<p>Along with perfect grades,high test scores, and other extraordinary EC's, is this what it takes to get into top tier schools? Guess they want kids going to exotic or third world places and volunteering. $20,000 for private counseling? These kids are the ones getting in... oh well, this summer My kid is gonna take the bus and do his science research this summer for free.</p>
<p>Kary, my kid mopped floors at a fast food restaurant and got into MIT.</p>
<p>Don't believe everything you read.</p>
<p>PS-- he took the bus too.</p>
<p>There's also a CC discussion on this here: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=725746%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=725746</a></p>
<p>My son already told me he plans to sit in his room (should work just as well as "under a tree") and read ten (fifty is a bit too many!) books. :)</p>
<p>I've learned a lot on CC, but one of the main misconceptions that I originally had - but since cleared up - is that attending the $7000 (or whatever) summer programs make any difference whatsoever in admissions. At the beginning of this process 2 years ago, I thought that some impressive (read, expensive) summer activities would be great resume builders. In fact, the only reason to do ANY summer activity or program would be for the kid's own enrichment. We did do an expensive (for us) program near Seattle (we lived in Colorado) that was perfect for my son, but I don't know whether it was even mentioned on his apps or not.</p>
<p>But the companies that put together these impressive sounding programs ("The National Future Leaders of Our Nation" or whatever) take advantage of the fact that parents think it will make a difference.</p>
<p>An adcom once said, re" $5,000 vacations and volunteer trips: "Good for you." </p>
<p>Y'all seem to forget that admissions people aren't rolling in money and don't necessarily fawn over people who do. They are well aware of what they were given (and not given) growing up, and are well aware of their own limited resources for their kids.</p>
<p>There is also the eternal confusion btw. correlation and causation. The kids with the $7,000 vacations probably also have SAT tutors for better scores, subject tutors so their grades are high, the kids who are able to do extracurriculars instead of work (and, in said ECs, get things like private tennis lessons so they are better players), take courses at community colleges... and have parents who really value education and are probably highly educated themselves. Those factors, by themselves, are the driving force behind kids getting into top schools. They also happen to correlate with the ability to spend money on expensive summers.</p>