<p>Shoboe- this is my understanding of schools like MIT or Princeton:
Door #1- If you have the GPA and test scores you make it through door #1
Door #2- if you have outstanding teacher recs and essays you make it through door # 2
Door #3- if you can give them something special and unique then you MAY get in: diversity, award winning ballerina, piano player at Carnegie Hall, leadership in the community, research, possibly legacy ( although I was told this is becoming less of a hook by a friend who went to an Ivy), etc.</p>
<p>Many many kids do not make it through door #3 despite being outstanding students at the tippy tippy top of their class. This is why I laughed when my daughter commented that her friend told her that she will be attending Harvard or Yale ( she was serious). </p>
<p>My nephew had over a 4.0 unweighted GPA ( in some schools an unweighted A+ is a 4.33) and a weighted GPA of 4.6 out of 4. Top 2%. perfect subject tests and ACT. Lots of leadership etc. teacher rec stated that in all her years of teaching she has never seen a kid like him blah blah blah… An Ivy contacted him and asked him to please come for an interview. He was rejected. He got into every school just under the Ivy, many with merit ( the ones that give). </p>
<p>Mine will cast a wide net and apply to lots of schools, but probably not Ivy League. Told her to save it for grad school ( LOL).</p>
<p>IJustDrive, I could not have said it any better. When asked what she might study in college, BunHeadGirl tells the person, Dance, Classics, Anthropology, and maybe Gentics. The person always asks how is BHG going to get a job or what kind of job besides teaching could she do, and I just roll my eyes at the person. Getting in medical school does not require one to be a science major–only that one took the prerequisites and has a great GPA. BunHeadGirl wants to enjoy college and take whatever interests her for the sake of learning. As BHG says all the time, “Isn’t that what college is for, to learn for the sake of learning?”</p>
<p>BH I found my major and career just by exploring different classes and interests. Years ago we did not declare a major when applying but now it seems that every college asks for a major. My older one applied with one major and then switched two weeks after hitting " submit." I frantically had her email admissions to let them know. Was that necessary? I have no idea. </p>
<p>One can be an English major and still go to med school. I need to remind my daughter since she also loves English and was not sure where it would lead her.</p>
<p>Wow. Kids never cease to surprise. S came home from school today, and when I poked head into his room to say hi, announced that he just deleted all his social networks-FB, Twitter and I don’t know what else. I asked what was wrong, assuming he got in trouble for posting something inappropriate online.</p>
<p>Nope. He decided he is frittering away all his time socializing in these forums and to break the habit he has to remove the temptation. Apparently friends are taking bets on how long it will last. I’m speechless.</p>
<p>twogirls - I agree with you about Ivy admissions. Its just not enough to have great grades and great scores, they are looking for something at the regional or preferably national level of achievement as well. Its a little overwhelming. Too many kids on CC seem to get a 2100+ on their SATs and suddenly think they will get into Columbia.</p>
<p>That said, there are a lot of great colleges and I keep telling my DS that there are a lot of different paths to the same place. I hate hearing when kids on CC are Ivy or die.</p>
<p>Celeste that’s very mature of him- like ripping off a band aid!! My daughter has a FB, twitter, snap chat, insta-gram etc but she is very very good about not going on except for breaks ( that’s a whole other issue). She does not go on much- hates the drama. They need to find a balance. </p>
<p>My husband commented the other day that I am addicted to my ipad!! I think he is right. </p>
<p>Yes there are many paths to the same place, and there are many great schools that are not Ivy League or close to it.</p>
<p>BHM – water under the bridge. It sounds like you have a handful between your D’s personality and your high-strung community. I’m glad her food issues are in check! Encourage her to pay no mind to other kids’ blather about colleges – it’s all just a bunch of bravado. </p>
<p>I love your description of your D as a “quirky, retro, boho, hippie” :)</p>
<p>Part of what led me to CC was that older S was looking beyond the local public universities, which are really fantastic, just not what he wanted for his chosen field. He also had no interest in an Ivy league either–he just wanted to go somewhere that he thought was good for his field–acting. Now, with younger 2015 S, we have a bit of the same situation, except that I think music auditions are even tougher. S has been thinking of schools, most of which are on the East Coast (or close to it) and we live on the West coast. This is hard to wrap my brain around, truth be told, but I suspect he will end up across the country.</p>
<p>PSAT is $14. S felt “goodish” about his first APUSH test today–whatever that means.</p>
<p>celestroberts–wow! I would be speechless too!</p>
<p>Ivies and other elites assess applicants in terms of how a candidate can help them meet institutional priorities. One way for a student to do that is to fill a gap (the college needs a quarterback, coxswain, oboeist, first-gen URMs, or more philosophy majors) – but it’s impossible to know a priori which gaps a particular institution will need filled in a particular year. Another way is to offer big bucks through development, but it has to be done tactfully so it doesn’t smell of quid pro quo. Keeping “important” alumni happy is another institutional priority – but there are thousands and thousands of legacy kids so being an “ordinary” legacy doesn’t really suffice.</p>
<p>One of the biggest institutional priorities is prestige, so they look at each applicant and ask “how will this kid add to our prestige?” They want a hook that will look good in a press release, or in the alumni magazine. They’re looking for name recognition (film stars, scions of political bigwigs), or something that will make readers say “wow.” So if you’re on your way to the Olympics, published a best-selling novel, or won prizes for impressive-sounding science research, that tips you in. But if you’re “just” a valedictorian or 2400-SAT, it might be more impressive for them to reject you and then say “we rejected 10,000 vals!”</p>
<p>I really hope S will be content to attend our state u. Or if not that, then UMN-Twin Cities. WI has reciprocity with MN so it’s instate tuition. My kids like cities and largish schools so either would be fine schools for him. Twin Cities is ‘away’ if he starts to feel the need for that, though almost like home as we’ve spent so much time there over the years.</p>
<p>Snap chat. That was one of the things he mentioned. I can’t keep up. twogirls, you are so right about balance and he WAS on way too much. I think he’s chronically fatigued from the constant barrage. But it’s hard for me to suggest that so long as the effects are kind of subtle. He gets up and performs fine at his PT job, works hard at school and gets good grades. On the surface things seem OK.</p>
<p>Last night at ‘Go to School Night’ the AP Bio teacher told us about the changes to the Bio test, new for 2013 exam and how scores dropped dramatically, with only 5% getting ‘5’ this May. I checked the data at College Board and it’s true. In 2012 20% got ‘5.’ Darn them, expecting kids to synthesize and think, not just memorize. What next? Teacher says she’s spending much time trying to reprogram their brains before they really get into the material. She also told that in the next couple of years other tests will be similarly revamped. Psych this year, maybe chemistry next year?</p>
<p>CelesteRoberts, hi neighbor! BunHeadGirl will do the opposite of your son, apply to U-WI due to the reciprocity agreement with MN. And, Madison is a nice college town according to BHG.</p>
<p>BunHeadGirl is one of the students that will do better on the new AP Biology exam. I’m not sure about the AP Chemistry test, but she’ll find out next May for sure.</p>
<p>Last year my daughter was in honors chem and they had to think outside the box- not just memorize. It was great prep for this year’s AP physics which is not just memorization and spitting back info. He gives them AP questions as tests, with a Regents quarterly as a grade booster if they want to take it ( lowest grade gets dropped). </p>
<p>I get confused between snap chat and Instagram. Sometimes I say insta chat and get weird looks.</p>
<p>mihcal, surprisingly oboists are a dime a dozen. It’s bassoonists and violas that are in high demand these days. D also played bassoon and made sure her state rankings on bassoon solos and bassoon playing in ensembles was noted somewhere on apps to schools where admission was dicey. But alas, she was waitlisted at UChicago nonetheless, with thousands of others. I guess they had a surfeit of bassoonists last year.;)</p>
<p>Have you seen the Lemony Snicket picture book “The Composer is Dead”? It’s a very tongue-in-cheek children’s introduction to the orchestra.</p>
<p>My favorite bit: “The violins are divided into the First Violins who have the trickier parts to play and the Second Violins who are more fun at parties.”</p>
<p>maxwellequations and stemmmm are right, just checked on CB. It’s chem and Spanish for the 2014 exam, then physics B and APUSH the following year.</p>
you guys are toofunny.</p>