<p>I don't think he's flaunting these conquests...he sounds too naive to even understand he may be hurting others feelings.</p>
<p>What does strike me though is how such an over-the-top kid doesn't seem to know a hill of beans about any of the schools he's gotten accepted to. In at 8 ivies, been in Harvard since December, it's now April and he hasn't visited one? Don't some schools (I don't know if ivies do this??) actually invite you to visit on their dime?</p>
<p>"I know that some colleges will only accept one or two kids from a high school, and they do compare applicants from the same school. So there very well might be kids at his school who got shafted because he was accepted."</p>
<p>Should that be the SLIGHTEST of his problems, if that could even be a problem at the type of school he attends? Isn't that why there is a GC at that school? </p>
<p>Again, inasmuch as I am not a big fan of anyone applying to all eight Ivies, this kid was NOT a shoo-in at any of them. His chances were excellent -as his admission record indicates- but very few people in this world could consider the Ivies to represent a ... safety. </p>
<p>Yes, he applied to other schools despite having a SCEA from Harvard. But, do we know much about the financial need of this student? Are his parents willing to shell out precious dollars when their oldest son can study for free at UT? Are they not the ones pushing for getting comparative financial aid packages? Do we know if the student did not set aside his first choice because it only offered ED? Columbia comes to mind!</p>
<p>Reading his website unveils a number of problems facing this student. I still think that true adults mentors were lacking in his life, and that he still hopes to meet them, even if it has to be on an anonymous forum.</p>
<p>PS Since the student seems to log every step of his admissions' saga, it is no secret that he has a number of trips planned. He will visit at least 4 of his schools in April, but he first needed to make arrangements with his employer. :)</p>
<p>"Do we know if the student did not set aside his first choice because it only offered ED? Columbia comes to mind!"</p>
<p>If that were the case, his decision now would be far simpler. And he makes it pretty clear that he knows little or nothing about any of the schools to which he has been admitted.</p>
<p>*If that were the case, his decision now would be far simpler. And he makes it pretty clear that he knows little or nothing about any of the schools to which he has been admitted. *</p>
<p>I'm not used to make things up </p>
<p>"COLUMBIA. The name itself resounds in a neon-lit metropolis of childhood dreams. This was my dream school before the blur of Harvard. It was my only passion."</p>
<p>I did not accuse you of fabricating things, nor did I read the student's essays or blog, if that's where the quote about Columbia came from. In any event, I stand corrected. Chill.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm not sure I can put my finger on it, but something about this kid gives me a bad taste in my mouth.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think that's a pretty good way of summing it up and I agree with that sentiment. You want to know why a lot of people on this thread are feeling this way? It's because the last couple of years, ever since college admissions has gone insane and the College Confidential forums have taken off and provided a theater for kids like these, everybody has been constantly hearing about how important it is to apply to the RIGHT schools, to do your research, that the top school don't LIKE it when somebody makes it seem like they are applying for name-brand appeal. I don't have time to find them now, but I remember a post by either an admissions officer or someone that had spoken to one which said that if schools finds out that an applicant applied to, let's say, both Dartmouth and Columbia, they will be very skeptical, to put it mildly, as to the sincerity of his application, as in this instance D and C have such disparate environments and applying to both indicates a lack of research. So, naturally, with this wonderful little tale, it turns out that the Ivies et al don't care two figs about all of that lovely rhetoric. No matter what Kindly Mr. Admissions Officer has to say on CC, no matter how many op-eds a Kenyon admissions officer writes about how much she "feels" for all the girls she rejects, the bottom line is that college admissions is, more than ever, a pool full of sharks counting the days to the next feeding frenzy. All of the pseudo-magnanimous talk is just that - talk designed to prevent people who are "special, but not that special" because they only got a 1490 on their SATs or only did 197.83 hours of community service from revolting. This is really nothing personal against this guy. He did what he felt was necessary and I'm sure everybody who were in his shoes would have done likewise (concerning the applications here, not talking about the lack of visits). I know I did, though with slightly less success. I think this is more to do with the fact that a situation like this one goes against everything we have been told about the way top tier admissions works, and I think it's starting to get a little grating.</p>
<p>Concerning fin aid...the Ivies, at least, should theoretically all be giving the same aid since they guarantee full need as determined by FAFSA. If anything, Harvard's package should have been the most attractive if income were an issue because they have no loans below certain family income levels.</p>
<p>I hope no one minds the fact that I chose to throw my two cents into the parent thread, even though I am not a parent...</p>
<p>If it were financial, there would still be no need to apply to that many schools. HYP, particularly H & P, generally give the best aid. If Columbia was still his favorite, but he wasn't sure about how much they would give, he could have applied to only those four schools. Also, he doesn't mention cost as a determining factor in his decision.</p>
<p>Like MM, I find myself agreeing with coureur.</p>
<p>I saw this student's post (Stanford RD, etc.) quite some time ago. At the time I was -- & am still -- unsurprised by his multiple acceptances. Btw, there were plenty of sweeps in the previous yr., too; people just apparently have forgotten about those. (I never questioned that he was indeed accepted by all those institutions.)</p>
<p>What I am surprised about is the singling out of this particular post, without comparing this one to many other similar posts on the students' (esp. Ivy) forums, by diff. students who had multiple acceptances & similar questions/confusions.</p>
<p>I find it completely natural that he is posting seemingly "without a clue," shall we say. If you read the essay or essay portion pasted from the student's webpage, you'll see that he is hardly in a position to turn to his own parents as sources of advice. I agree with the poster on this thread who sees him as potentially overwhelmed. And who wouldn't be (at his age, esp., & accommodating to 2 cultures -- which he makes clear in his writing that he feels he must continue to do)? So, he is turning to us, surrogate "parents" & to CC students (cyber-"siblings") to help guide him. I don't find anything off-putting about that, although I respect different responses from others.</p>
<p>He does obviously have a strong connection to his counselor. Yet, I wouldn't assume any GC to provide the best guidance when it comes to deciding between acceptances. It's just been my experience that high school counseling dep'ts concentrate much more on the upfront efforts, & precious little on the decision portion. </p>
<p>Just a postscript on acceptances:<br>
There is a high-powered, high-rent public in my region -- one of perhaps 10 in the entire region which boast an average GPA of about 4.3 W, & where the top 10% of seniors each have a considerably higher weighted GPA than that, including double-digit #'s of AP's in all cases, & burning ambition to score higher & higher on the SAT. This competitive school is not sending a single student to any Ivy this yr., despite many apps to them. The GC, surprised at the results, called Harvard admissions. Harvard's response? (Paraphrasing) 'Your students are high in stats, but we see no creativity & passion among them, no questioning/probing/thinking outside-the-box.' </p>
<p>The student is clearly a reflective person, likes to write, & is creatively directed. I also don't see his multiple postings as "a lack of empathy." Plus, we can't have it both ways, it seems to me. We counsel students to look within themselves during the college process, & it <em>is</em> a self-evaluating journey. We then cannot be surprised when they seem focused on their own psyches during the decision period as well. </p>
<p>JMO -- not shared by all, I see.</p>
<p>Aaahhh, if he can't afford to visit until he flies up on someone else's money, and he doesn't know much about the NE or the Ivy League other than name and website, doesn't it make some sense that he would apply to more than one? In for a penny, in for a pound.
ALso if the GC is his main college related mentor, and he is at a big public where they might have few or no other Ivy apps, why the GC counsel restraint? </p>
<p>Finally, in regards to other high ranking students in his class, if I remember The Gatekeepers properly, I believe the admissions rep was well aware that the young lady from LA was being courted by multiple schools, with plenty of other offers, I'm not sure that those students necessarily "take up the spot" of the school - maybe at Harvard and Yale, who can count on a fairly high yield even among the superstars, but certainly not at the others. Certainly I got the feeling from the book that if she came to Wesleyan it would be icing on the cake, but admits were granted to her high school outside the "arms race" for this gifted student.</p>
<p>Looking at this kid's profile, I'm not sure he was one of these sought after kids, I think he just presents an unusual package - quite a writer for an immigrant child, and not another math/science Asian male. Low income evidently, but anyone who can write that well, can make it at any college - and his stats are quite respectable.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I find it completely natural that he is posting seemingly "without a clue," shall we say. If you read the essay or essay portion pasted from the student's webpage, you'll see that he is hardly in a position to turn to his own parents as sources of advice.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But that's the whole point isn't it? Everybody who is being thrust into this process is being told that you have to be "savvy." You have to have a strategy rivaling the invasion of Normandy, have 25 extracurricular activities to your credit, and possibly plunk down thousands of dollars for SAT lessons, tutoring, essay coaching, etc. This person just doesn't fit into the "image" of the successful applicant that people have become accustomed to.</p>
<p>"I think he just presents an unusual package - quite a writer for an immigrant child, and not another math/science Asian male."</p>
<p>My point exactly. And the contrasting high-powered school I referenced earlier consisted of "yet another math/science Asian male [and female]."</p>
<p>Also a good point about the lack of $$ to make multiple college visits.</p>
<p>Dunno. Vietnamese. High achiever (I think Aspergers). Is it such a wonder that he isn't the best reader of social clues?</p>
<p>Not to me. He's a kid. He's needy. All those riches and gifts and he's still needy. </p>
<p>No envy, no rancor from me. Just pity. I'm happy with my 'slacker' boys with their 100 friends, decent smarts and complete lack of interest in CC.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If it were financial, there would still be no need to apply to that many schools. HYP, particularly H & P, generally give the best aid. If Columbia was still his favorite, but he wasn't sure about how much they would give, he could have applied to only those four schools. Also, he doesn't mention cost as a determining factor in his decision.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There's no guarantee that he would have gotten into any schools other than Harvard, so if he wanted to increase the possibility that he would be in a position to compare financial aid offers, he would have to apply to a number of comparable schools.</p>
<p>If he is from an immigrant family and attending a "not very competitive" public school, I would guess that financial factors would be a very real consideration. His parents' finances may well be a mystery to him, and colleges can look at the same financial circumstances in very different ways, especially if his parents own a small business.</p>
<p>There are parents who are savvy enough about the workings of college financial aid to predict and negotiate better financial aid deals for their children. (Thedad on this forum comes to mind, as does the mother in the Gate Keepers.)</p>
<p>I don't know that this poster's parents would be in a position to do what Thedad and the mother in the Gate Keepers did. Who knows if they would even be able to take the time to travel with their son to visit the financial aid offices as those parents did?</p>
<p>And as for depriving other students at his high school of "spots" at those elite schools, the admissions officers publicly state that students from a given school are competing against the entire pool, not against one another, for admission to any given school. (This may or may not, in fact, be true, but one should hardly blame a first-generation immigrant kid for accepting such statements at face value.)</p>
<p>Nobody blamed curmudgeon's daughter for applying to a bunch of colleges, at each of which curmudgeon and his daughter believe she had a lottery ticket for merit aid. In the end, she wound up with far more good prospects and finalist interviews than she could comfortably fit into her schedule...but who knew it would come out that way at the outset?</p>
<p>I think this is similar, except that curmudgeon was surely much better informed and savvy than this poster's parents were.</p>
<p>I keep flip-flopping on this one. Like anxiousmom, I was thinking that he'd probably sent in all his applications before he heard from Harvard ( he heard on Dec. 14, according to his website), and kept all his applications all in the hopper because, after all, how many students get into all their colleges? (besides curmudgeons' daughter..) I, too, was feeling that perhaps this kid had been singled out and that we'd been too hard on him. </p>
<p>Then I read more of his homepage. He chronicles everything that he's done, and that has happened related to his college process with painstaking detail, lists the dates he sent in every scholarhip application , the date (in Feb, I believe) that he turned down the full ride at UT-Austin, so I am guessing money must not be a big concern for him. He's also posted his April calendar-- with plans to visit Princeton, Yale, Harvard and Columbia. So, whereas I'd been feeling that this fellow needed some social skills training, I am now finding myself bothered again by what seems to be braggadocio presented under the veil of humility. And what we are doing here may be inadvertently feeding this. He didn't start this, but he hasn't responded either. In fact, he's responded very little to all the responses to his posts in each of the 10 individual college forums (though when he did respond, it seemed genteel). My hope is that he decides soon, and frees up the spots for others on the waiting lists.</p>
<p>It seemed to me that he turned down the UT scholarship after he found out that Princeton had offered him a very nice package, which could only have been need-based. So we really cannot conclude that money is not a concern.
Also some of his college visits are being sponsored by his employer, perhaps knowing that he cannot afford to do that in his own, and also perhaps truly believing in his potential.</p>
<p>He's not freeing up spots on wait lists by choosing to attend one school - schools admit more students than they can accomodate, knowing that many end up with multiple choices. </p>
<p>I can't figure out the interest or resentment - but admit I've read this thread myself.</p>
<p>choco-
I must be missing something. All I saw was that he had an interview with s/o from Princeton the day he turned down UT (in March- my mistake). He's going after several big scholarships, but again.. its hard to tell if they are need-based or not. I know many kids who applied for the same scholarships (Coca Cola, AXA achievement, Best Buy, etc) because these are merit- based ( achievement and community service). I don't think that need is an issue in these scholarships. </p>
<p>I agree with lefthandofdog-- there is something intruiging about this.. in a "can't quite get my hands around it" kind of way.....</p>
<p>Well, he does write very lengthy and detailed entries, so it would be easy to miss. I don't want to cut and paste any personal information about him, but I was not referring to the private scholarships that he was applying to. He has indeed been given excellent **need-based **packages from a few ivies.</p>
<p>My, my, my..... envy is a little green monster, isn't it???</p>
<p>Kid gets an admissions sweep and suddenly the personality-squad is all over him. How dare he ask for advice? How dare he let his applications sit after an EA admit to Harvard? (It ain't ED folks -- no law says he had to take Harvard up on the offer) Omigod, that must have been my kid's spot at Brown he stole!</p>
<p>Yes, he has a problem we would all dearly love to have. And he doesn't seem to be at all humbled by it. Plus he got there with 700-ish scores and an unweighted GPA, albeit a 4.0. </p>
<p>The reason for his clean sweep is obvious: he is #1 in a class of 718 (though with UW GPA's, I wonder how many #1s there are at his school). In any case, his counselor really, really likes him. Plus he writes very well - so we know the recs & essays were great. (Personally his writing is a little forlorn and gloomy for my tastes --I'd be warry of Sylvia Plath wannabes if I was an ad com concerned about student suicide rates -- but I'll bet the gc rec. letter presented a different light). </p>
<p>So yeah... he got in to them all and the rest of us didn't. I'm sure if we work very hard at it we can find lots of reason to find fault with him. </p>
<p>I know -- let's all send him PM's telling him he ought to take that full ride offer at UT!!! That'll show him......</p>
<p>calmom-
I've got no kid in the pipeline this year- so as for me (can't speak for anyone else) envy has nothing to do with the mixed feelings I've had. Maybe I'm influenced by the fact that the OP here is someone whose opinion I respect, so if the 10 posts in all the college forums didn't pass the "smell" test in her book, it was reason, at least for me, to question... We are merely pondering here. No one has been indelicate, nor has suggested that anyone be indelicate, by contacting the student directly. Sibbie did, however, write a very helpful post to this fellow on one of the threads. </p>
<p>If this thread had been started in the parents cafe rather than the parents forum, would the bantering have been perceived any differently? Isn't is ok for parents to question?</p>