<p>First of all, why should a 2400 work for everyone and all the time? The reality is that a 2400 works better than a 2300 and much better than a 2200! </p>
<p>Then, do we have the full context of what happens to 2400 scorers? Why should one focus more on the rejections than on the … admissions?</p>
<p>To this date, the best study on perfect SAT scorers remains Tom Fishgrund’s. And its conclusion was that a perfect score does indeed work. Actually it works very, very, very well!</p>
<p>Right. Nobody put a gun to your head and said that HYP (HYPS, HYPSM, the Ivies, pick your acronym) had to be the sole pinnacle of human achievement and that everything else was sloppy seconds. You chose to view the world through that lens. Why, I have no idea, since it bears little relationship to reality.</p>
<p>“Meritorious” is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I’d consider a kid with good stats who has spent their high school years in service to others because it is the right thing to do way more meritorious than one with with higher stats who has spent their high school years building a resume solely to impress adcoms at prestigious colleges. And I suspect that adcoms are pretty good at figuring out who’s in each category.</p>
<p>I expected to be disagreed with. And to get some heat. Expectations fullfilled. </p>
<p>It’s all good. Opinions are plentiful, we all have them and are entitled to them, and we don’t have to agree. As long we we can disagree without being disagreeable, it is all good. </p>
<p>I’m sure glad this wasn’t “common knowledge” in our upper middle class neighborhood. Otherwise my daughter would have known she had no chance and never applied. She was merely a tippy-top (grade-wise) and had very good SATs, but she was not an athlete, not a legacy, and didn’t have a 2400. So in her ignorance she applied anyway and got accepted at 3 of the 5 HYPSM schools.</p>
<p>Don’t take it too hard, ProudMom. Many of us old-timers have been put through the wringer here for holding unpopular opinions. It is a learning process.</p>
<p>When Bay wrote that, I had to stop and really consider. Is that a joke post? Frequently I just can’t tell when you guys are being funny and when you are serious. :(</p>
<p>coureur, That is wonderful that your daughter had such great results. She must be very accomplished. Athletes ,legacies have been getting tips at schools for years(and not just the Ivy League) and I don’t think that’s any secret. My husband was recruited by both Yale and Brown and that was in the early 70’s!</p>
Hi bay -
I’m only trying to divide the fact from the opinion. Even knowing all those things that we know about HYPS admissions, it’s still possible to believe that there is unfairness in some of the preferences. Some people hold that opinion, and some hold the opposite opinion. So it’s certainly possible.</p>
<p>coureur,
There has not been a single upper middle class white student from our h.s. admitted to HYPS in the past 10 years (and we usually have 5-8 per year) that was not either legacy, athlete or 2400. That is common knowledge where I live.</p>
<p>BTW, in 2010 TJHSST had 46 headed to HYPMS (thats from TJ destinations, so I dont know who had multiple admits, or were admitted and went elsewhere)</p>
<p>I am reasonably sure not all were URM’s or recruited athletes, and Im pretty sure few or none were super rich/connected. </p>
<p>I dont think all had 2400 on their SATs either. I do think they had high SATs, high GPAs, very challenging schedules, great LOR’s, essays, and ECs.</p>
The hook aspect comes into play because it’s a less common life experience, and universities are looking for interesting people from diverse backgrounds. Applications don’t have a section that says, “please indicate which of the following hooks apply …” Instead, they provide an opportunity to highlight how your own unique background has made you a compelling candidate via your essays.</p>
<p>ProudMomofS, I can easily sympathize with your unhappiness and frustration. I know that some of the people on this board disagree (to say the least), but I think that it would have been right for at least one of the HYPS group to admit your son. Now I will probably be accused of having a sense of entitlement by proxy! </p>
<p>I believe that there is a random, uncontrollable element in admissions to the top schools. I have seen admissions play out in almost exactly the same way for a close friend of QMP’s (2400 SAT I, 2400 on subject tests, AP National Scholar, 4.0 UW GPA, varsity athlete, state-level awards, AP’s in 2 languages and college classes in a third, Calc BC as a freshman, university math, good person, eventually the Byrd Scholar in the class)–except that a waitlist came through. Fast forward 4 years, and the student in question did exceptionally well in college and has been awarded a major national fellowship for graduate work.</p>
<p>I suspect that much the same will happen for your son. In the “good news” category, I believe that the President of Pomona (or his staff) tend to actively promote the interests of Pomona’s very top students.</p>
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