I am 2nd in my class. For obvious reasons, the girl who is first and I will potentially be applying to many of the same schools (ivie’s, etc.) We are from a small public highschool. By applying to the same schools will we hurt each other’s changes of getting accepted? Should we try to coordinate our efforts so we don’t apply to the smae places or will it not really matter?
thanks
<p>Yes, it could be a problem.</p>
<p>well, this would work:</p>
<p>you apply to:
harvard
Yale
Brown</p>
<p>The No 1 applies to:
Princeton
UPenn
Dartmouth</p>
<p>whoever wants to do engineering applies to Cornell, and the other one applies to Columbia</p>
<p>Thank me later:)</p>
<p>I don't think you should have to "coordinate" anything...just talk it out with her, get a list from her of her top colleges and apply,apply, apply. </p>
<p>You don't want to regret anything down the line.</p>
<p>Does your school have a track record of sending students to the school which the 2 of you are interested in attending? If yes, how many?</p>
<p>I also don't agree that you should not have ot coordinate anything because in the end you both have the right to apply any and everywhere you want.</p>
<p>Remember that colleges build classes depending on the mission they are trying to achieve that year. </p>
<p>The reality is that if she applies to a program in engineering or another program where very few females apply, she is going to have the edge over you in being admitted.</p>
<p>If you are an accomplished bassoon player and the school is in need of one to round out the orchestra, then you are going to have the edge.</p>
<p>You may both offer something that the college is looking for and both be accepted. There is also the chance that neither of you are offering what the college is looking for an both be rejected. No one can say for certain and no one is taking someone's spot.</p>
<p>Grades and SAT scores are only the objective criteria that gets you over the hurdle. It is ususally the subjective criteria: essays, recs, ec, interviews, SES, and most important insititutional need that moves an applicant to the admit pile.</p>
<p>I agree with sybbie, but would add the following.</p>
<p>There has been a lot said lately, especially in the Wash Post, about the effect of having a large number of students applying to the same college. I think it is only common sense that a college that is seeking diversity can only take so many people from a single high school. However, the type of high school that has at least 20-30 people applying to each Ivy is a very, good high school. Often, the college will take many of the the 20-30 people who apply. The fact remains, however, that they would have taken a lot more if the applicants had not been concentrated in one place. Yes, students from the outstanding and prestigious high schools do compete against applicants from their own high school more than they compete against the general applicant pool.</p>
<p>Having said this, two applicants from a "small public high school" is not going to cause any problems at the adcoms. You have nothing to worry about between the two of you.</p>
<p>Do NOT try to coordinate efforts. All each of you may do by that is prevent yourselves from getting into some top colleges.</p>
<p>Remember, the top colleges may choose to take both of you or neither of you. They have no obligation. Thus, you should make your list by selecting colleges that are good safety, match and reach schools for you. She should do the same.</p>
<p>i know that most people on this board will disagree with what i have to say, but i truly believe that in some situations, two people applying to the same school may help each other.</p>
<p>in my sister's class 2 years ago, both co-valedictorians got into harvard. they were extremely competitive with each other, and the fact that they shared their rank was a bit controversial. anyway...</p>
<p>the first student was absolutely amazing...academically spotless, great sat, tremendous ec's, the works. he got in ea. the second student also had fine stats, but he really wasn't a standout; he didn't do too much outside of school. i truly believe that had it not been for the first student getting in ea, the second student would not be at harvard today.</p>
<p>Don't worry about being second to her. There are many other aspects of a student's application that adcoms look at, besides GPA. Every year you hear of the top students that did not get in, and yet others did....it could be their essay, personal statement, activities, interests, talents, or just something that shone through in their application.</p>
<p>Do not co-ordinate anything, or split up the schools between you. What if you apply to the 4 you agreed to, and she applies to the 4 she agreed to + your 4 (without your knowledge).</p>
<p>Mmmm...</p>
<p>The top 10-20 students in my class already have "dibs" on the colleges they want. They've basically let it known to the entire school which colleges they are going ED with. I'm sure they've gotten together and figured out which colleges they will apply to in order to avoid competing against each other. One girl loves Penn at my school, and she keeps going around begging and trying to pay another kid to not apply there.</p>
<p>I think thats stupid. I mean I think the whole top 10 of my sis's class (2005) applied to UVA (which isn't an Ivy but its pretty good) not to mentions a few others and 8 of the top 10 got in and 1 of the others got waitlisted. And from the top 10 the first 6 got in including my sis. So the point is I don't think it really matters especially since you are so high up in rank. They will probably be looking at you as a person from a big pool of applicants not a person from a group applying from your school. I think your competition is someone who has basically the same status as you in your app.</p>
<p>There are 24 or so kids from one high school coming to Duke from the DC area Gov School. I am sure they will be absorbed into a great variety of paths at Duke and they don't spend much time thinking about competing with each other.
Don't negotiate or cut deals because it is all truly not in your control anyway. Run your own race. Just don't forget to apply to a handful of schools you would be happy to attend and be open to things not going your way. Give credit where credit is due however. If a school you are applying to allows peer references, write a great one for a deserving friend if asked, even if you are applying. Adcoms can deal with these things converging sometimes. Spread those applications out and wish each other well. No one can predice outcomes, so don't assume you can.</p>
<p>one thing, don't make it too public where you really want to go, if you get in you can brag later, if you don't everyone will know and make a big deal</p>
<p>that said, apply where you want, and what if she said, okay I won't apply to H if you don't apply to Y and she does...how would you know? and if she got in, what could you do? HEY< that was MY school?</p>
<p>and wraider, that plan of having dibs will most likely backfire on many of those kids, do you really think all will keep their words to not apply at certain schools, I mean, as much as kids love their friends, once you get to college, those relationships will often slip away...why make deals...and gee are they forgetting the other thousands of kids applying to those very same schools..you have to let us know how that plays out...its acctually pretty funny, and that is assuming they even get in!!</p>
<p>as for Penn girl, that would tempt me to apply and get in just to be snotty!!!</p>
<p>thanks guys. i feel better.</p>