<p>This is interesting…</p>
<p>[How</a> do you solve an Engineering interview?: i-want-to-study-engineering.org launched today | University of Cambridge](<a href=“http://www.cam.ac.uk/news/how-do-you-solve-an-engineering-interview-i-want-to-study-engineeringorg-launched-today]How”>How do you solve an Engineering interview?: i-want-to-study-engineering.org launched today | University of Cambridge)</p>
<p>Excellent thread, Benley! I have been reading the chances section and have thought the exact same thing. Being accepted in to a top BS is about much more than crunching numbers.</p>
<p>As several have said, there is no one right school, just the one you think will give your kid what they need now. Two years ago, our younger child had a choice between an academic powerhouse and a school which, while not downplaying the academics, highlights the grit issues in a more up-front way. Teamwork is also a bigger part of the second school. He chose the “grit and teammwork” school, and it has turned out to be what he needed - whatever sense of entitlement might have been developing in him, and might have been further stoked by being in an environment where everyone has been “chosen above all others”, appears to be on the wane, and his habits and attitude are making huge improvements as well. </p>
<p>Looking at it from a broader sense, I feel that a focus on “what makes the difference in where you get in…what drives the decisions of the highly selective schools” may be off target for what really matters. What we hoped for is that both our kids would grow - get better (I love them dearly and I am a Mama Bear, but even Mama Bears can admit that their wonderful cubs aren’t perfect). Whether they grow in a highly selective and competitive environment, or a less selective, more teamwork-oriented environment, the key is that they grow and lay down habits that will serve them in the long run. </p>
<p>The most motivational speech I ever heard was delivered by a wise old guy -a retired, judge, I think - in the dark, highly stressed days of December at my fancy prep school. He said many things, but the one I remember, 35 years later, was “don’t compete, create”. He got a well deserved standing ovation. It’s a great thought - it doesn’t let you off the hook, you still have to work hard to create, perhaps even harder than you would to compete. But the reason to work has changed - in fact, I wouldn’t call it a reason, but a purpose. 35 years on, purpose turns out to be more motivating than competition for me. Doesn’t have to work for everyone, but I know it works for my kids, so that’s what I was looking for when we went school-hunting.</p>
<p>bamp is the new bump</p>
<p>Haha I was reading this thread and I thought it was funny because for my Choate essay I wrote about Grit as a trait I was proud of :)</p>
<p>My mom went into an interview saying I have grit… I told her on the way home that this is listed as what makes a good candidate. Oops.</p>
<p>Oops? That’s a good thing! 
</p>
<p>It might’ve sounded like she rehearsed that!</p>
<p>Oh yeah, true. Now that I think about it, it may have sounded like I was trying to please the AOs… hopefully they understand that I’m a free spirit and not a pleaser! :))))</p>
<p>Yeah, my mom kind of said something along the lines of “passionate kid”. The most cliched phrase of all time when applying to BS.</p>
<p>^^^^
So true. That and he is a “leader”.</p>
<p>Deleted duplicate</p>
<p>From personal experience, I can tell you that academic scores are definitely not the only or sometimes the most important thing in an application. Because of a certain scholarship opportunity at a highly selective school, I know I have already been accepted. While, my scores were good (89 SSAT), they were not amazing. In my opinion, the way you relate to the AO in your interview and your essays is more beneficial than a high SSAT score and never having made a B in your life.</p>
<p>@hockeyboy11 Congrats!!!</p>
<p>@stargirl3 Thanks! I got waitlisted last year there so to know I got in this year was a great feeling. Good luck to you on M10 as well. I have 5 other schools I applied to, so I’m still in distress! LOL</p>
<p>Congratulations!!! Definitely beats the wait for M10 anyway</p>