<p>One of the seniors at our school was accepted and I still can’t believe it.
Nothing outstanding. No hooks. Always took the easiest courses, four APs.
Below average ECs. Never seen his essay so can’t comment on that.
On top of this, he is asian. I have never seen or even heard of anyone as lucky as him.
I heard that he was even shocked at his own acceptance.
How does this happen?</p>
<p>maybe he excels outside of the classroom? I’m sure he was an impressive applicant for some reason, even if not immediately apparent. And as for being shocked at his own acceptance, I believe anyone, unless they are exceptionally conceited/have unrealistic expectations, would be shocked to receive an acceptance to Princeton or the like.</p>
<p>Princeton recognizes that all of the applicants are essentially the same in many respects (SAT/GPA/EC). They know that there are so many qualified applicants that the first 3,000 are almost no different then the next 3,000. Princeton wants to create a class with incredibly diversity and they will accept people they think will add something extra to the class!</p>
<p>Princeton, like all elite institutions, likes to diversify its incoming class. A class of valedictorians and other overachievers would probably implode by 2nd semester. Too many “leaders” congregated together, and you’ve got the makings of cutthroat competition and an unfriendly atmosphere (case in point Columbia University).</p>
<p>I feel for this underappreciated asian you speak of. I was ranked top 20th percent for UW GPA, had 3 EC’s, didnt take AP lit, didnt skip lunch for an extra class, and overall didnt seem impressive on paper either. </p>
<p>Instead of loading up on EC’s and pointless %&$# for essay padding, I spent most of my free time outside of school doing what I WANT to do. Which in my circumstance, was making longboards and biking. A lot. Yes my grades suffered. Yes I didnt attain my full high school “potential”— But by god did that make me 10x more interesting and more HUMAN than the sea of 4.0/2400 drones with IDENTICAL activities and stats. </p>
<p>Dont be bitter about his acceptance. Theres more to admissions than meets the eye. He was not a mistake…I say this, because your application gets read three times before you’re accepted.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to put him down like that. I just got upset seeing some of the greatest seniors I looked up to being deferred.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say acceptances are random. I would rather prefer the word “unpredictable”. Princeton has its own ways of filling an incoming class. We all hypothesize that the ones who look the best on paper will have the best shot. But a shot is not a guaranteed acceptance.</p>
<p>essays and interview. we are talking about increments in decimals for gpa and a hunned or so for sat. as far as someone’s performance at college is concerned these incremental differences are not the most important thing. otherwise princeton would ONLY accept 4.0/2400 drones.</p>
<p>They want qualified, interesting, unique people. Being qualified is only part of it.</p>
<p>Four AP classes this year? or throughout high school career?
Anyways, you don’t know what he’s done outside of class. Maybe he’s achieved something that he wouldn’t have told you about, or the class won’t know about. Or maybe his circumstances are different. You never know.</p>
<p>The acceptance is not random from the perspective of the adm professionals, though it might be from a casual observer in the same school. Such judgment is unwarranted and sometimes hurtful. My D was accepted to both Pton and H last year and some people at her school often made comments about there were much more qualified and deserving seniors than her… The truth is they have no clue what she did outside of the school. Though we were also very surprised with the admission, one semester into her time at H, we now know exactly why she is where she is. The adm people know what they are doing, from the perspective of the school.</p>
<p>Was this guy admitted under Early Action?</p>
<p>There are so many things that go into creating a well-rounded student body, it’s impossible to know what particular quality might tip the scales in one direction or another. In my case, 30 years ago, I actually had the luck of someone (my guidance counselor) sharing with me that Harvard simply had not accepted anyone from my particular small private school in over 5 years. They felt my school was “due” to send someone, so perhaps they indeed accepted me over certain other completely equally qualified applicants who simply attended other schools.</p>
<p>I agree with 5amriser. You really DO NOT know what a student does in the entirety of his/her life just because you know how many AP classes he took. Why is it the 4.8 GPA, perfect SAT kids think they are entitled to Ivy just because? Although I do not make undergraduate admissions decisions, I do make doctoral level ADs, and I can tell you that in selecting for that level of degree, it is STILL not all about the grades and GRE scores. Many factors come into play, and for us at the graduate level, the interview is an excellent way to triangulate the data package for each candidate. The essays are also huge. So…best wishes to those who DID make Ivy and don’t listen to anyone who alleges someone is more deserving. It’s all about the fit. You got in because you earned it.</p>
<p>The above argument is silly. Princeton is an academic institution and its mission is to educate. It is not designed to cater to things other than academics. For this reason, stellar academic records should count over and above anything else. A class of empty heads with “interesting hooks” isn’t going to produce the next generation of American game changers. By admitting this Asian, Princeton is trying to deflect attention from the real problem; which is the rejection of academically outstanding Asians. The trick is to admit Asians with inferior stats who do not threaten the White order. This way you keep everyone happy, the Feds, Asian parents, and the Whites.</p>
<p>“It is not designed to cater to things other than academics.” Says who? Pton sets its own agenda and they serve that agenda, their faculty, their alumni and students – regardless of what outsiders “feel” should be their priority.</p>
<p>And another “discrimination against deserving Asians” thread? Groan… I’m going to play some XBox – more stimulating than this…</p>
<p>Pton is not allowed to set its own agenda on demographics because they get taxpayer dollars to fund education and research. It is a violation of civil rights to treat applicants differentially based on race. It is not a country club that can exclude the great unwashed (Asians or other) at will.</p>
<p>Of course PTon isn’t stupid enough to have explicit discriminatory rules codified. Their accepting of federal funds prohibits them from explicit discrimination. But if you notice, PTon is a private institution with much latitude on how it determines its incoming class. </p>
<p>Ever wonder why certain demographic sub-groups’ admit numbers stay relatively constant year to year? Just a great coincidence? Or conscious targeting?</p>
<p>I’m not saying it’s inimical either. Princeton (and others) make these decisions every year. SInce the admit target is a finite figure, they know that any shifts from one group affect another group. Feeling the need for more international admits? OK. Which domestic group gives up a few slots? Need more women athletes? OK. Which other subgroup sheds a few beds? Uh-oh. Need to get some more science folks. Does it mean the arts group or the language group loses a few? Maybe have more latino/hispanics is the next big trend. At the cost of which other ethinicity?</p>
<p>Unofficial quotas exist. And have for a long time. Historically, the whole idea of “holisitic” evaluations was brought up to lessen the number of Jewish admits to the top colleges. Then it was used to weed out homosexual applicants. Nowadays, it’s less exclusionary and more used to craft a “diverse” student body – but who defines this mixture – it’s still the school. For top privates like Princeton, it’s hard to see a different explanation.</p>
<p>Perhaps Princeton’s primary goal is to develop leaders. Academics are a huge part of that, but not the only part. In other countries it might be all about the entrance exam, but not here.</p>
<p>^exactly. Leaders are not bookwormish introverts(asian or otherwise). They are individuals with passion for what they do.</p>
<p>These posts are themselves evidence of stereotyping. The old and tired counterpoint is – why is it assumed to be true that Asians are overly focused on stats and don’t have leadership potential? Seems like racism to me. The best way Pton can fix innuendo, backbiting and racial attacks and counterattacks is to release the data on acceptance rates, explain discrepancies, and make the process more transparent. A disingenuous and opaque process is not the only alternative to an “entrance exam” approach.</p>