Johns Hopkins RD 2023

KWSoCal
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 20:54:44 +0000

We can all compare the visible statistics, but none of us have read other students’ essays and many of us don’t even get to read our own kid’s essays. We see none of the recommendations. In the land of high statistics, these subjectively judged areas are crucial.

I have attended enough college presentations in the past couple of years to close my eyes when they talk about how they are looking for students to excel within the school they are in and with the resources that they have. But it rings true as I watch what is happening right now with my daughter and her classmates.

Hypothetically, a student might write the most outstanding essay about collaborative learning, but if the teacher writes about how that student works well alone and is impatient with others’ opinions (even if the impatience is due to the student’s undeniable brilliance), it’s a disconnect that we will never see. This is one hypothetical example, but I think it’s fair to infer that schools want a cohesive narrative.

Different schools look for different attributes overall.

Regarding stats, there’s a floor for consideration. But in these days of extensive test prep and tutors, plus or minus a bit just doesn’t matter.