On 9/4/2020 at 9:23 PM, wyote said:

If this is true, and if he also had the other accomplishments a kid like that should have -- straight-As taking the hardest classes his school offered, a few good AP and subject test scores, winning some competitions (like math contests or science fairs or whatever), and decent extracurriculars -- then there's something you're not telling us about your kid. Kid like that ordinarily sleepwalks into a school like Cornell unless there's some kind of red flag.

Also, applying to all of them is a lot of unnecessary work. The gap between Harvard and Cornell is pretty big. He probably got some bad advice from his guidance counselor. 

Anyone out there whose kids are considering applying to a bunch of schools like that, consider this instead: Five reaches, three fits, two safeties. 

A reach is a school where his numbers give him about a realistic 20% chance of getting in. A fit is a school where his numbers give him about a realistic 50% chance of getting in. ("Realistic" means that the parents are probably not a good judge of this because everyone loves their kids and overestimates their greatness.) Have your kid work hard on the applications to a few reaches and fits -- that'll be plenty of work for a kid who's also going to school and having a life -- rather than rush through a lot more applications.  

No red flags.  He also competed on academic teams - won the STEM award at his HS.  Had tons of AP credits.  He is a model citizen and now has a graduate degree from Oxford.  

Thank you for your application advice - he actually did just fine on a full ride to a State school - I was just pointing out the Ivy conundrum

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, sameaglesfan said:

No red flags.  He also competed on academic teams - won the STEM award at his HS.  Had tons of AP credits.  He is a model citizen and now has a graduate degree from Oxford.  

Thank you for your application advice - he actually did just fine on a full ride to a State school - I was just pointing out the Ivy conundrum

 

Well, that's great for him then. Glad it worked out. 

Not sure what happened with Cornell especially. 

One thing it may be is that he got unlucky with the last-minute scratches. Lots of times the admissions people let in too many and someone has to just go in and scratch out a few people. Could've been bad luck. 

On 8/13/2020 at 11:07 PM, paco said:

Does Harvard recognize Elizabeth Warren as a white now?

As the legend - Tom Lehrer - would sing, "Fight Fiercely Harvard!"

On 8/14/2020 at 1:04 PM, bobeph said:

I applied to Yale.  They charged me $.50 for the rejection letter.

Now that's dirty taxis - as it's been said in South Philadelphia!

As far as I'm concerned, the only good thing ever to come out of Yale University was their 1968 football team - a chart of which was included in the now-legendary Sports Illustrated College Football board game!