Hi ^^ (New to the forum as a member, but I’ve been lurking for weeks)
Does anyone know solidly if short answers 1 & 3 (Who or what inspires you/If you could teach a class what would it be called) require:
-Full sentences
-An explanation (particularly the class, i.e. a description)
Thank you!
Also, for the inspiration, is it better to be broad “i.e. every book I read” or would it be okay to pick an (obscure) character?
The course name I thought was self explanatory, so I didn’t explain mine. Who or what inspires you I put an explanatory sentence.
You should try to answer each question in a full sentence giving as much explanation as needed. The more detailed you can be, the more Admissions will understand who you are and what makes you tick. Below are two samples from my son’s application five years ago.
@gibby Respectfully, was he accepted? (I’m not trying to be sarcastic, it’s simply that he used casual language and I’m wondering if that’s appropriate.)
To save gibby some typing, here is what happened to her son. For extra credit, research what happened to her daughter.
Thanks @IxnayBob for the back-up. Your application, including the short takes, should SOUND like you – as if you are standing in front of the Admissions Committee giving an oral presentation – sort of like a TedTalk. That often, but not always, means using casual language, which is why you should always show your essays and short takes to an adult who knows you well (recommendation writer, teacher, coach, parent, etc) and ask them “Does this sound like me?” If they say no, then you have more work do to! See this video from Yale on the topic: http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application#essay
Gibby, I don’t know anyone who took 8 subject tests?
^^ @ClarinetDad16: My kids attended a test-happy high school (Stuyvesant), which strongly suggested that to remain competitive within the school, any student not enrolled in an AP class should take the SAT Subject test at the end of a regular course. Keep in mind that 24% of the student body takes 8+ AP tests, so taking 8 SAT Subject tests is not out of sync for that high school: http://stuy.enschool.org/ourpages/auto/2013/3/7/37096823/Class%20of%202017%20profile%20-%20compressed.pdf
What I find surprising is that kids didn’t take any AP. And a sizable percentage took so few for such an outstanding school. Can you explain how that is?
^^ Due to a limited budget from the New York City Department of Education for 3200 students, placement in AP courses at Stuyvesant is restricted to students with higher GPA’s. Students with a GPA of 87 or below are NOT allowed to take any AP courses. Students with a GPA between 88 and 92 are allowed a maximum of 2 AP courses per year, students with a GPA between 93 and 94 are allowed 3 AP classes a year, students with a GPA between 95 and 100 are allowed to take 4 AP classes a year.
@gibby - funny. For the free afternoon question, my D answered - Spend the afternoon perfecting my vegan bread recipe. Both answers tell a lot about our kids in one short sentence. A word to the wise for all applicants.
Hi @gibby - All students must take one AP at Stuyvesant. Every student will graduate with at least one AP. There is a minimum average required for taking two or three AP’s a year. Two are recommended for those who qualify and three is the max allowed.
^^ @bridgygo. That was not true when my kids graduated Stuy five and seven years ago. Back then, it was normal for a junior or senior with an average over 95 (which both my kids had) to take 4 or 5 AP classes a year. But thanks for the update.
@gibby You’re welcome. I’m a new parent so I’m still learning about the school, but I guess they’re are always going to be a few new changes.