<p>Exactly! Just like how I have already got my life planned out. </p>
<p>A professional full time bum :)</p>
<p>oh man, that'd be sweet, although I hear Ivy league diplomas aren't as good hobo blankets as the New York times</p>
<p>One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped
up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was
enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.</p>
<p>About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve
some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach
and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder
to make a living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish
that way," said the businessman to the fisherman. "You should be working rather
than lying on the beach!"</p>
<p>The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will
my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the
businessman's answer. "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman,
still smiling. The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to
buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will my
reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a
little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire
some people to work for you!" he said.</p>
<p>"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was
getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail
all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!" Once again the
fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red
with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can
become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can
spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You
won't have a care in the world!"</p>
<p>The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing
right now?"</p>
<p>Haha, if I manage to get an Ivy diploma I can honestly say I will reconsider my occupation! </p>
<p>And oh I think you both are equally as competitive. And oh you got a good shot at Brown too btw. Haha, I assume thats the real issue, isn't it :P</p>
<p>EDIT: Haha that story is like a mirror reflecting back what I firmly believe as the principle of life. Complacency isn't necessary a bad thing. A research has conducted that the happiest people are those at the lower medium society ladder according to British scientists.</p>
<p>thats actually the one thing i have that i would never trade</p>
<p>happiness</p>
<p>and even though I joke and kid about how I'll drink paint thinner if I don't get in Brown ED, I know that I will be happy wherever I go.</p>
<p>Back to the OP question.</p>
<p>Would it make a difference if say the first applicant had an upward trend all throughout his high school years and showed that he/she made an effort to improve study habits? Let's say he started out with a 2.5 first semester and finished with a 3.7 last. Would he override the other applicant since his SAT scores are higher and has shown an upward trend in grades?</p>
<p>Back to what they were saying above :)</p>
<p>Psh we only say "life isn't fair" when we feel powerless to create change. In a position of power people rationalize that things -should- be fair. For example many pre-60's people probably used the "life isn't fair" argument to explain the treatment of minorities. When the movement became empowered the rationale switched to "this isn't fair and we demand change."</p>
<p>Sorry I'm a person that detests inequity :p</p>
<p>Having a upward trend is a good thing. Having a 4.0 for all four years is a good thing. Having higher SAT scores is a good thing. Adcoms do attempt to get some idea of the total person by looking at everything in the app. Whether this is possible is debatable, but they do try. How everything fits together depends on the specifics of the app, and how the adcoms are feeling when they look at it. Nobody can just say whether a rising trend with a SAT of X is better or worse than a 4.0 for all four years with a SAT of Y.</p>
<p>On the original question, I think the first guy will win. Both have relatively low GPAs. At a top college, either one would need to learn how to study better or be willing to work much harder, because with either of their current study habbits they wouldn't do so well in college. The first one did considerably better on the tests, so at least you know he's smart enough to handle the work if he learns to study better.</p>
<p>your stats are similiar, i think he has a slight edge being the val</p>
<p>HE just found out he's #2</p>
<p>(this is how ridiculous our school is)</p>
<p>Our ranks are kept secret until we graduate, but his dad filed a request under some educational act of privacy (i dunno....lawyer stuff) and found out he's 2! how's that for a shocker. The question we have on our minds though is....WHO'S NUMBER ONE???</p>
<p>guess we have to wait until June</p>
<p>so then how do you know you are #6?</p>
<p>i caught a glimpse of my GC sheet when she was opening it up to look at my stats</p>
<p>you</p>
<p>And I dont see a problem in paying for help on your applications. It just shows laziness, but that is an entitlement of the rich. People who study for SAT by themselves and have the ability to write an amazing essay without help will go farther in college anyways.</p>
<p>"people who study for the SAT's for themselves and write an amazing essay will go farther in college anyway"</p>
<p>thats comforting to hear. I just feel like if I had someone else write my essay (maybe not write it, but virtually guide me through it) the acceptance letter, as much joy as it would bring, would feel kind of empty.</p>