peers. I actually know of schools that do not celebrate anything done outside of their programs, so even faculty can be unaware. I am not talking about gaming the system or using money to access what others cannot…but there are unusual paths some authentically choose and excel in.
Regardless, colleges recognize originality, determination, and success in many forms, and some are looking for outliers who can contribute in unusual ways. It is all part of the mix.
Teens are expected to do so much today to stand out, but genuinely pursuing whatever it is that motivates them, whether within or without known parameters, is what matters.
Nobody here is making arguments about Ivys or top 10 schools . NEU is barely at the 50 spot, yet they behaving like Ivys with their high stats candidates, making their admission practices questionable to me
Isn’t it NEU’s prerogative to accept the applicants that they want? I would expect they have loads of data that help them know if a given applicant will matriculate if offered admission, as well as historical data that tell them what type of student is most successful at their school.
Seems fair for them to also defer some students, while NEU waits to see the relative strength of the RD pool. I do realize it’s difficult for top students to be deferred from a school they think is less than, but any school with a 20% or lower acceptance rate (regardless of its rank) is a reach for ALL unhooked applicants.
Applies to schools like NEU as well. They have many kids with great stats who won’t get in. Some parents believe their kids are superior to the overall pool of candidates. That is indeed, not the case.
My point is, you can’t know if you/your kid is a superior candidate if you can’t see the entire pool of candidates. And none of us can. Only the school knows who applied and what ALL of their data set includes.
I’ve seen this over and over. Parents who brag to me about their kid and I’m sitting there and know a kid who has done much more in that particular area.
There are some great kids out there. Some have the 99% stats, some just 90% stats but more outstanding and get in, while the 99%ers don’t. That’s the system.
Yes, I’m not really sure why that’s so controversial, kids who take writing intensive classes like APLAC and APUSH say will in general have better essays than kids who are not in those classes. That doesn’t mean kids in the college prep classes are going to write bad essays of course, but I think it’s hard to conclude that the AP kids wrote bad essays that get them deferred in EA vs it being yield management.
“What evidence do you have that teachers are looking at overall course selection and weighted GPA instead of how students perform in specific courses?”
Teachers only give recommendations for their classes, I wasn’t suggesting otherwise. Colleges like Case look for a recommendation from a STEM teacher, humanities/social science and guidance counselor so the art and music teachers can’t really submit a recommendation, unless they’re applying as music majors, but not sure that’s the case with the OP.
“do a deeper dive on the 4 year plan of study for their major”
I now your D is in Purdue engineering and I also majored in engineering (computer) but as others have pointed out that really only applies to a handful of majors. You can probably do a 2-year plan with GE or core classes but to go above that and plan for minors as well would be a little daunting.
“and even STEM majors are expected to have good writing skills.”
Agree, colleges like Case expect STEM students to have good writing skills and their History majors to handle Calculus.
“And most high stat students know how to do that very well…”
lol, these high-stats students also know how to write good essays. These colleges are filled with high-stat students, however you define high-stats. Are you saying high stats are admitted despite their essays and low stats students are in because of their essays? The evidence would probably argue against that.
I understand your frustration. Unfortunately there are some colleges that behave counter to what one would expect, given their comparative offerings, to boost yield, increase number of applicants, and reduce admission rate. It is unfortunate because students who are trying to be realistic in choosing safeties and targets can get burned. Those institutions that continue to do so are hopefully earning dubious reputations, and will be checked by future applicants. I know that doesn’t help your daughter now, but I wish her success with upcoming decisions and hope she lands at a university that truly deserves her.