What colleges now want per our private high school

[QuantMech]

<p>I think that an example or two of what is meant by “show, not tell,” could go some way toward helping the students at the greater NY state public schools write essays (at least) that are more competitive with essays by the students at Stuyvesant. It’s not possible to equalize everything, but I think that the examples that are undoubtedly floating around Stuyvesant and other schools are probably very helpful. </p>

[Periwinkle]

<p>QuantMech, I don’t think the Stuyvesant essays are the key. I suspect Stuyvesant’s challenging curriculum and its selective admissions are more important. Also, good college counseling, by which I don’t mean model essays.
Five of the seven schools named are in Massachusetts.</p>

[lookingforward]

<p>Periwinkle’s link: That may be 83 kids in a class of 1660. They can also be legacies, athletes, some faculty kids, etc. Since Harvard also says about 17% of 2017 freshmen are from New England, you can imagine how competitive this makes admissions in that area. Don’t know what Stuy does (and hope we won;t devote pages to that,) but the BS also try to cultivate in their kids what elites like- incl responsible ECs, test prep, careful LoRs and some essay attention. </p>

[collegealum314]

<p>

Periwinkle’s link: That may be 83 kids in a class of 1660. They can also be legacies, athletes, some faculty kids, etc. Since Harvard also says about 17% of 2017 freshmen are from New England, you can imagine how competitive this makes admissions in that area. Don’t know what Stuy does (and hope we won;t devote pages to that,) but the BS also try to cultivate in their kids what elites like- incl responsible ECs, test prep, careful LoRs and some essay attention.

In total, one out of every 20 Harvard freshmen attended one of the seven high schools most represented in the class of 2017—Boston Latin, Phillips Academy in Andover, Stuyvesant High School, Noble and Greenough School, Phillips Exeter Academy, Trinity School in New York City, and Lexington High School.</p>

<p>Although these schools vary significantly, ranging from private boarding schools to local public schools, their administrators and alumni trace their success to some or all of three different factors: a selective admissions process, strong college counselling, and academic cultures that foreshadow the Harvard experience.

</p>

<p>Well, I would say that admitting more from a private school is fair as long as it is somewhat proportional to the talent level. For example if Exeter has 50 national merit finalists and public magnet X has 25, I would be fine with Exeter having twice as many admits. This also assumes reasonable care in the writing of recs and support for ECs (which most of the top public magnets have.) However, I think there is something of a secret handshake involved with Exeter and the like and the ivies, due to a relationship which has lasted for a couple of hundred of years.</p>

<p>I read that a few years ago that Harvard took 40 Exeter kids in a single year. Meanwhile, I was told a powerhouse magnet school with at least a similar talent pool went through a ten year drought. I have questions when I see something like that.</p>

[fondmemories]

<p>I’m always a bit tickled by how much Harvard likes Stuy kids, considering that getting into Stuyvesant is based solely on single entrance exam while Harvard College (and virtually every other undergraduate school) emphasizes its holistic approach to admissions.</p>

[lookingforward]

<p>Collegealum, just an fyi
<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-grads-headed-to-prestigious-colleges/2013/06/21/efe919a8-da82-11e2-9df4-895344c13c30_story.html”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-grads-headed-to-prestigious-colleges/2013/06/21/efe919a8-da82-11e2-9df4-895344c13c30_story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>But that’s TJ. Somewhere on their web site, I had seem (for a prior year) that they had 140 admitted to UVA. I think TJ’s student interests in college could differ a bit from, say, Exeter’s.<br>
…
Ok, here: <a href=“http://www.tjhsst.edu/abouttj/schoolprofile/docs/2013_14_TJHSST%20Profile.pdf”>http://www.tjhsst.edu/abouttj/schoolprofile/docs/2013_14_TJHSST%20Profile.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
H doesn;t appear, though the WP article says 3 matriculated. </p>

[lookingforward]

<p>Andover says 18 matriculated to h from '13 and 42 over a 3 year period. Exeter says 33 over 3 years. I’ll just give the links for the heck of it-
<a href=“https://www.andover.edu/Academics/CollegeCounseling/Pages/SchoolProfileCollegeMatriculations.aspx”>https://www.andover.edu/Academics/CollegeCounseling/Pages/SchoolProfileCollegeMatriculations.aspx&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.exeter.edu/documents/College_Matriculation(1).pdf”>http://www.exeter.edu/documents/College_Matriculation(1).pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Sue22]

<p>One of the reasons schools like Andover and Exeter do so well in admissions to highly selective colleges is that the kids who attend these schools have already gone through a very rigorous high school admissions process similar to the college process. Many of these kids have more to offer than just athletics. For instance, take a look at the Noble and Greenough girls’ ice hockey program:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/hockey/2014/02/17/excellence-hockey-nobles-girls-program-keeps-churning-out-talent/XvC27UyfXADg8gC44hC2FP/story.html”>http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/hockey/2014/02/17/excellence-hockey-nobles-girls-program-keeps-churning-out-talent/XvC27UyfXADg8gC44hC2FP/story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Sue22]

<p>That last post should have read “more to offer than just academics.”</p>

[Data10]

<p>

Andover says 18 matriculated to h from '13 and 42 over a 3 year period. Exeter says 33 over 3 years. I’ll just give the links for the heck of it-
<a href=“https://www.andover.edu/Academics/CollegeCounseling/Pages/SchoolProfileCollegeMatriculations.aspx”>https://www.andover.edu/Academics/CollegeCounseling/Pages/SchoolProfileCollegeMatriculations.aspx&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.exeter.edu/documents/College_Matriculation(1).pdf”>http://www.exeter.edu/documents/College_Matriculation(1).pdf&lt;/a&gt;

The numbers for Boston Latin are at <a href=“http://www.bls.org/ourpages/auto/2013/5/24/55204166/College%20Admission%20Decisions_%202010%20-%202013.pdf”>http://www.bls.org/ourpages/auto/2013/5/24/55204166/College%20Admission%20Decisions_%202010%20-%202013.pdf&lt;/a&gt; . Boston Latin averaged 23 Harvard acceptances per year between 2010 and 2013. I believe this average is greater than any other HS in the United States or world. Boston Latin has so many acceptances because it is a selective magnet that is full of excellent students, is located ~3 miles from Harvard’s campus, and has a historical relationship with Harvard that dates back to the 1600s. </p>

[3togo]

<p>^ all true … and Latin is also racially (sort of) and economically diverse. Schools know the kids are really smart, really well prepared, and also likely to be a first generation college kid or a URM or etc. </p>