I would like to hear from parents of kids who recently (past 4 years) got into one of the 8 Ivies plus UChicago, MIT, JHU, Northwestern, UCB, UCLA, and CMU. I know that there are no guarantees, but I am trying to ascertain the necessary criteria (while acknowledgeing that there is no sufficient criteria).
Here’s what I have in mind at time of application (end of 11th grade):
- 2400 SAT/36 ACT
- 4.0 unweighted GPA (honors/AP courses whenever offered)
- 8 APs with 5 in each (2 Foreign Languages, 2 English, 2 Math, 1 Science, 1 History)
- Two non-sports creative ECs with state, regional, national and international awards (14 years each)
- One sports EC with state ranking (10 years)
- 2 national level academic awards (Foreign Language and Mathematics)
- 2 nationally acknowledged summer camps (Mathematics and Creative)
What else should I have my son focus on? Is hiring a private college counselor worth it? Any recommendation on such good counselors?
I would much appreciate hearing from anyone with recent experience. Times were different and easier when we applied.
Thank you very much in advance!
My kid got in everyplace she applied 2 years ago, including U of Chicago EA with merit aid on your list. But somehow I don’t think you want to hear from me… just curious, what age is your son now, and which of his accomplishments above have happened, and which are just projected? And are you in-state for UCB and UCLA? Also, what is his proposed major? It makes a difference at some schools (like CMU).
You should consider any financial constraints. The top schools that give out FA but not merit might need exclusion based on money as much as anything. If you can bankroll 240K then it is all good.
Don’t create a robot. This sounds like a list of achievements you want your kid to rack up to impress adcoms. Let your kid be himself. You’re going to force the kid to get a 2400, force him to get AP 5’s.
Btw, my kid is a senior at one of your listed schools. He had a 34 ACT, never took the SAT, didn’t overload on APs, but came alive through his essays and through a unique EC showing leadership. No sports. No national awards in anything. Human being. Not a bunch of stats.
@intparent,
My son is 14. So far he has achieved
- 238 PSAT
- 4.0 unweighted GPA (honors/AP courses whenever offered)
- 2 APs with 5 in each (1 Math, 1 Science)
- Two non-sports creative ECs with state, regional, national and international awards (12 years each)
- One sports EC with state ranking (8 years)
- 1 national level academic award (Mathematics)
- 1 nationally acknowledged summer camp (Creative)
Not in state for UCB or UCLA. He is too young to propose a major.
Why would you think I don’t want to hear from you on admissions criteria for specific schools with which you have experience when I explicitly asked for it?
@Alfonsia,
There are no financial constraints as his 529 is fully funded for UG and potential PG.
@Pizzagirl,
If I let my son be himself he would forgo sleep and go for another EC where he was nationally ranked a few years back. I am scaling down and not adding as I believe sleep is important. I have a kid who is extremely driven like his dad and incredibly competitive in everything he does.
Well, then, he’s on track. Just ensure that he doesn’t come across as racking these awards up to impress people. What has he done for his community? What are his passions? What makes him interesting and unique? The answer isn’t found in yet another AP score of 5.
Maybe because you have been horrible on the other thread? But hey… this is a new thread. My kid had a 2380 superscored SAT (and NMF status), SAT subject scores of 800 on Math II and Lit, state-level accomplishments in an individual sport and an academic EC, some unusual summer experiences that I think played very well at the more intellectual schools, interest in a STEM major (possibly helpful for a female student), and recommendations that indicated a deep interest in intellectual pursuits. She attended a high school that only allows a limited number of APs, and only for seniors, although it is a well respected independent private school, and she pursued some of her own academic interests in the summers. U of Chicago, Swarthmore,and Harvey Mudd (and some lower ranked schools with very good merit aid) liked the package well enough to admit her. As I said above, she got in everyplace she applied. She had a 35 on the ACT (taken without studying), but did not send it anyplace. She was unhooked (Caucasian female from the Midwest, not a recruited athlete, not a URM), nor was she an over-represented minority (Asian, which can be a challenge in Ivy admissions, but probably not such a factor at the schools she liked best). She did apply for FA, although we were borderline – some schools offered her FA, some didn’t. So we are close to full pay (this year we ARE full pay… 
).
@Pizzagirl, He has done nothing for community and he will have no community service outside of what the school requires (several hundred hours). His passions are in a creative field.
I am not sure if anything makes him interesting and unique. I am sure there are tens of thousands of kids just like him all over the USA. No one is a special snowflake in my view.
So you know he’s bright and motivated. Now you can let him breathe. And do some growing. The most competitive schools aren’t looking for flat lists of accomplishments. Admissions is holistic, not some recipe.
If his passions are in a creative field, it might make sense to look at colleges that excel in those creative fields. The schools you’ve listed have different levels of strength in creative fields. For example. If he is a budding actor, NU and CMU might be far better choices and many of the Ivies might be relatively poor choices.
@EllieMom,
He doesn’t like history or science at all. By national awards I mean the likes of USAJMO, NACLO, ASCAP etc. In his sports he is ranked top-3 in state and top-25 in country but I am working hard to convince him to give that up and settle for a top-10 rank as there is really no time to pursue it. The summer camps are all performance-based, like RSI or Tanglewood. He will take the SAT IIs in grades 10 and 11, likely one foreign language, one english, and one math - which are his strengths.
@Pizzagirl,
My dream is that he gets into the combined Columbia-Juilliard program. But the odds of that happening are less than 0. Only the very best get into that program and I know that he is not that good.
My daughter’s in a HPYMS. She did not have 2400 SAT (though it was within 50 if I recall). She did not have a 4.0. I think her average was around 94 UW. She had no sports, no music. She did have lots of APs that she did very well on. What she had was a demonstrated deep interest in a particular academic area, illustrated by her summer activities, her teachers’ recommendations, etc. Creating that mythical “well-rounded perfect student” is not the way to achieve this. And I don’t particularly even think it’s a good thing to try to achieve. Lots of other schools are a demonstrably a better fit for lots of students. The OP “list” sounds like a ridiculously unlikely “real kid”.
With his stats and ECs, he will get into someplace great I’m sure. Certainly, I don’t think there’s anything that you could do that would help launch him into an Ivy. My nephew is at Northwestern with SATs less strong than your son. His GPA was strong (don’t know exact number) with lots of APs and ECs. Mainly, he’s just a really good kid with a lot of interests. If he didn’t get into Northwestern, he would have gone somewhere else and I’m sure been successful there. You say your son is very competitive, but I find it concerning that you are worried about your 14 year old old’s future prospects. It’s one thing if he was struggling, but clearly it’s not. The best thing you can do for your son, in my opinion, is to relax a little bit. He certainly doesn’t need to think that you are worrying about his college applications already.
He sounds like he’s on track. He is very young, which is why your questions seem to be coming off as rather naive.
I agree with others here who suggest that letting him build on his strengths and interests, which seem considerable, rather than “building a resume” with admins in mind would serve him better in the long run. When you have a talented and motivated student, you’re already more than halfway there.
My one concern when looking at your descriptions of your son is a certain lack of focus. And I fear that may be the result of your approach toward the admissions process rather than scattered thinking on his part. This may be a case when stepping back and letting your talented son take the lead might be the best approach.
@Pittsburghscribe, Do not worry about my son. He is not bothered that I am thinking about his college, he is relieved that he doesn’t have to do any research. He is right now deeply bothered because he didn’t get a high enough score (by his estimation) in a national examination and doesn’t have much time for anything else. The best I can do is to keep buying him ice cream and keep making his favorite foods as he is all consumed by this supposed “failure”.
@Donnaleighg, My son’s private school has a bunch of kids who are more impressive than him in terms of accomplishment. I would consider him average there. So, these kids are very real.
@EllieMom, Why would you say that he has a lck of focus? On the issue of naivete, I appreciate you and others for putting up with me as my questions are indeed naive. I understand that. This is my one and only child and I have no experience with current day college admissions.
@lookingforward, I am not sure I understand what advice you have.
@intparent, On the other thread, the discussion was about how the goals are wrong. In this thread the discussion is about how to achieve the goals. I am indeed obnoxious to anyone who wants to move the discussion to the former when my questions are about the latter.
It sounds like you may be contributing to a future weight problem if feeding him such things is used as a panacea.
I feel bad for your son. Is he seriously a 14 year old sophomore? I know you’ll shake your head at this and dismiss it by telling yourself that it’s all for this future, but I’m going to say it anyways.
I went through the college application storm last year and was accepted at one of those schools you listed (although I didn’t end up going due to financial reasons). There were a few kids in my class who were put through the same thing you’re putting your son through. Their parents had good intentions- they wanted their child to have a better life than they did and to make their family proud. Nevertheless, most of those kids were not happy. Every test and every paper was the most important part of their life. I’ve seen some break down crying because they got an A-. I’ve seen some pulled out of their favorite “unimportant” ECs and forced to break up with their girlfriend/boyfriend because they dropped a rank. I know at least one of them had a suicide attempt.
You may say your son is just driven but there is no way a 14 year old ended up where he is without some serious pushing. He probably now believes that if he doesn’t maintain what he’s doing he’ll be a failure. The most ironic part is that a lot of this is unnecessary. All of the colleges you listed have transcended to “lottery admissions”- there’ll be more qualified students than spots so decisions become more and more arbitrary. What if after sacrificing so much it still doesn’t work out with admissions or finances?
Please consider letting him take easier class loads. Taking every AP is not worth it. Let him drop ECs he doesn’t have an interest in and pursue the ones he likes. Let him develop the passion he will pursue before and during college instead of taking practice SATs. He’ll become more human and more interesting while still successful- that is what elite colleges are looking for. Oh, and he’ll be happier for what that’s worth.
He’s your son, not a robot.
@JustOneMom - I’m a little puzzled. Is your son’s sport not one that’s recruited for at these schools? Do you have more details that you’d be willing to share?
Don’t overlook the obvious - after all, one of the surest ways for a very good student to gain admission to a very selective school is to be a recruited athlete.
This doesn’t sound like a healthy view for anyone, let alone a 14 year old. I’m sure he did fine on his national exam if he got a 238 on the PSATs. Please do not push him into this mindset that the schools you listed are the ultimate goal or bust.
@al2simon, I honestly do not want him to be a recruited athlete. The commitments involved are not conducive to maintaining top-notch academics (especially if he does a dual major) in my view and from my personal experience at one particular Ivy. That also matches that of my DH at yet another Ivy. Unless someone turns pro sports is really a waste of time. And if he were to turn pro I would have taken him out of K-12 schooling and put him in a sports academy when he was tiny. I didn’t do that, as the uncertainty associated with a sports career is way too high in my view.
@rebeccar, I beg to differ. While I am not happy that he is simply moping instead of coming up with a plan to do better next time, I do think that having the highest possible goals is good for long term success. At least, it worked for his parents. The most successful people in the world in my experience are insecure overachievers. But then that it another topic that I would rather not get into.