<p>I’ve seen this video pop up in a few different places, and I was just curious about what the seasoned veterans here at CC think about it? Do you agree? Is it good advice? </p>
<p><a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t16IK0T75nU”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t16IK0T75nU</a></p>
<p>It sounds like an infomercial. I keep waiting for “but wait, there’s more!”</p>
<p>I did make it through a few points. “Colleges throw out apps with GPAs and scores that aren’t high enough.” Uh… yeah? That’s a secret? I’ve never come across a college that doesn’t post their average GPA and scores. They do that for a reason. If you’re way outside of that range, why do you think you’ll get accepted? </p>
<p>There are test optional schools. There are smaller “holistic” schools. </p>
<p>I stopped watching about 6 mins in.</p>
<p>If you only watched 6 minutes then you missed the main points. I’d enjoy hearing the opinions of anyone who actually watches it to the end.</p>
<p>I listened to it all… it is one long infomercial… Not much he says in there is truly incorrect – he is just making it sound “dangerous” – I am curious what particular item surprises the OP. If you really want to get into a top 10 college, then there is a lot of truth to it. But once you get past the top 10-15 schools, some of it no longer applies. </p>
<p>Here is an example – Grinnell is a school that has a larger endowment than a lot of schools ranked more highly… but money can’t buy everything (location, location, and location). They will have trouble ever rising much further than they currently rank because of that. Nothing wrong with them as a school, but all the alumni donations in the world can’t push your school to a tippy-top ranking because some things can’t be bought.</p>
<p>Also, a well rounded student CAN get admitted to a top school (but it helps a lot if he lives in Idaho or North Dakota…) But he wants to sell you SAT services… so he isn’t going to mention geographic diversity as helpful in admissions, although they sometimes are. He can’t sell you geography, so he isn’t going to talk about it.</p>
<p>But really, he is mostly repackaging what anyone paying attention already knows. Colleges need to cover their expenses (duh). College need to keep up with other colleges to stay viable (duh). Colleges may spend more time on some applications that meet minimum requirements than those that don’t (duh). Colleges give preferable treatment to athletes and famous people (duh). Starting early to get on track academically and with ECs helps with admission to top schools, and it is easier to do that if you are wealthy (duh).</p>
<p>I notice he did not mention the advantage of being able to afford to apply ED… because it does not suit his sales pitch. It is another advantage for people with money who don’t need to compare FA offers. So he was selective in his pitch, and tried to make it sound like he was selling the solution.</p>
<p>Now…I do believe that high test scores are VERY helpful in getting a student admitted. If I had to pick submitting a 4.0 student with a 2050 SAT against a 3.7 student with a 2380, I would bet on the student with higher test scores being admitted. GPAs are so subjective, and colleges LOVE to brag about higher test score ranges. One of my kids was that second kid (3.7 GPA w/ 2380 SAT), and had great admissions results – IMHO, the test scores were a key selling point. So while I have no specific confidence this guy could raise anyone’s test scores, he is not wrong about the value of a high score.</p>
<p>I wonder what this guy is thinking about the changes to the SAT! </p>
<p>If int’s post is a representation of the whole video, I don’t think I missed the point at all. </p>
<p>I speedwatched it and, while nothing is really new, it COULD help a number of people who remain oblivious to the entire process. Outside CC, many families do receive the terrible advice at their local schools and fail to start … early enough. Repeating that students should start the process in their first year of HS is … good advice. Actually, I remember writing about how important it is for parents to MAP out the entire high school years before the end of middle school, and to avoid any pitfalls in the second or third year. </p>
<p>The price is right … the video is free. Would it prompt me to purchase more from Green? Obviously not, but infomercials exist because they do work. </p>