Perhaps I’m dense. Please explain what is “clear”.
And since your post wasn’t clear, at least to me, explain how you’re constructively advising this student so they get value from your input.
9 Likes
I’d reduce your reaches. It appears as if you are shot gunning prestige at schools that are very different. For these schools, IMO more apps doesn’t mean more chances. Maybe it is not you, but kids with this many applications tend to cookie cutter their essays/short answers. You are a strong “average excellent” candidate, but somewhere in the soft parts of your app (essays, LoR’s) you need to stand out. AO’s generally can smell a generic essay by the first paragraph. Writing Georgetown specific essays should be your first priority, then maybe 2-4 more. Eight is too much to do a good job on all of them.
8 Likes
Presumably, he assumed he wouldn’t get into Duke ED1 and has the essays for all the others are written already. So no reason not to apply since that only increases his chances of getting admitted to at least one reach. Say he applies to 10 places where his chances of getting in are 5%, the probability of getting in at least one is 40%. (assuming no correlation)
I do not agree with this suggestion. You already have acceptances to several outstanding universities; your remaining apps are to 7 of the 8 Ivy League schools and to Georgetown. If interested in majoring in PPE, Brown University would have been an interesting school.
Again, as I noted in my first response, you need to print out your introductory post in this thread & share it with a trusted professional for a candid critique. This should help you in any future applications for work or educational related pursuits.
Good luck.
1 Like
I don’t know anything about Duke, but I read this thread because my son was just deferred from Cornell ED. When I read your summary it sounds very much like a smart, “typical” White boy. Except that last little bit about busing tables and cleaning bathrooms. Can you elaborate on that with a small moment essay? I think your job in these reaches may be finding a hook that makes you seem less privileged, or at least aware of your privilege.
I scoured your description a lot after reading another poster implying an obvious flaw, and I didn’t see one except maybe (?) your 93 GPA but that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. My understanding is that once your numbers are good enough, and yours are, that the committee starts looking at the rest of the app.
Maybe you just seemed a little bit boring. That’s what I think happened with my own child, so I mean it in the best possible way.
ETA: Oh wait, I just saw it. You have that listing about fighting for “fairness” for students accused of cheating. And it reads like maybe you’re about being defensive or not cooperating with adults at school. Or maybe not taking cheating seriously. I know, I know, that’s not how you meant it.
2 Likes
There are a few obvious flaws so I suggested that OP get a common sense review by a practicing or retired professional.
1 Like
Can you be more specific, seems like others aren’t noticing any. Thanks.
1 Like
I read lots of applications, and that would not give me pause, at all. Students accused of cheating should have a fair and impartial review of the allegations, and means to appeal decisions. Those things don’t happen in all high schools. Sadly.
6 Likes
My kids HS also had an Honor Board with elected student representatives and the OP’s description seems accurate. As @Mwfan1921 mentioned, not a common position at all schools.
1 Like
Oh Good Lord!!!
OP please understand that most posters have zero special knowledge wrt college admissions. At best we make educated guesses, and at worst, we post misinformation.
@publisher has no special knowledge.
On the other hand, @Mwfan1921 is actually a professional college counselor, who aslo has read applications for a college. I would listen to what they say.
17 Likes
Mark me down in the “I don’t see any red flags in your profile, and would chalk this up to applying to a school with a really low acceptance rate” column.
I know you might not be looking for additional schools, but with your interests in public policy, international relations, community service, and a robust honor code, you might take a look at William and Mary. It nails all four of those.
To be clear, I don’t think you don’t have a chance at your reach schools, but the advice often given here to students who are rejected from their ED school (as opposed to deferred) is that it could be advantageous to swap out some of the more selective schools on their list for some more accessible schools.
8 Likes
IMO, selective college applications just don’t work like the lottery. By your math, you just need to apply to 20 5% schools and you will have close to 100% chance – far from the case. At least with my kids and apps I see as an interviewer for an HYPS for over 25 years, a good portion of student who get into an Ivy+, will be cross admitted into at least 1 or more T20’s that they applied to. Many are average excellent kids, but something in their apps resonated with several AO’s.
I would not recommend putting all your eggs in one or even 2/3 baskets, but at some point, a kid’s app will suffer if the kid is trying to pump out 12+ apps with 10+ going to T20 schools. Even if the OP has already completed apps for all 8 schools, in the 2 weeks he has left, he should focus on Georgetown and a few others to better customize his essays if he has otherwise cookie cuttered them. OP, did you reuse some of your Duke essays/short answers with your EA apps, with your RD apps? If so, you might want to rethink that strategy.
3 Likes
I did reuse a Morehead-Cain essay for Duke’s intellectual experience. My school counselor told me to reuse whenever I can, but I probably could’ve tailored it more towards Duke. I’ll make sure to do that in the future, thanks.
2 Likes
If you apply to 20 5% schools it will be about 64% probability of getting into at least one - IF the admission decisions are uncorrelated. But you are right, decisions at similar schools are often correlated because of biases, cultural orientation, etc.
1 Like
If you don’t mind sharing with us - which other 1 of the 5 Duke supplemental essays did you send?
Ok, so for general essay prompts, where they are trying to gauge the depth of your thinking, reusing essays for the same/equivalent prompt is going to be fine. However, prompts that are trying to get at why you fit XYZ school, what you are going to get out of XYZ school and how you are going to contribute to the XYZ community call for customization.
4 Likes
This makes zero sense.
1 Like
It’s just math
1 Like
I submitted the Perspective Response and the Intellectual Experience. Looking back on it, both of them are kind of similar, as I wrote about my experience in service for both. For the Perspective Response, I wrote about how my city is notoriously ranked dangerous and low quality (might dox me) but the people I’ve met through my work have proved to me that it isn’t. I connected it to “seeing good when others see bad” and how I’d do that at Duke. For the Intellectual experience, I wrote about a specific event and an experience that showed my problem solving skills.
1 Like
Maybe @data10 would like to share their insights!