<p>The 3.96/perfect scores was precisely that magical thinking. They thought they were shoo-ins. They were wrong. Someone gave them bad, bad information.</p>
<p>^ Amen…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>POIH:</p>
<p>The OP said that he and his 3 buddies (=4) applied to 20 Ivies. If all four applied to HYP, then they only applied to one so-called Ivy, and I would bet none of them applied to Dartmouth. I’n guessing Columbia and Penn were popular, both of which would have given bonus points to ED. Ditto Cornell.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Or, no one (outside their peer group) gave them bad information. 
(See my post above) Note that Urban Legend =/= “information.”</p>
<p>Parents, since the laws of probability have come up on this very thread :), how probable is my #1?</p>
<p>(Just checking. ;))</p>
<p>Re $450. Miss Sophie, also got to let the dog/cat out more often. Or maybe TigerMom did a TO on the kitten?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>LOL–I think you’re onto something here xiggi! How long before parents start to talk about how their kids NEED to go to TWO Ivy’s (at the same time) in order to get “the best” education so they can be competitive in the world?</p>
<p>Summer school, and exchange program.</p>
<p>Oldfort is correct. BTW, congrats to your DD. Mine still talks about her experience, now a year later.</p>
<p>Grad or professional school at a different Ivy…but who would you root for at Harvard-Yale football games?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why you write it as HYPSM? It’s not alphabetical order. I call it “HMSPY” for a reason and I’ve conveyed it many times that it was DD order of preference.</p>
<p>I still never get it why you call it “HYPSM”? Also if it doesn’t matter why do you get bothered by the order I write these 5 letters in?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Straw man. Most universities operate like this since most universities aren’t selective. But you’re not talking about most universities, are you, xiggi? You’re talking about selective universities, and most of the UCs are selective to the extent that they reject more than they admit, with some rejecting quite a few students (e.g. Berkeley, UCLA). San Diego, Irvine, Davis, and Santa Barbara are not as selective as Berkeley and UCLA but still reject more than they admit. Only Riverside and Merced are “non-selective.” (I’m not from California and so I may have missed a UC or two.)</p>
<p>In fact, let’s take a look at Berkeley’s CDS. Rigor of your high school record, GPA, and essay are “very important.” Test scores are “important,” and class rank and recommendations are not considered at all. If we stopped here, it would appear that you are right; Berkeley does a “paint-by-the-numbers” scheme, mostly driven by statistics. Except we can’t stop here because there’s another section: NONACADEMIC. Ohmygawd, ECs, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities are “important,” as are volunteer work and (paid) work experience! First generation status is “considered”!</p>
<p>Huh. That doesn’t seem very “paint-by-the-numbers” to me, not with FIVE “important” nonacademic factors. The only big nonacademic factor that isn’t considered at all is, no surprise, racial classification, due to Proposition 209. So tell me, xiggi. Is racial classification so important that a university that considers FIVE nonacademic factors can’t be considered to have “holistic” admissions unless it includes racial classification?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Harry Starr was able to uncover a plot by former Harvahd President Lowell to impose a rigid quota on Jews, but he wasn’t able to prove that the “holistic” admissions Lowell introduced was designed to achieve the same effect as a quota. It wasn’t until anti-Semitism became a spectre of the past at the Ivy Leagues that we found out that “holistic” admissions was created to keep Jews down to ~15% of Harvahd’s student body. So what’s your point, xiggi?</p>
<p>HYP = Harvard, Yale, and Princeton . . . in order of age.
SM = Stanford and MIT . . . in order of good weather?
LOL!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There are multiple reasons for HMSPY to be different from the “lower Ivies” or “other Ivies”.
- The selectivity projected by the acceptance rate is deceptive because the “other Ivies” uses ED and pickup up to 40% class through that process.
- The pool of applicants at HMSPY is much better than that at “other Ivies” because of EA and once these applicants got into one of the HMSPY they don’t apply to any or all of the “other Ivies”.</p>
<p>There are other reasons too but we are debating the differences between these two sets of colleges.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Don’t beat around the bush, xiggi. If you think that Asians are stingy penny pinchers who don’t donate to their alma maters, give a <em>gasp</em> statistic.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Is there any empirical evidence that a student body calibrated to the “racial distribution of our country” produces wonderful, magical educational benefits? <em>crickets</em></p>
<p>Oh, wait, it’s an AXIOM. It’s DOGMA. It’s a FACT that’s so obvious that only people who think logically would dare question. Silly me.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>While technically not two Ivy’s, I think Harvard and MIT have some sort of reciprocity.</p>
<p>Fab: What’s your point exactly re Xiggi’s post? Just your opinion is different than his? Where are your numbers to support your “opinion”?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Why is it considered insulting? As explained I’ve reasons to club HMSPY separately from “other Ivies” and other colleges on the top 20.</p>
<p>Hmm…good question…why HYPSM?</p>
<p>People used to refer to HYP (the most well know Ivys–probably in that order because in much of the public’s eyes, that is how the public orders their prestige relative to each other). </p>
<p>S was later added to acknowledge Stanford’s place as the prestigious, super selective university in the West in the public’s eyes. M was added to acknowledge the place of super selective math/science schools in this college derby.</p>
<p>So…HYPSM…</p>
<p>Although, there is no reason that we couldn’t refer to them alphabetically…or switch in Cal Tech for MIT or add Columbia and remove Stanford…</p>
<p>But it does seem that many kids with super profiles do seem to favor applying to HYPSM in great numbers…which is probably why we don’t put in Columbia and Cal Tech.</p>
<p>Yale uses EA, not ED.</p>
<p>^^^^ I’m not talking reciprocity or summer classes, I’m talking fully enrolled at both schools at the same time and working on two separate degrees.</p>