<p>Thanks smoda61!
That was really helpful!
I finally figured out whether I qualify for the National Merit Scholarship (is that what its called?)!!</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the world at undergraduate level (that includes Oxford and others) college admission process is very objective based. For better or worse our elite colleges- and the school system variances in grade and course contents- while encouraging variation and creativity have to resort to subjectivity in the selection process for good reasons. Now, how a normal student (who does not go to prep schools and have wealth of information) who aspires to be the best gets information on selection of courses and summer programs , his standing wrt others should not be a matter for jokes.</p>
<p>Seriously at high school levels because of the subjectivity and mostly misinterpretation of the information on selection process there are people who think one should have started a hospital in Iraq and served the wounded before joining a medical school … My point is that the system has to take the blame and not the kids who come to these sites for help</p>
<p>You just posted a paragraph telling me how my interpretation of a post made by someone else is wrong. That entailed writing a paragraph telling me why I was wrong even though you are making assumptions about what was meant, and the thread that followed had some funny stuff…i mean you could argue that 50 percent or more of the posts on here are a waste of time. But that depends on if you find what you are looking for. I have found a lot of stuff, sure I am a parent, not a student so I can and will not write a chance me? But I might ask about what people think are typical scores, without expecting in any way that one would expect to get in just on scores…most people are just trying to see if they even have a shot and newbies in most cases…
So another paragraph wasted disagreeing with your disagreement…lol…i will not continue on this thread but seems a few people thought it was not heart felt!</p>
<p>parent62…you said it better than I did…i totally concur. As a person who grew up in rent control apt. but had family in Harvard (graduated in 67) there is virtually NOTHING in common with how one got into Harvard in '64 vs. now. Some elements are similar but most are very intangible…this web site seemed to be a place where one could just as easily ask a smart or stupid question and get a decent reply from at least a few…and it usually is, except when you get into the rarified air…I do not think any kid is asking about how to spend his summer to see how to look good…they want to be productive and seeking guidance if its not clear is a sign of strength not weakness…the whole basis of higher education is to be able to ask questions without fear of ridicule…i mean sure there are stupid posts but goes with the territory…maybe if I stay for another 8k posts I will change my opinion :)</p>
<p>btw, i wasn’t making assumptions. I was just restating what the op said about her post. And what do you mean about the funny stuff in the thread that follows?</p>
<p>BTW . I know it is Harvard thread, but I am posting something from Stanford website:</p>
<p>'SAT Subject Tests are strongly recommended but not required for admission. We recommend taking at least two SAT Subject Tests, as such information will assist us in our evaluation process. Applicants, however, who choose not to take SAT Subject Tests will not be at a disadvantage in the admission process."</p>
<p>Now tell me what a 10th or 11th grader will make out of it? He is going to come to these forums and ask for informaton. I see nothing wrong with that.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with asking here for information, parent62, though I would think that a student who is confused by the statement that you posted would be better off asking Stanford admissions for clarification instead of relying on well intentioned but possibly misinformed strangers on an Internet board.</p>
<p>What I think is silly is asking strangers on an Internet board to estimate one’s chances for admission to college, particularly places like Ivies where admission often is mostly based on the adcoms’ desires to create a diverse, active, intelligent class.</p>
<p>“I do not think any kid is asking about how to spend his summer to see how to look good.”</p>
<p>There are plenty of students who come to this board and others on CC asking what ECs and summer activities they should participate in so as to look good to colleges. In fact, they assume that others choose ECs and activities only to impress colleges, not to pursue their own interests.</p>
<p>Northstarmom,
- Yes, I agree that the kid should approch the college for authentic information. But I doubt that you would get a straight answer from the college for the above . Else they would have made it as required or not required. That is where the “subjectiveness” comes to play.
- Many take the high road in saying that one should pursue his interests and not do things JUST to impress the colleges. I agree with this too, but only with the word “JUST” being there. You do not become accomplished straight from high school. So you need to go through a college (mostly altleast, unless you are Bill gates …). If a student’s objective is to get there through some of the elite colleges and say a summer plan goal aligns with impressing colleges, what is wrong with that?. My point is that we are expecting kids to be something more than they should be at the high school level. I do not see anything wrong for kid applying to MIT wanting to know if RSI is the right thing to do when he is capable of getting admission to compared to say another summer program of similar focus. </p>
<p>I guess we are saying the same thing … except there is an assumption in your statement many come to CC just to show off or not going about collecting information in the correct way… well I am not going to say YES or No to that … But I get the point and I am making the post only to show my point of view</p>
<p>“1. Yes, I agree that the kid should approch the college for authentic information. But I doubt that you would get a straight answer from the college for the above . Else they would have made it as required or not required. That is where the “subjectiveness” comes to play.”</p>
<p>Maybe you’re right and the college wouldn’t give a straight answer. Still, how will one get a more informed answer from uninformed strangers on an Internet board? The only reason I could imagine posting would be to find out if, for instance, anyone has been accepted to Stanford without SAT II scores. That would indicate whether it’s 100% necessary to submit SAT II scores to Stanford.</p>
<p>I have seen students posting about summer plans and ECs mainly because they want to find out what most impresses colleges. It’s rare that anyone posts and asks for suggestions about activities that might build on their interests. There is, though, one good example of this right now on the college admissions board. A student with a strong interest in politics is volunteering --over his father’s objections – for the governor’s political campaign.</p>
<p>The student’s father insists that colleges would be more impressed if the student were doing something to advance himself instead of the governor. I’ve been among the posters who have responded that what the student is doing by pursuing his passions is the type of thing that impresses colleges, and I’ve also suggested ways that the student could take even more advantage of that experience.</p>
<p>Sadly, though, many more students post questions like, “Should I work a job this summer or take a college course? Which would impress colleges the most?”</p>
<p>I believe this thread is wrong because there is no way to calculate your chances for admission to Harvard. Also, saying 7 in 100 is proportionally correct, I highly doubt it works like that, either. There is a higher percentage of students accepted from the Early Admission Pool as it is somewhat self selecting than the general admission pool.</p>
<p>If you really want to get into Harvard, then I’d get off this forum and do whatever you do best.</p>
<p>I’d have to agree with some of the other people who have commented here, especially those who have used the words “arrogant” and “full of myself.” Even if you’re not trying to be like that, it still comes across that way. Just saying.</p>
<p>but i guess in the end, it’s all true…lol</p>
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<p>Harvard does not have EA/ED.</p>
<p>Oh, haha that’s right. Point stands on the rest though. Darn QuestBridge summer program confusing me.</p>
<p>As a high school student who has posted a chance thread on CC before, I understand why many would feel offended by this post.</p>
<p>I don’t believe you’re an elitist snob, Northstarmom. I just think you’re trying to prove the point that “fake” passion, insecurity about one’s accomplishment(s), and a constant need for reaffirmation of one’s credibility and capabilities demonstrates a lack of character and moral integrity. I would have to agree with you. Yet at the same time, there are many HSers like me who come to CC seeking valuable information that we cannot obtain anywhere else. Is it fair to say one’s chances are less than 1 in 100 if he/she posts a chance thread or asks for advice regarding admission? In my opinion, no. But I’m not offended because I’m aware that it’s, as they say, “all in good humor.”</p>
<p>It may seem strange to you that so many HSers have such a strong need for reassurance. But you know what? We’re teenagers. We make mistakes, we feel insecure about ourselves, and, in my opinion, we have the right to be that way. I realize that this post was meant to be satirical. But many HSers and parents alike could take this to heart and extract a faulty message from it.</p>
<p>Decrescendo,</p>
<p>Most people – not just high school students-- have a need for reassurance. Even I have a need for reassurance.</p>
<p>What I don’t understand is people seeking reassurance by posting chance threads. I don’t understand the point of asking uninformed strangers who mostly are high school students about one’s chances at getting into college. There’s plenty of information available including even here where one can see how one’s stats and ECs stack up against students accepted to and rejected by specific colleges.</p>
<p>Anyway, getting reassurance from strangers on the Internet isn’t the same as getting college acceptances, and in many cases is just setting up students for disappointment in April.</p>
<p>Why not admit the odds are long for acceptance to a place like Harvard, and then submit the best application you can while assuming that you’ll go to your match school? Seems that would set oneself up for less disappointment or a happy surprise in April, and would be more stress reducing than pinning one’s hopes on the empty reassurances of random, uninformed teens.</p>
<p>I would agree, Northstarmom. I find the chance threads lacking in any real value. To a very large degree, they seem to consist of anxious, smart, high achieving high schoolers reassuring each other, based on a heady mix of available data, hopes, dubious analysis and rumors.
It’s very understandable. College admissions has been a very stressful and difficult thing for many kids. The current generation is no smarter or better than mine, but they have worked much harder in high school and are bombarded with stress-inducing messages.
And, I’ll admit that I would love to know the exact odds for my child at the ten or so schools currently on the list. But I also know that is not possible. I listen to the college counselors at the school and I look at the numbers provided by the schools. I read a bit as well. And all that gives me a foggy sense of his chances, and the clear idea that ‘foggy’ is about as good as it gets for him.
Foggy is about as good as it gets for most kids too. Most can , with help, find a school that is very likely to accept them, and a list of other schools that may accept them. Some savvy conversations with parents and others will help them figure out what is affordable, which looms as large as acceptance.
But, beyond that, there’s no special crystal ball, particularly here. And, some of the folks here would be wise to spend their time elsewhere.</p>
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<p>You’re right about this. To be honest, I most likely posted my chance thread with this subconscious motive. It was a foolish idea in retrospect, and I received some advice that, after online research, turned out to be misguided.</p>
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<p>It’s true. I would be more than happy to attend my match school, the University of Michigan. However, I still dream about schools like Yale and Stanford, and I think it okay to keep part of my head ‘in the clouds’ on that note while staying somewhat grounded in reality.</p>
<p>I hope after this assessment you’ve come to believe me to be, as you say, ‘Harvard material’? :)</p>
<p>Just kidding…</p>
<p>I’d rather be a dropout than a sour reject</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Bill Gates Speech at Harvard (part 1)](<a href=“Bill Gates Speech at Harvard (part 1) - YouTube”>Bill Gates Speech at Harvard (part 1) - YouTube)</p>
<p>:)</p>