<p>White Male
Location: Detroit, MI
College Class Year: 2014
High School: Jesuit
Will apply for financial aid: Yes
Middle class, but both parents have 4 year college BA's</p>
<p>Academics:</p>
<p>Will graduate with 7 APs, pretty much hardest courseload
GPA - Unweighted: 4.00
GPA - Weighted: 4.33
Class Rank: top 2%, 2/150ish</p>
<p>Scores:</p>
<p>SAT I Math: 770
SAT I Critical Reading: 800
SAT I Writing: 800
2370 total with one attempt</p>
<p>ACT: 36</p>
<p>SAT II English Literature: 800
SAT II Math Level 1: 780
SAT II Chemistry: 800</p>
<p>Significant Extracurriculars:
Student leader of Academic Integrity Committee
Captain of Cross Country Team
Outdoor track - 4 years
Community Outreach - 4 years
Editor-in-Chief of student newspaper
Math Team – 2 year</p>
<p>Honors and Awards: </p>
<p>Winner of Harvard Book Award
Winner of Presidential Scholars Award and Scholorship
National Merit (PSAT 240)
NHS</p>
<p>Thanks for your time, if you want me to chance back, leave your chance thread.</p>
<p>Thanks. All information is appreciated. My son is an excellent writer and the academic track record is close to perfect. I am just wondering what should be receive the greatest emphasis in applying through the Common App to HYP’s: writing skill, volunteer work, academics, passion for learning?</p>
<p>He might want to look at Columbia as well, if he likes Chicago.</p>
<p>Your son obviously has the academics to be competitive at any school, and he will certainly be admitted to some highly selective schools. But he is not a slam dunk at HYP, and it’s because of his ECs. They appear to be mostly in the school, and they don’t clearly represent significant individual achievement on his part [edited to say–achievement beyond his obvious academic achievement]. Go to the HYP forums and look at the results threads where students who have been accepted/rejected/waitlisted share their stats. What you will see is that many of the accepted students have significant achievements outside of high school. Thus for example, if your son has had one of his novels published, or if one of them has won an award, that would be useful.</p>
<p>while his stats are very strong, I would just like to point out that the lack of any absolutely amazing ECs could really be the deal breaker. I actually have a friend with almost identical stats (higher SAT tho) who got rejected from all ivies he applied to, and even got rejected from duke. Just hope you are lucky come april.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why these people are saying things like “lack of amazing ECs” and “those ECs are pretty weak”. What is an amazing EC in your opinion then? </p>
<p>Most people from my school that got into HYPSM had the same ECs and similar test scores.</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with these ECs. However, my observation is that many of the students who are admitted to the most selective schools have impressive achievements outside of the high school. Not all, of course. That’s why I think this student will be admitted to a highly selective school, as long as he applies to enough of them.</p>
<p>Normal (non-athletic track) requirements for the most selective schools:</p>
<p>A. Well rounded student; This translates into
Excellent academics ( like 4.0 GPA)and class Rank ( top 2 %)
Course Rigor ( High number of AP/ University level courses)
SAT scores near 2250+ ( byond this score …not much difference )
4 SAT II subjects tests<br>
5 Summer activities ( Research/Volunteer work/Workexperience/University level courses)
6 Club Activities ( Math: AMC/AMIE etc. Physics: Olympiads etc; Writing ->consistent state?national level accomplishments; For example, if you play in the Quiz bowl team , represent your school at the national level and be at the top; If you are a math person make it past AMIE to USAMO. These are examples. Science track would mean success at competitions at state/national level.</p>
<p>There are around 6000 to 8000 seats in the top colleges and you need to give a reason to these college to show that you stand in that league in any of the disciplines and meet the first 4 criteria for sure. Then all you can do is hope…</p>
<p>Colleges do also take students with exceptional acheiements and cut some slack on the normal requirements for a well rounded student. These students are like USAMO people , Intel/Siemens semi finallists or something of this statture in writing, atheletics. I guess , most people fall in the “well rounded” categoty, I guess.</p>
<p>parent62’s list isn’t bad. But the top schools do take some students every year who meet 1-4, and who look more typical on 5 and 6, so if you are a student like that, it doesn’t mean you have no chance and shouldn’t bother applying. This is especially true if you would provide geographic or other diversity to the school.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of these great posts. It is very helpfull to receive the unbiased feedback. You all sound like true admissions people.</p>
<p>We still have time to accomplish some of these ideas. My son did take a writing course at U of Chicago this summer and he did very well. It is still possible to publish a short story.</p>
<p>SDP, I don’t usually post in the chances threads, but this one caught my attention. As you know, your son’s profile is very strong and as one poster mentioned, being from Detroit (not a suburb) could be a lure for Ivy League schools.</p>
<p>I’m an incoming freshman at Princeton, and we have a strong creative writing certificate program (though you can’t major in it). With professors like Joyce Carol Oates, Toni Morrison, and Paul Muldoon it’s fair to say we have star power. Princeton’s a beautiful school with an undergrad focus, and I hope your son has the chance to visit its breathtaking campus in person.</p>
<p>As for getting admission (the tough part), remember that Ivy admissions (esp HYP) is HIGHLY holistic. Grades and scores (which your son has) alone won’t cut it, and extracurriculars need to backed up by demonstrated passion. Encourage your son (though he should have the motivation) to enter writing contests (like Scholastic or NCTE) to provide some tangible benchmark of his writing ability. Remember that Princeton wants to students interested in the world around them, open-minded and creative. The essays are BIG. Also, encourage your son to use the Princeton app if he has the time. The essay prompts are usually thought-provoking and it’s nice to show the school your interest (though Princeton states they don’t give preference to it over the Common App).</p>
<p>I wish your son good luck, and both of you should remember the ultimate decisions should be up to him.</p>