<p>I've taken 28 semesters of (real honors) and AP's.</p>
<p>Where in this formula is the strength of your curicullum such as number of AP and honors courses?</p>
<p>Kluge, I understand perfectly that huge schools have to be somewhat numbers driven. There's simply no time to take a holistic approach. But THIS strikes me and everyone I show it to as quite literally absurd: absurd in the sense that it gives the pretense of scientific respectability to the misguided attempt to quantify things that cannot be quantified. Look, I even critique my high school for doing something similar. It pretends that a GPA of 95.1275 is better than a GPA of 95.1274, when the grades that went into making it themselves are subjective. </p>
<p>Yes, you can tell about leadership etc from apps; but why are some things worth 150 or 300 points? It makes no sense.</p>
<p>I am not implying that larger schools are better than small ones, not even remotely. I went to Yale and loved it. But I did get to know the deans and administrators by name; my son knows all the deans, president, etc. because of campus activities, not just because of the essay. Whether it's Yale or a smaller LAC, moving in the top circles is extremely helpful for a variety of reasons, too numerous to name. This is not an elitist rant, just a fact of life in the 21st century. My family would be in a far different place intellectually, socially, financially, politically, and many other "-ally's" if we didn't know both the "average" people in life and the movers and shakers.</p>
<p>Have at it; I expect flames. One flame that does not apply, however, will be any one that says that people who have naturally gravitated to power or top circles are automatically suspect. It may simply be that achievers (in any field, and not necessarily financial, either, enjoy the company of others who do things on their level. And I enjoy the rewards not because of status or material possessions, but because I can help more people with my money!</p>
<p>nedad, I pretty much agree with you. [pause for stunned silence] I would have liked to see my kids express some interest in a LAC or Ivy League environment - the things you say about the facts of life are true. But I raised a bunch of Lotus eaters who'd rather go to a school with a good beach and a cool football team than develop meaningful relationships with faculty or rub shoulders with the (future) power elite. So that's what they're going to go to.</p>
<p>As to admissions, it's all inexact. You're right about the arbitrary nature of numbers and cutoffs - just as subjective impressions are arbitrary as well. My bottom line is that it really doesn't matter. Like I said, there will be some school somewhere that will admit any student who wants to go to college. The various admissions systems are roughly efficient enough so that most students will end up at a school with a cohort of fellow students who are roughly as intellectually talented and hard working as they are. So they'll be in a position get an appropriate education and move on from there. And as such, I've got no beef with the system.</p>
<p>wat happens if i get around 9k?</p>
<p>I have around a 5000 then..but my GPA is 3.6, and SAT 1700, and SAT IIs 1400...</p>
<p>yea but yale isnt looking at 400,000+ apps a year are they?</p>
<p>How would they verify if our parents went to college or not?</p>
<p>Well if they do find out you lied, they will dismiss you.</p>
<p>im sure they have their ways</p>
<p>If they find out you lied, they will notice all the other UC's that you've applied to. You will get automatically rejected at each UC.</p>
<ol>
<li>if u have a special talent but dont talk about it on essay #2 (talk about an experience instead) will they still realize its a talent by looking at your EC list?</li>
<li>for volunteering, do you have to write how many hours you have completed or can you just write 3hrs/wk(or something of that sort)</li>
</ol>
<p>would i get zero points if i only have one leadership role: VP of CSF (california scholarship federation)</p>
<p>is first chair of a music group considered an award?</p>