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This seems to be increasingly important in the college admissions game. What if the applicant had high grades, high test scores, and was not involved in extracurricular activities? I've known people like this, and they have gotten through college, are competent at work, and are not dysfunctional. Some prospective majors don't require that you are "socially gifted." In many cases, people wind up in cubicles or in labs. Come to think of it, I would say 1/3 of the "smart people" in my HS were not involved in anything. Most of them went on to college and continued to do well. A person who sat next to me in a HS science class, who was not involved in extracurricular stuff, now teaches physics at a well-respected public university.
What is your thought on this topic and more pronounced trend?
Things have changed. That is what I had to drill into my husband. We have a high school senior and no longer is just being alive with a high school diploma and decent grades get one into college. It is SERIOUSLY competitive nowadays. We have attended so many college information sessions for every school that has come thru our city and heard the same thing from all of them (Pepperdine, UCLA, Duke, Georgetown, UPenn, Stanford, Baylor, Alabama, ....). They WANT to see the holistic kid. The kid that volunteered many hours, participated in EC's (not a smattering of different ones but serious w/ a few), good grades, good test scores, compteitive classes (AP/IB), etc has a MUCH better chance getting into the school(s) they want more than the kid with great grades/scores and not a single EC or volunteer record. Sure, you are going to see the kid that is brainy smart with not a lick of common sense, no teamwork EC get into a great school but that is not going to be the norm. You will hear the word "hollistic" a thousand times over if you were to sit in on these college information sessions.
The best site to be "chanced" and/or to see just who IS getting into different schools is to visit College Confidential (best site EVER for college info). You will see kids list off some awesome ACT/SAT scores, GPA's, and very little in the way of EC's be told they need more EC's and/or volunteer activities.
Things have changed. That is what I had to drill into my husband. We have a high school senior and no longer is just being alive with a high school diploma and decent grades get one into college. It is SERIOUSLY competitive nowadays. We have attended so many college information sessions for every school that has come thru our city and heard the same thing from all of them (Pepperdine, UCLA, Duke, Georgetown, UPenn, Stanford, Baylor, Alabama, ....).
I appreciate the detail in your post. This list is kind of quirky, if you don't mind my saying so. Pepperdine will gladly take someone's money. Having grown up near it, it's not such a great school, but people from all over want to go there because of its beautiful location. Few people think much of a Pepperdine degree in SoCal. Baylor is a good school, but not a phenomenal one. Alabama doesn't require high test scores, though it may be higher for out-of-state. Keep in mind that a lot of these traveling admissions people have to talk up their school, using descriptors like "holistic" and "well rounded," and it's a lot of puffery and aggrandizing. As for the other schools, you're talking Ivy League and what is probably the country's best Catholic university.
That said, in today's environment, what is the BEST an A-/top 10% standing (toward the bottom of that group), between 1200 and 1300 on the 2-part SAT, and not much in the way of activities could fetch? Nationwide, that is.
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 01-20-2013 at 05:54 PM..
I have to agree that most colleges want to see kids that are involved in activities. They don't have to be school sponsored but they don't want kids that all they do is study. I've seen that time and time again with the kids from our high school and tellings from other people as well. You aren't getting into Harvard with a 4.0, 36/2400 without something else to go with that, period. Why, because there are 20,000 other kids with those same scores that are involved in activities and those are the kids that are going to participate in your clubs and student government and be involved in campus--and likely, send more money back to said school after they graduate.
It's the rare school that takes just your GPA and test score for the application process--apparently the CA state schools do that, so what 20 schools out of 3000??
In your example above, a student with those stats and no extra curricular activities could probably get into a better CA state school . Probably would get into some other state schools around the country, but not most flagships, just state directional campus.
In your example above, a student with those stats and no extra curricular activities could probably get into a better CA state school . Probably would get into some other state schools around the country, but not most flagships, just state directional campus.
Agreed. Within CA, they would get all the CSUs and UCs like Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Davis. They NOW would not get UCLA or Berkeley.
Out of state, they could probably pull off flagships like Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, Oregon, Delaware, Minnesota and Colorado (I know one out-of-state admit last year, and she's a flake). They could NOT pull off Virginia, UNC, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, and a few others.
Well, that's what undergrad can do for someone. They can pull this up, and then get into some of the above ones for grad school, because they'll look at their grades, where high GPAs are harder to come by, test scores, and real life/work experience.
What is a directional campus? Is that a U Mich. Dearborn or U Minn. Duluth?
I appreciate the detail in your post. This list is kind of quirky, if you don't mind my saying so. Pepperdine will gladly take someone's money. Having grown up near it, it's not such a great school, but people from all over want to go there because of its beautiful location. Few people think much of a Pepperdine degree in SoCal. Baylor is a good school, but not a phenomenal one. Alabama doesn't require high test scores, though it may be higher for out-of-state. Keep in mind that a lot of these traveling admissions people have to talk up their school, using descriptors like "holistic" and "well rounded," and it's a lot of puffery and aggrandizing. As for the other schools, you're talking Ivy League and what is probably the country's best Catholic university.
That said, in today's environment, what is the BEST an A-/top 10% standing (toward the bottom of that group), between 1200 and 1300 on the 2-part SAT, and not much in the way of activities could fetch? Nationwide, that is.
We visited all of these and a few others so that she could get the "smell test" done. See the city environs, see the campus, the students, the classes, etc. Ate lunch at the student unions. Walked thru the campus bookstores, toured the dorms, saw the bio and chem departments, walked thru the library, etc. We even went to football games if possible.
Pepperdine: Was at the top of her list after visit. She thought she wanted a small school. Me: way too introverted. Library, ehh! I knew my D would jump in her car and head to UCLA to get what she needed/wanted without having to wait for it to be borrowed. View is nice, campus = 60's office park.
Next door neighbor is in her first year there. She was #1 in class but different high school that is WAY LESS competitive. Neighbor was wanting Harvard #1 and Pepperdine 2nd. She did not have much for EC's so she is at Pepperdine.
Stanford: I fell in love!!!! I want to go there Her, too big and spread out. Academically it is awesome. They were still courting her with calls but she told them she was not interested. She did not not like the school. She liked it but just did not see herself there. She still wears her Stanford shirt though.
UCLA: Both liked. She didn't think she would have a chance being she is OOS. Trying to get into a state UC school is very hard now if one is OOS. Neither of us were impressed with their recruitment tour when it came here. She still has it as her dream school for med school and really wants to go there. Liked the campus even though it is large it was not "spread out", in her mind.
Baylor: safety, safety. Walk in basically. They sent her emails saying to just give them this basic info and she is good. No regular application at all needed for her. They gave her a nice merit scholarship. Too close to home according to her.
Duke: considered but she was not "feeling it" so dropped it.
Wake Forest: ehh, something did not grab her about the school.
UTexas: Even with her grades she would not get in due to the top 10%. Did not like the fact she could spend 2 years there and not get her major, BioChem.
Alabama: NMF = $$$$$. Top scores and GPA = $$$$. Honors College is amazing!!!! We were very impressed and amazed academically at what is going on at this school. They are actively seeking the top academic kids out there and handing them money to get them. School is at the top of the list of the brightest kids graduating right now.
Was not interested in any other Tx state schools: Texas Tech, A&M, etc. I was not either as they are being ruined by our state government. They are not attracting the top academic kids out there now. Other state flagships are so that is where we looked.
We visited all of these and a few others so that she could get the "smell test" done. See the city environs, see the campus, the students, the classes, etc. Ate lunch at the student unions. Walked thru the campus bookstores, toured the dorms, saw the bio and chem departments, walked thru the library, etc. We even went to football games if possible.
Sounds like Baylor or Alabama, then. Agreed on Texas A&M. I've met some really GREAT people who went there, but I've never thought much of the school ... or the place.
About Stanford, they make it seem like they are a "user friendly" version of an Ivy. I don't think it is at all. I knew a woman from a minority background who got in there, and then transferred to a public university in SoCal after a year. She couldn't stand it.
Sounds like Baylor or Alabama, then. Agreed on Texas A&M. I've met some really GREAT people who went there, but I've never thought much of the school ... or the place.
About Stanford, they make it seem like they are a "user friendly" version of an Ivy. I don't think it is at all. I knew a woman from a minority background who got in there, and then transferred to a public university in SoCal after a year. She couldn't stand it.
I would not allow A&M LOL!
She did not feel the "love" of Baylor and thought it seemed too much like home and too many of the same kids from her life now from school and church.
She really thought she could do UCLA but kept getting discouraged due to being OOS. It is so hard to get in there now for OOS She still sees it as her top choice for med school. She has the scores but not being able to check that Cal resident box hurts the chances.
So, it is Roll Tide We are making a trip back next month.
Your daughter should attend the best school she can get into and that you can pay for if she intends a career in finance, consulting, or law.
I attend an Ivy and note that the caliber of companies that recruit from here are unparalleled.
Going sciences, BioChem then onto med school. She wants to be an ER doctor. Has already worked at the local hospital ER and loves it!!!!
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. Probably would get into some other state schools around the country, but not most flagships, just state directional campus.
Her, too big and spread out. Academically it is awesome. They were still courting her with calls but she told them she was not interested. She did not not like the school. She liked it but just did not see herself there. She still wears her Stanford shirt though.
LOL!
She still sees it as her top choice for med school. She has the scores but not being able to check that Cal resident box hurts the chances. 
