<p>I think the news, if any, is that giving back to one’s high school is desirable to colleges (not just outside charities). I think data10 is likely correct in what the former Harvard person meant – less than 4.0 or higher students. She did say “B,” but that was likely a loose description of a high B student, or less than 4.0 student, but still certainly a high GPA.</p>
<p>I understand why a school would think that a kid who gives back to the school is desirable. But over other (real) charities? I don’t think kids should be limited to what their school offers if they have a real cause/organization that they would prefer to volunteer for. I would hate to think kids are penalized for taking the initiative to find outside places to help (again, I am speaking of real organizations, not made-up non-profits to pad an application).</p>
<p>I think that adcoms want students who,give back in ways that aren’t forced or insincere…in ways that really help a student grow. I’m sure giving back outside of school is a more valuable experience. </p>
<p>If you have a kid who is meaningfully involved in something other than service to the high school, I wouldn’t tell the kid to change directions on the basis of this GC’s advice. Some kids have lives that revolve around their high schools. Others don’t. Among those who don’t, there are some who simply play video games all day or drink all night and those who are deeply involved in something unrelated to school (a job, a non-school-related sport, a community service activity, etc.). The first group has a problem. The second group doesn’t.</p>
<p>I don’t believe either part of this. I think Harvard (and similar schools) typically accept students who have achieved something impressive outside their own high school.</p>
<p>I think it’s important that students show that they care about something greater than themselves. Especially this generation who has been given so much. What are you doing to make the world a better place? To those that much is given, much is required…I know I’m misquoting the saying. But it means so much.</p>
<p>You can see just how many B students Harvard accepted last year: <a href=“The Harvard Crimson | Class of 2017”>http://features.thecrimson.com/2013/frosh-survey/admissions.html</a> ONE. From our high school the kids I knew were A+ students who had been both active members of the high school and involved in activities outside the high school. What those activities were varied widely - my son was involved in Science Olympiad and Academic team and had a job doing computer programming and also did a bunch of gratis programming for various professors at a med school, another in his class was an Eagle Scout as well as being on the track team, another was in two orchestras, and theater at school, while in a rock band outside of school with lots of other community service involving music.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t boosting your high school’s average SAT score be contributing to your school?</p>
<p>Gosh, a GC gives out stupid, ignorant-of-the-real-world information. What a novelty. </p>
<p>Well, I know someone who used to read applications at Harvard. She was an alum. This was several years ago and she said it was sort of shocking the resumes the kids had, with multiple research publications in high school, etc. Even a few years ago she said the competition was scarily impressive. So I don’t believe the B student business, and the published stats mentioned earlier also clearly don’t support that concept.</p>
<p>Schools like to frighten people with self-serving nonsense. Such as ‘it’s selfish to compete internationally, no university will want someone who isn’t on a school team’.</p>
<p>What I think these top schools want are students who have made a positive difference in their community – whether it be their high school, their church, their city. You could be the president of 5 clubs, but if all the clubs do is meet once a week and don’t do anything – that’s what is not impressive. So if you are president of the school environmental club, what under your leadership did the club do? Did you start a composting program? Triple the amount of recycling? President of chess club: Did you start going into the elementary schools to teach chess as an after school program?</p>
<p>Definitely don’t believe the B-student stuff, though.</p>
<p>pizza girl this is what the college advising office is hearing when they are getting follow up’s on students from colleges, not something they read or making assumptions about. It’s been a repetitive theme. I am sure out of school involvement is great, too, of course, but to hear that serving your school is becoming (at the moment, increasingly) important to colleges is intersesting.</p>
<p>It could be school-specific advice, rather than advice for all US college applicants. If the students at this private high school are doing lots of international community service trips, for example, or following trajectories planned by private counsultants when they were in middle school. </p>
<p>Totally dont believe this - friends kids got into EVERY school he applied to except Duke. Perfect GPA and SAT scores, 1 extra curricular - just one junior and senior year. nice kid but did nothing out of the ordinary except to be a perfect student…</p>
<p>This may be mostly a future trend, not necessarily for kids who have applied in the past, or even (fully) this year. The wants and desires and trends seem to change every few years, much to our frustration…</p>
<p>Community.
Look, what can a kid do to give back to his hs? Be a peer advisor, tour guide or help the administration, or start a recycling project? While other kids are testing their might in the community, doing something of value for the needy, interfacing directly, Or getting some field experience in their possible majors. Who’s going to look like he/she has more awareness and follow through, is already more empowered? I always say, 3 prong approach:</p>
<p>What you do for yourself (that’s the interests, maybe your music or baseball- and work that builds toward your own future goals.) What you do for your group (hs clubs/sports, using your musical talent, church efforts, culture group, whatever it is. And that can include for the hs admin.) What you do for your own community, because you are the sort who can see valid needs, commit, take on the responsibilities and have some impact.)</p>
<p>Go for all three.</p>
<p>OP, when talking about most selective colleges, no way any one mindset or type of activity will do it. Every other kid in the country aiming high is doing a little something for their hs. Now you get out there and show you understand it’s more. No matter the anecdotes about some other kid who didn’t do much.</p>
<p>Yes trends and student profiles change every couple of years- no way the elites, with their massive numbers of apps, are going to narrow what they expect.</p>
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<p>Did they calculate the GPAs of schools that don’t provide them? Many private schools and magnet schools don’t calculate GPA or rank to discourage competition.</p>
<p>And it is at these schools that they may be more lax about the grades, because a “B” student at a good private school would be able to be a “B” student at Harvard. </p>
<p>As for the likelihood of this, I know Harvard used to take people with a few B’s on their record from my high school–GPA probably ended up being 3.7 or something. (BTW, I never ask these things, but if people volunteer them, I remember it.)
Stanford did take quite a few people that were literally B to B+ students students (3.0-3.3/4.0). Everybody had high SAT scores, like 1450+/1600, so it was quite clear they would do ok as students. Of course, there were much better students who were rejected. These were all unhooked students (non-URM, not athletes.) Yes, this was awhile ago, but the point is, they passed over a lot stronger students for ones that were merely good and I wouldn’t be surprised if that philosophy had persisted.</p>
<p>So overall, I think they may be exaggerating somewhat, but they may prefer community service-heavy people over more talented students even if the latter group show some service.</p>
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<p>I really don’t think students alumni donations is correlated with the amount of community service one does as a high school student. This is especially true since students expect to be “paid” for community service by better admissions results; it is no longer an altruistic act.</p>
<p>Back when we applied, even ten years ago, the competition just wasn’t the same.<br>
<a href=“The Harvard Crimson | Class of 2017”>http://features.thecrimson.com/2013/frosh-survey/admissions.html</a></p>
<p>Since so many great kids will apply with 4.0 or close enough, a B student is facing harder odds. Remember, some kids are a tad lower than 4.0 because they got a B in some less important class- maybe that’s in a foreign language for a brilliant stem kid. Or the experienced poli sci kid who got a B in AP physics- but, by gummy, he took it, in the first place. Not “B students,” in general. Not the kid who wants pre-med and got a B in AP chem or didn’t take it.</p>
<p>ps. plenty of 4.0 kids are doing something valid in their communities.</p>