<p>OK in my rather competitive hs I saw a college decision which was stunningly surprising. I go to a semi-competitive HS in Manhattan and we get roughly 2-3% of our class into Ivy-Caliber schools. </p>
<p>Stats:
Decision: Accepted at Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Cornell CAS, UPenn Wharton 5SUNYs, scholarship at CMU, scholarship at JHU, Duke BME
Rejected at Yale and Caltech (after deferral)</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<ul>
<li>SAT: 770 CR/ 800M/ 770WR (2340)</li>
<li>SAT Iis: 770 Chem, 800 Math IIC, 640 Physics</li>
<li>ACT: N/A</li>
<li>GPA: 3.1 (uw) 3.6 W</li>
<li>Rank: Haha probly 30% not even in top quarter for sure</li>
<li>Other stats: 4 APs by graduation (average that go to top schools is about 8)</li>
</ul>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<ul>
<li>Essays: Below Average-Average I would assume due to being a slacker</li>
<li>Teacher Recs: Average to below this guy is a slacker</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: Well good cuz counselors like to see kids get into good schools</li>
<li>Hook (if any): Black + Great SATs</li>
</ul>
<p>Location/Person:</p>
<ul>
<li>State or Country: NY</li>
<li>School Type: Semi-Competitive Public</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Ethiopian</li>
<li>Gender: Male</li>
</ul>
<p>Other Factors: C- in sophmore year algebra II and Calc AB for MIT
Extracurriculars: Academic Decatholon, Volunteering, nothing else unless you count Starcraft</p>
<p>I realize the guy's SATs were good however the guy's GPA put him generously at the 30th percentile. I AM ALL for Affirmative Action and I am not trying to strike a debate about it, but does this seem fair or reasonable or was it a mistake?</p>
<p>Not a mistake--a wide range of colleges liked him so it clearly wasn't a fluke. He did manage to get deferred at Caltech and a rejection from YALE isn't anything to sneeze at ;)</p>
<p>Well I mean did you see the guys GPA? Also he got rejected by Caltech after defferal. (His math grades sucked-well so did his others)</p>
<p>GPA isn't the only factor, and you can't really assume his essays sucked if you never saw them. He also could have had good interviews. His essays are also phenomenal for a URM. I'm not really surprised.</p>
<p>I think you mean SAT scores are phenomonal :). I am telling you though, no1 at our school gets accepted with below 3.8W (yea our school can have pretty CC low GPAs), it just doesnt happen. Also, even IF I never saw is essays, its pretty much fact he is extremely lazy (although a frickin genius, he pwns me at starcraft) he definetly couldnt have put the time in to a constructive essay. Also, I realize it isnt a mistake (lots of colleges accepted him), but is it reasonable, keep in mind the C- and getting into MIT?</p>
<p>thats what i meant lol thanks introuble</p>
<p>students can get accepted with a C- on their record, it doesn't absolutely exclude them from top schools. and he's obviously very intelligent which means if he really wanted to, he could probably construct a stellar essay.</p>
<p>I agree with above but a C- in MATH and getting into MIT is probably a little much. I would agree with the part about his essay IF i did not know this kid. It was a miracle he handed in his apps in time, however he is extremely bright (I mean easily the smartest guy I have met in my life), but he's just sorta you know, out of it cuz he's so smart.</p>
<p>Also note the 640 in physics,which is a good score for not studying for the test but would pale in comparison compared to the copious 800s seen at MIT.</p>
<p>I think it sounds reasonable. You admit, the guy is brilliant. And, if he's as lazy as you say, I'm betting those scores were in one sitting. He got a 770 in the writing portion of the SAT, it's also quite possible he could throw together a good essay. And he's a URM. </p>
<p>I think Universities, when they are looking for diversity, are also looking at logistics. It's great to have lots of hardworking folks. But it saves time to have some of those students be able to get the concept the first time through. They can then be the help in the dorms for the rest of the students, because face it, there is only so much office hour time. (My husband, and his college room mate, were the informal designated math/chem tutors for their dorm floors. Neither had great high school GPAs. Both had 4.0s graduating from UCBerkeley in engineering. My husband also had a 4.0 for his master's at Stanford, where his roommate finished his Phd.) So when they see a kid with amazing scores across the board, well, it's good to bring in some innately brilliant people. And if one of them is a URM that's as good a pick as any.</p>
<p>I would not say amazing scores across the board (640) but yes it was one sitting. I also agree that he is a genius. However, the fact is, compared to others who worked a lot in high school, I feel it's a little wrong for him to have recieved these acceptances. Furthermore, he is not sure he will even go to these awsome schools he recieved acceptances from. I agree colleges look at logistics, but 3.6 W at our school can be sneezed at.</p>
<p>^^
Lol I wish I had his acceptances!</p>
<p>Bump... any other thoughts?</p>
<p>I'm not surprised by his acceptances.</p>
<p>Wow, last time I checked the transcript was the most important basis for making application decisions. I mean any GPA like that would be laughed at here at CC.</p>
<p>Yes, but he is a URM with very good SATs.</p>
<p>congrats! that's quite a list to choose from, good luck!</p>
<p>My D has a friend who looks, sounds and acts like a "slacker" but his writing is really clever</p>
<p>when you look at Stat's not everyone at a school is at the top of each and everything, you have some at the "lower side" and the middle.....</p>
<p>as for the GPA getting laughed at here at CC, well CC is a very weird planet</p>
<p>and one C-, who cares, obviouslly all those schools didn't</p>
<p>Citygirlsmom, even if I conceed to you that he wrote good essays:
People with better stats than his were rejected from my school, the GPA is laughable when we are talking about Harvard and Princeton, and a C- is extremely important when we talk about MIT.</p>