<p>Are there any secrets, like tricks, to getting into top tier schools?</p>
<p>Also another thing. My mom said it is advantageous for an applicant to have parents who work low jobs because it’s more likely that the applicant has faced hardships. On the other hand, coming from a well to do family with, say…a dad who is a professor from a renowned university boosts the likelihood that the applicant will do well on standarized tests (good genes or something…). Is this true?</p>
<p>The secret is B+up+down+left+right+A</p>
<p>Wow spazattack. This is a very weird thread to me. It’s like entering into a room with a crystal ball and someone telling me my college chances are based on smarts passed down from my professor father. Really weird. </p>
<p>To answer your question: Yes there is one secret to your college admissions, and here it is:</p>
<p>THERE ARE NO SECRETS!!! Just do your best and work hard on your applications.</p>
<p>And if you apply to some schools believing there are tricks and standards that go along with it, you are doomed to be disappointed.</p>
<p>About what your mom said, let’s put it this way:</p>
<p>Colleges look at you in the context of your background. If you come from a well-to-do family in a big city, you’re expected to take advantage of the resources you have. You can afford test prep materials, for example. But if you come from a disadvantaged environment, you’re not expected to have as great grades, test scores, etc.</p>
<p>^ So it’s really good if you’re economically disadvantaged and doing well in school?</p>
<p>Well, I mean, I don’t think so, no. But it’s better than if you came from a super-wealthy family where you had access to private teaching and a private tutor. If you were from that background, then you’d be expected to have lots of AP’s, etc. But if you came from a first-generation family, economically disadvantaged, poor school funding, but managed to do well on AP exams–that’s impressive.</p>
<p>OP: the scenario you pose can be looked at this way. (All my numbers are hypothetical for argument’s case)</p>
<p>Let’s say Top Tier School A gets 500 apps from kids of lower economic backgrounds. About 80% are actually in the ball park (400). Of these 400, 100 are very impressive given their context and are offered admission. Therefore 20% admit rate.</p>
<p>But TTSA gets 10000 apps from middle class and upper tier kids. Among these, 85% are viable (8500). From these 8500 files, 1500 are offered admission. Giving an overall 15% admit rate.</p>
<p>But on the whole, there were 8500 versus 400 viable applicants. Who is disadvantaged as a “class”? Obviously the economically challenged one – based on no. of kids who would actually apply and the %age of kids who are viable. Sheer numbers mean that the bulk of kids in the economically challenged group NEVER apply to college. Sad fact is huge numbers of kids STILL don’t graduate HS in four years.</p>
<p>When we’re looking at the world of top tier school admissions, it’s very easy to forget stats like major cities having about 30% HS GRADUATION RATE. THIRTY PERCENT in four years. Lots going on here that needs society’s attention…</p>
<p>(off the soap box now)</p>