I posted above as did others…Penn definitely had more applications than last year, and presumably took the same number as usual from what they said, so admit rate down.
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Interesting - I hadn’t seen the Penn results yet. That makes the Harvard statistic more puzzling.
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This is so funny and true about the Smith gear! When my son told his Smithie sister last night that he got into Hamilton she was so happy for him–and then she followed it up with “But your college needs to get better merch” as she perused the bookstore to find some swag to celebrate him!
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Thank you very much for your kind words! When you share your burden, it definitely feels lighter. S24 is feeling ok and is picking himself up to write more essays.
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That’s a great news! Congrats!
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That is a big one! Congrats!
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Hopefully your and my S24 will get in in March!
Apparently to Columbia 
- they saw a 5% increase in ED applications.
Most people realize that headlines that focus on high-profile events don’t always reflect the reality on the ground. The faculty and fellow students that were at colleges end of September, remain the same that are still there today - with the same values and cooperative spirit towards all.
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Be sure to fill out the FAFSA. See if you might be eligible for the Middle Class Scholarship at the CSUs
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I posted this in class of 24 also but thought it may help others decide if they want to shoot for Duke ED in the future. I know I read past Duke threads for information so I am reposting here too:
My D24 was accepted ED1 to Duke! 
She withdrew her 3 EA apps and rescinded the offers from the 3 instate safety schools she applied to in August.
She is an above average student who tries very hard to make good grades, to be involved in activities, has leadership positions and has done some typical volunteer work, but nothing crazy that makes her stand out. Some hours at our local nursing home, summer church camps and fish frys during lent for the church. But honestly very minimal because her hours are spent dancing. She dances 4-5 days a week after school and some weekends. It’s competition dance and she has been on the team for 10 years. She also submitted supplemental art portfolio of 4 dances to showcase artistic abilities which could have helped her stand out. She is good but it is not her major and she is not at the level of a prodigy or anything that would make them want her for dance.
Her essays were stellar. She told her story in such a moving and emotional way every single person who read it cried. They were rooting for her and wanted to see her succeed. I can only imagine the admissions committee felt the same way. She is very loved at her school. By the faculty and the students. She is a rare teenager who enjoys being with people of all ages and walks of life. She truly is a joy. And I do not say that to get compliments or credit. It’s just who she is. As a mom of 4, I have raised 4 completely different personalities and know that I have very little to do with that. It’s just something ingrained in them. So I assume her letters of recommendation were stellar as well. The teachers who wrote them did so enthusiastically and when I thanked them they all basically said how wonderful she is and how easy it is to gush on her and write great things. They were happy to do so.
Her stats 3.89 unweighted GPA And 33 ACT super scored leadership positions in 4 clubs. Captain of the school dance team for 2 years. Her school is very small. Her graduating class is 42. They do not rank but she guesses she might be 5th or 6th. But they won’t tell her. They only offer 3 AP classes. She took all 3 but didn’t test well and didn’t submit her exam scores. She has taken the most rigorous courses offered including the 2 dual credit classes offered at her school. She also took Spanish 3 on her own online for credit because she wanted a 3rd year and wanted to take Marine Biology which conflicted with scheduling so she took it on her own online.
Her hook: first generation and from Mississippi
We cried and celebrated her acceptance. It was not expected because she is your typical normal teenage girl who worked hard and it paid off. So don’t give up. Dreams can happen for anyone!!! Oh and they gave her $73,382 per year. We are all in shock and so incredibly grateful for this opportunity for her!! We ran the NPC before applying ED to see if we could afford it based on our income and it came back at $12k per year. So the NPC actually was dead on and they came back saying we will owe $11,800 (after applying work study plus a student loan totaling $7200 per year) which is in our budget. So if you are wondering if it is accurate, it was in our case.
Sorry for the extremely long post. I just wanted to paint a picture of who she is to give hope to others wanting to apply to top 10 schools. You do not have to be perfect or amazing in every single way to get accepted. Chase your dreams!!! You never know what may happen!!
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Or Duke! They saw a 28% increase in ED applications this year over last year!!
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Not surprised given the relentless emailing campaign. S24 is still getting one a day. He’s never expressed interest.
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That story is awesome. Duke is an awesome school and the one I personally admire the most. Congratulations to your daughter!
Hmmm - what you wrote is ‘crazy’ and she does stand out. She’s done a lot but the dedication to dancing is impressive and I’m sure they thought so.
Congrats to her and the family on affordability. Very impressive.
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I meant nothing crazy that makes her stand out with volunteering and community service.
But thank you!
So on the positive side (very positive, if you ask me . . . or even if not, since you all are a captive audience), the combination this week of an offer from St Andrews and an ED II-killing deferral from S24’s REA school has us planning a Spring Break trip to Scotland. Our Spring Break is the last two weeks of March, so that is perfect timing to slip in ahead of the (likely) notification days for at least most of his RD applications (including the deferral).
And what better time to visit Scotland than March? Feel free to not answer that, please . . . .
Edit: Actually, after a quick check and based on last year, it looks like some notifications might happen DURING the trip. Even more fun! What better way to hear than with a belly full of haggis . . . and again, responses not required.
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Lol, well at least airfares are reasonable in March…
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EC don’t have to be volunteering or community service. They should show passion and tenure. In fact many don’t relate to those two areas - work, sports, etc. she did great !!! That’s a lot of dancing !! It’s not her major but the passion is evident. That’s what matters.
Awesome for her. Nicest mid size campus in America (my opinion). Hope she loves basketball !!
Lots of AirBnBs also offering reduced prices. So curious.
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I think Scotland in March sounds wonderful. Keep us posted on the trip plans…will you make any other stops (London, Oxford…Paris)?
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