Here’s one article about the report: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2016/01/20/to-get-into-college-harvard-report-advocates-for-kindness-instead-of-overachieving/
Thanks for the article @AllenGlen. Like you, I’m a bit skeptical about this. In the end, I’m not sure any of us knows what admissions officers are looking for on any given day, other than the typical high GPA and test scores. I have a D15 (so current college freshman) and a D18, and decided that it wasn’t worth it to have a kid spend 4 years of their lives trying to package themselves into what they think an AO is looking for. For me, I want my kids to work to their potential, get involved with activities that they like (and this means sampling different activities), and be “present” for those high school years, rather than spending them eyeing the next 4 years. I realize everyone is different, but so far this has worked for my family.
I’m opposed to “packaging”. But S18 will take a lot of AP classes, because he wants to! He probably won’t do much of the “socially meaningful volunteering”–sounds like a lot of work for parents to figure out/transport. He can go to local nursing home or hospital, but that doesn’t sound so exotic.
Welcome @AllenGlen I’ve also heard about this movement and I think it seems positive, but I agree with both @suzy100 and @Boojao There won’t be any packaging happening here. I’ve encouraged my D to get involved in things she’s interested in, and up to a point she has. In the end, I think she will be an ordinary kid, with a pretty standard looking list of activities. But that’s OK with me. She’ll find her fit. If she tilted into “package” territory, her “resume” would not end up truly representing who she is. She’s doing a lot of exploring right now, so I have a feeling “well-rounded” will be a good adjective to describe her when all is said and done. As far as APs, we’re out of that race, she’s in an IB school so we’re in for the full diploma which is a race all it’s own :-SS Though I did encourage, and she did actually choose, courses for her diploma that she thinks she will enjoy and do well in, rather than selecting those that may be viewed as more challenging (she has enough of those).
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, everyone! But my question to all of you is – do you think that this report and the fact that 80 colleges have signed on really changes anything in the admissions process FOR US? They are clearly sending a message that they want to see an extended period of “caring” by applicants. Rather than pulling back on requirements and stress, isn’t this just adding one more requirement?
Can anybody from College Confidential give an opinion, please???
@AllenGlen, I’m not sure what you are asking. Are you asking whether this adds additional requirements? Or stress? Or who it might apply to? I think that’s in the eye of the beholder. I would venture to guess that those of us who aren’t interested in “packaging” our kids would say, in order: it doesn’t really matter as we are letting our kids do their thing(s); no; I would assume it applies to any applicant.
Perhaps you may get the answers you are looking for if you start a new thread on this, but I don’t see how anybody can answer these questions unless they are themselves admissions officers at these schools.
@AllenGlen: There is already a thread on that very topic with lots and lots or opinions. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1853666-turning-the-tide-rethinking-college-admissions-a-new-report-endorsed-by-many-top-universities-p1.html.
Perhaps you will find what you are looking for there. I do not believe for a minute that kids with similar GPA/Standardized test scores and 2 APS stand a chance against another kid with 8 APs. Nope, don’t believe it for a second. Its an apple and an orange.
I am absolutely convinced that the high number (11) of APs, or rigorous courseload, how ever you want to word it, that my very average GPA & SAT/ACT score and ECed D16 took was a huge plus in her acceptance to 11 schools (Pitt, Purdue, Drexel, College of Wooster, Marquette, Duquesne, Seton Hall, Baldwin Wallace, Ohio U, U ofSciences, Quinnipiac). It showed that she was willing to push herself, she didn’t take them solely to “impress” admissions, she took some because she was truly interested like AP Music Theory, AP World History & AP Euro.; some because there were no honors level courses offered in place of the AP class such as for AP Physics & AP Econ; other classes like APUSH and AP US government because that was the class her friends were taking. Of course she walked away with high Bs in most of her courses and a few AP tests with a 3, but she was willing to get a B and wasn’t shooting for an IVY. She is happy with the courses that she selected and satisfied with her grades.
As for which classes to choose for junior year…I say your child should take the classes that they are truly interested and take it at the AP level if they truly feel that they are willing to put in the work and are willing to accept a B or C should a lower grade happen.
Are any of your kids doing spring sports soon? I’m going to be doing co-ed outdoor track starting Monday. I know this seems early, and it actually is.
Spring sports start with conditioning in Feb and practices in March. Will depend on weather if they can go outside. S did tennis last spring and there was still snow on tennis courts until April.
@mommdc We actually didn’t do conditioning as the coach was also coaching the indoor co-ed track team this past winter. The season just eneded on Friday.
DD has soccer tryouts starting tomorrow (she was on the team last year). In the fall she cheers for her school and in the winter she manages boys basketball. She also plays club soccer year-round and is on a half-year all-star cheer team (can’t commit to a full year team). Next year she will drop club soccer and all-star cheer given the increasing demands on her time.
@2014novamom Good luck to your DD for her soccer tryouts! Does she want to play soccer in college?
My D18 is currently deciding what all star gym to choose for next year, She has one in mind…I have another (closer to home) in mind. School cheer is a year round venture for D18. There really not ability to dual sport at her school if you do cheer (with the possible exception of swim which has morning practices and track) Cheer is her big EC. Cheer is a HUGE time vacuum with all star and school combined, sort of like marching band IMO.
Just finished up Jr year course selection (and did Taxes this weekend, I am a glutten for punishment…) Junior Year always seems so rigorous. It was a struggle deciding whether to do AP Physics or regular Physics.
AP English Comp
AP Physics I
AP US History
Pre-AP/Honors Pre Calc
Pre-AP/Honor Latin III
AP Psych
Cheer
Alternative Electives
Sociology
Reel America
Forensic Science
Interior Design
AP Art History
Spring sports start very early here (no snow). S’18 plays tennis. The first HS match was 2/2 and the last match before Districts is 3/22. Districts, Regionals and States can extend the season into the middle of April (if the team does well, obviously). School also ends earlier down here (not sure when this year).
But I grew up in the northeast. I remember hitting orange golf balls in the snow in late March/early April. Of course, we never seemed to really get spring. The seasons seemed to move from winter, to mud season, to July 4th. At least that’s how I remember it.
Swimming ended this weekend. Track starts in 2 weeks. Almost certainly will still be snow on the ground. Soccer (which is spring sport for my d16) is a nightmare; track is ok in the snow/mud.
@labegg – No, DD has no aspirations of playing soccer in college. Of course she would like to keep it up but not at the college varsity level. My older kid plays a varsity sport at a DIII school and she has seen that the time commitment precludes many other activities. She would like to study abroad, for example, but the off-season practice commitment hinders that.
I am told that a long time ago cheer used to be a 2-season sport at schools around here. I’m kind of glad that it is only a single season because that gives DD an opportunity to do different things. And I hear you on the time commitment for both school and all star, which is why DD is only doing half-year all star and will likely drop it next year altogether. Junior year is a big one for IB diploma candidates and she’s going to have to carry an extra eighth class after school one semester along with being an editor for the school newspaper so it is just too much.
DS18 does year round club soccer and made the high school team last year, but decided to forgo soccer this year for school (boys soccer is a spring sport at the high school level whereas girls is in the fall here) and is not trying out for his club team again for next year. He did both club soccer and cross country in the fall and it was a lot of time along with his volunteer work and Boy Scouts and just spending time with his friends! He decided to focus on running because as he said, “While I love soccer, I have to be honest with myself that I’m a lot better at running.”
DSs school doesn’t have indoor track. They are doing “off the record” track practices now where the kids all get together and do a workout. For real practices start on the 29th.
@2014novamom - I ran XC, indoor and outdoor track at a D1 school and still did study abroad. I decided to do it during spring trimester so I wouldn’t have to be worried about coming right back into racing (like if I had done it in fall or winter). My coach was very understanding and supportive of the choice to do that and it did not jeopardize my space on the team at all. I was still on varsity and went to nationals with the team, etc.
DS also attends an IB school so we know where you are coming from! Although here there only have six class periods during the day, so it is a very stuffed schedule. If kids want to do IB Music, it is very, very difficult as they need to have the Music class along with a performance class and that only leaves four class periods during the day to finish their schedule. You pretty much have to start your foreign language in middle school and then stop with the third year in 10th grade if you want to do the full diploma.
@RoonilWazlib99 – I’m sure it can be done with the right mix of coaches and course of study. DS is double majoring in Aero and Mechanical Engineering so his coursework is very regimented and sequential with little wiggle room if he wants to graduate in 4 years. Study abroad would be difficult.
DD is not interested in engineering and presumably would have more flexibility but I also think she’s seeing her passion for playing competitive soccer come to an end. She is pretty firm in dropping club soccer next year and is even considering dropping it this spring. She will have to decide by the end of the month on that though, since that is when I have to pay her club soccer fees which are hefty.
I can’t imagine how difficult it is to get the IB diploma with only 6 periods! It’s a struggle with 7 periods (which is why TOK is an after school class). Kids here also have to start foreign language in middle school for the diploma although it can be done if you start in 9th grade – it just leaves you less flexibility in the rest of your schedule. Crazy isn’t it?
First track meet is next week for DD. She has been running with the team for several weeks. Last meet is May 12th.
Any other kids take the PSAT10 yesterday? What did they think of it? S18 took the regular PSAT in OCT and I asked him if he thought the tests were similar and he said “I don’t know, I’ll tell you when I get my scores” not very helpful. I don’t expect he did as well on the PSAT10 even if they were very similar because he has a head cold and does not feel well at all. I hope that taking the PSAT10 has helped put his mind in gear for the SAT on March 5th!