<p>From the Columbia Board ...
Decision: Accepted to CC</p>
<p>Stats:
Check new york magazine - I was a 'super-applicant' so my scores are a matter of public record. Unfortunately, everyone realized how un-super the scores were. It was quite an ordeal.</p>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<ul>
<li>Essays: great</li>
<li>Teacher Recs: great</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: great</li>
<li>Hook (if any): debate, interest in semiotics and postmodernism</li>
</ul>
<p>I can't comment on NYC but almost every student I know who has an NIH internship has a parent working there whose colleagues used "pull" or "quid pro quo" for him/her. Maybe it works that way for the private school kids because their schools often don't do science fairs so a natural hook isn't there, but I don't think so.</p>
<p>On the other hand, maybe quite a few of the NYC researchers are "real" and got their jobs on their own, especially if they have had science fair successes and have science teachers working with them on breaking into the field. I know that I was able to come up with a pretty impressive paid internship in another field without parental intervention. I took a course in my field outside of my school. I worked really hard at it. I told the teachers, who are professionals in the field, about my interest in finding a job. I put together a resume (I had a bunch of related ECs) and they helped me revise it. I did research about firms and applied for a job at 10 that particularly interested me. My weekend class teachers let me use their names for references. I got call backs from all the firms and had a great choice of jobs. I was surprised when people who heard about my internship assumed that my parents had gotten the job for me but, watching my pre-pre-med classmates and their internships, I came to realize why. Be skeptical but don't assume EVERYONE is merely a parental construct.</p>
<p>BTW the great thing for me has been the skills I picked up in the process (from figuring out how to pursue a dream to writing an employment application resume to interviewing), which have really boosted my self-confidence. They also helped a whole lot on a practical level when it came time to apply for college. (Plus, wanna bet that the Director of Admissions "got it" when he interviewed me? You bet!) Also, after a summer working in my chosen field, I have a much better idea of what it is about, know that I fit, will be able to mold my college education in ways that are appropriate to my future professional interests, and already have exciting post-college experiences to look forward to. (These things, not impressing admissions committees, seem to me to be good reasons to do an internship and really argue for students trying to keep their parents and their parents' connections out of it.)</p>
<p>My son also attends a gifted public NYC high school. The "super-applicant" from his school was portrayed accurately.</p>
<p>On the question of research positions, there may well be some favoritism involved, but not necessarily. For example, my son applied to a science program at Columbia several years in a row....he had to write an essay, and there was a test administered. (He didn't get in.) I would imagine that this seminar could easily have led to research opportunities.</p>
<p>I haven't waded through the entire thread, but i hope it's been mentioned that nowhere in the article did it say that the kids were the PRIMARY researchers or the FIRST authors of the papers.</p>
<p>There are some amazing kids out there. They have my congratulations, and my son's.</p>
<p>Some of those NIH internships are available only through a school's nomination. There is one program where area schools can nominate two students for a particular set of internships. Parents have nuthin' to do with it. SEAP (<a href="http://www.gwseap.com%5B/url%5D">www.gwseap.com</a>) also offers internships, mostly (but not exclusively) in the DC area. It is merit based and kids get a stipend.</p>
<p>My son is looking for internships this summer and I can tell you it's all by dint of his work/initiative. We don't have those kinds of connections!</p>
<p>Thanks for that post about NIH. And thanks for posting the link so that other applicants can find it and try for an opportunity. </p>
<p>I'm glad for the balance you provided. Forgive my cynicism. I just hate to see how devalued some opportunities and kids' actual hard work are becoming because of the (parent-created) ECs. It just seems to ratchet everything up into the stratosphere.</p>
<p>Good luck to your son. I hope he gets the internship and that it means as much to him as mine did to me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
. I just hate to see how devalued some opportunities and kids' actual hard work are becoming because of the (parent-created) ECs. It just seems to ratchet everything up into the stratosphere.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But sometimes those parent created opportunities are still pretty amazing experiences. I have a friend whose daughter worked in her mother's lab. She was lucky with her project and was able to produce some groundbreaking work. She ended up presenting the work at a neurobiology conference. So, yes, the kids are lucky to have parents in the field, but they also have to make something of the opportunity.</p>
<p>At top public schools in major metro areas teachers and administrators recognize exceptional students, leaders, artists and athletes and direct them towards top opportunities by nominating them and recommending them. It's sad that jealousy makes it difficult for people to accept others' talents.</p>
<p>I really enjoyed the New York magazine article. All of the kids and writers deserve praise for being so open. It is wonderful to regard these varying backgrounds as wonder kids. But 700 is a great math score for all except the MIT and Cal-Tech types. Thank you New York for selecting the ten whom were portrayed!</p>
<p>why are some gpa's listed as 3.9 and others above 4.0...i think the ones with 3.9 or 3.6 probably had higher weighted grades but didnt list them</p>
<p>Apparently, the young woman from Hunter College High School who had a 2400 SAT and other great qualifications did not get accepted to MIT EA. I imagine that she was deferred, but I'm not sure.</p>
<p>Remember, we never know what's in the applicant's folder -- only the admission's committee knows. Maybe some students who are great on paper don't electrify their teachers enough to generate glowing recs? Or some can't convey their essence well in an essay. No school wants to turn down an outstanding candidate, it doesn't make sense. Each school evaluates "outstanding" in its own way, the same way in matchmaking what's a ten to one person may be someone else's 6 1/2. This is a subjective process. If it weren't, computers could be fed the info and spit out the answers.</p>
<p>The admit rate to MIT EA this year was only 11 percent. That's an extremely low number. Lots of amazing applicants got deferred. Some of them will make it into MIT regular decision. I bet the Hunter girl gets in.</p>