NYC Moms/Dads: Is It Possible to Get Into HYP From NYC Without a Hook?

Parents Forum
141

<p>OK, here is anecdotal evidence. Our public hs did fairly well this year with quite a few admits to Ivy league schools. The kids are all great, but in most cases you can identify a “hook”, ie, a couple of athletes, a double legacy, building on campus named after kid’s grandfather, you know, things like that… but 2 kids going to Princeton and Yale respectively don’t have what we call a hook (at least none that I am aware of). 2400 SATs, 4.5 gpa (on a 4.5 scale), winners of numerous math, science, drama, music competitions, these are not hooks, right? (NOT athletes). On the other hand… maybe they each had 5 hooks.</p>

<p>So, my evidence says it is possible, but you have to be pretty darned outstanding in many many ways to get in!</p>

142

<p>In 1972 my friend from Bronx Science --just a normal, smart Jewish girl-- was admitted to Princeton, but she decided to go to Oberlin instead. So I suppose admission wasn’t entirely unheard of --but perhaps Princeton wasn’t always the first choice of these students, even when they were admitted, back then. Just as Princeton may have stayed away from the NYC magnet kids well --you know, Princeton didn’t have the best reputation among kids in those schools, as I recall: It was considered somewhat racist, somewhat closed: And especially in the 1970s, with the political awakening of that group, a place like Princeton wasn’t coveted. Yale was much more acceptable --Columbia, UPenn, much more desirable.</p>

143

<p>TutuTaxi: A very good question. I seem to be the only one cynical enough to believe that because the privates were in place before the state system got going in NY, the NY legislature did not want to bump the privates off the shelves, just like the generic brand can’t have the packaging or endorsements of Tylenol even if produced by the same company because who would buy the Tylenol?</p>

<p>Here’s a casual look at NY private institutions: Columbia, Barnard, Cornell, NYU, Fordham, Adelphi, Hofstra, Long Island University, Sarah Lawrence, Marist, Vassar, Bard, Skidmore, Hamilton, Union, Ithaca, Hartwick, Elmira, Syracuse, URochester, Hobart and William Smith, RPI, Alfred, School of Visual Arts, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes, Eugene Lang College plus many others I am forgetting, the Marymounts for example. (There are probably three times this number considering smaller or lower tier institutions.)
I think the NY Legislature has a vested interest in protecting the health of these institutions.</p>

<p>There’s another issue in NY: We are really two states: Downstate (Not really in US at all, haha, a European type centralized city and suburbs with public transportation, and Upstate, a more rural environment with elements of New England, PA and Ohio. These two constituencies can never agree about anything and could certainly not both be satisfied with a flagship u in the other region.</p>

144

<p>mythmom, I don’t think you are cynical. I am from Chicago and I believe a similar “protection” policy was the reason U of Illinois – Chicago has had such a rough road. Had U of Illinois – Medical Center not been in such close proximity, the UI Chicago campus would have probably died with the first Mayor Daley. Also, Illinois has the three states (Chicago, Chicago’s suburbs, and down state) in one state problem. If Illinois politicians can reluctantly agree to have a strong, competitive, state-funded research university – so can NY, NJ and the like. </p>

<p>There are just too many brilliant, amazing east coast students who seek HYP. Even if they eliminated every URM, athlete, legacy, and geographic diverse admit – there still would NOT be enough space. And HYP has made it clear they don’t want their universities filled 100% w/ east coast urban students. </p>

<p>Many states (VA, NC, MI, WA, IL, CA. TX, FL, WI, MN, ++++++) with fewer resources than NY or NJ have fine, competitive, state institutions. IMHO, If the uber, east coast parents truly wanted a strong flagship school as an alternative to HYP, they have the power and resources to move the politicians.</p>