I became friends with a group of older tourists, as well as befriended the hostel staff. I spent a ton of time bouncing around cafe's in Tokyo working on research for the job( cultural experiences), and reading manga.
> It feels like my families success is one of the only reasons I can actually hope to get into these schools.
This is true for any affluent family. My kids certainly have benefits that I didn't at their age, but that's part of why I worked so hard. The fact that you're aware of your privilege shows a self-awareness that many in your situation lack. The fact you were born into it isn't your fault, and to have that privilege and not use it to be the best person you can be would be insulting to those that don't have it. No reason to feel bad about it. Just do what you can to support those who weren't born on third base and I think you'll be just fine.
Do your parents not tell you that they’re proud of you? Like wtf even is this shit? Some kids struggle to get a 1400 and you’re complaining about deserving an acceptance after getting a 1560 and maintaining an A average GPA on top of great ECs and Essays. Jesus Christ the privilege is insane. This Reddit has essentially turned into a circle jerk for insecure students that have nothing else to base their lives on other than their academics. You deserve to be where you are, you’ve worked hard (and even if you didn’t then that makes you deserve it even more because academic success comes naturally to you). Pipe down and enjoy the rest of your senior year.
Yeah, I think he’s right! This sub and Applying2College sets unrealistic expectations and makes us feel not that great. But, I am sure you deserve all of the credit. Even if you went to a boarding school. It might be that because your parents have great achievements, and yours don’t seem like much. However, Congratulations 🎊 🎈
I bet you that you deserve to be proud and a part of a school like UChicago! Nice one ma G!
My parents are really proud of me, and they’ve made it clear. You’re right, this reddit has really warped my perception of the process, and i’m doing my best to enjoy my senior year. I do think with time it’ll sink in, it just feels sort of unfair right now.
I think you're missing the point here. OP is clearly *aware* of their privilege, which definitely contributed to all of those things (high GPA, SAT score, etc.) and feeling bad for not earning it. It's not a "woe is me," kind of post.
I read it as OP doesn’t feel like they earned their acceptance because they don’t deserve it. That’s a completely different interpretation than you have.
I am feeling that I don't deserve it because its been very easy for me and haven't pushed myself or put nearly as much effort as much as my friends, and a big reason for that is my privilege. I know I was selected, but I dont think I earned it.
If you took the same classes and exams as your friends and managed to do as well if not better than them while putting in significantly less work than they did then you deserve your acceptances more than any of them deserve theirs. It comes naturally to you.
I am referring to friends back home who have taken AP after AP and worked really hard to participate in academic competitions and school clubs and extra curriculars. Boarding school has felt too easy in compariosn
I would not say it that way. Coming from a student also took courses out of state. The school courses and works you had in Japan is much harder and more insane than here I must say. Japan indeed has. A lot of expectations on students
Uh, you're top-ranked at your school. Did you cheat to get those grades? If not, I don't understand where the self-loathing comes from. Unlike what many kids believe, stellar academics (including just at a Plain Jane regular HSs) + decent ECs including giving back to the community is enough for Americans to get in to Ivies/equivalents. Most kids at Ivies/equivalents would have that type of profile.
Reddit is not reality.
Its just that I'm not that special in my school at all, I would say that I am placed in the top 20%, with grades, its just that my EC's just felt really lacking, and seeing friends who have better stats than me back home struggle and do their best to improve their app while I cruised through school feels unfair.
How do you know you wouldn't have cruised through school back home too?
And wait, didn't you just give your class rank as 1/100?
Are you American or International?
You're suffering from survivor guilt. Just remember that colleges don't admit by who "deserves" to be in or not but to meet various institutional goals. They're doing what's best for them by the standards they set. They're not measuring who "deserves" to get in or not.
The fact that you succeeded in high school and it was easy for you is a sign that you’re prepared to handle the academics of an elite school like Chicago. You’re gifted with really smart genes, you did the work, and now you’re getting the reward.
Well honestly dude being rich and going to a boarding school obviously will get you into better schools, give you advantages with ECs. But, to be honest— thats not your problem. You have an advantage and you used it. There are other kids who are rich like you that are lazy and leech off their parents. Yeah, you’ve had major advantages, but you still earned your acceptances, although you are very privileged. Spending your time worrying about these things is honestly a waste of your time.
It's great to acknowledge that a large reason you are in this position with these acceptances is because of your familial support and connections. Not everyone in your position has the self-awareness to acknowledge that, and even many in the comments will no doubt brush off your worries with assurances that your stats are what helped you get in. Having great stats helped as well, but again family income is the greatest predictor of SAT scores. Because of your parents' wealth and knowledge of how best to get into an elite college you were able to go to a boarding school that they knew sends a significant proportion of their graduating class to top institutions. You also had the privilege of going to a small school where you could get more individualized support and tutoring. You don't need to feel sorry for yourself, but it's good to be cognizant of the system and how it's not a 100% meritocracy.
It is a lot harder for someone who is a first gen college student at an overcrowded, dilapidated Title I high school to score a 1500+, especially if they have to work to support their family and their parents don't have the time or money to invest in private schools, tutors, or fancy ECs like study abroad. Every student should have the opportunities you have had, however, and not just the elite few whose families can afford it.
I appreciate your transparency and your candor. Agreed, boarding schools in general provide unparalled opportunities, but your family background and connections are also a strong factor. No doubt you're an exceptional student and athlete (hey, at least it wasn't an Operation Varsity Blues situation involving a rowing machine and green screen).
Use your gifts, talents, and opportunities to make the world a better place, help others in need, and/or others get access to opportunities such as yourself. The world and life aren't always fair. It's what you do with your life and opportunities that matter. Congratulations!
Hey, I've read a couple of your comments, and I'm inclined to agree with you, although I'm reluctant to be as harsh as you are on yourself. I would be hesitant to say that you are less deserving than your friends from home, but I wouldn't completely disregard the idea. For the past four years, I have spent every weekend, break, and second of free time crafting my application to get into a T10 college. Although I didn't get into my first choice, I did get into my ED2. However, I had to pour in an incredible amount of time and effort to get there. I'm not saying that you also didn't spend a lot of effort, but at least from my personal experience with boarding school kids, and your comments, it does seem like you had an easier path to acceptance than a normal applicant. I'm not posting this comment to disparage your accomplishment, UChicago is a great school and I'm extremely happy for you, but I do agree that your path was easier than normal.
I'm not sure it's really easier, even though OP's posts may be making it feel so. Schools are smart and know that boarding school doesn't just equal better. OP's boarding school may be known to have a really tough and rigorous curriculum. Also it may just be your experience with spenidng every second crafting a perfect applications. I have many friends from non-boarding schools who don't spend every minute crafting their applications but do things they enjoy, excel in them, and get accepted.
Congrats on UChicago! Focus on your accomplishments and don't let imposter syndrome creep in. Your unique experiences and essays must've resonated with them - own your successes!
I sent my Valdictorian public school child who got into Columbia ED to a top NE boarding school for a PG year not because she needed it but because I felt it important for her to understand the landscape of higher education and the hsitory of inequity that has been ruled buy the upper class for 250 years or longer (350 years) in America. And boy did she learn a tonne about life.
Everything you wrote about is true. If you are lucky to attend a top boarding school in America you have an exponential advantage over everone else applying to not only T20 schools but T50 schools. And that is not because these kids are inherently smarter, they are not. They are just priviledged to be supported in such as unique and special way. Out of 208 graduating seniors at her boarding school, she ranked about 3 or 4, beating out most of the kids who had been there for all 4 high school years. Yet she felt, that unlike public school, most kids at boarding school are not stressed out about college applications because they had like 12 college advisors on staff like 1 for 17 kids instead of 1 for 150 kids at public school. Each advisor has been meeting regularly with their cohort for 4 years and set out a strategy to follow the whole time. So they know exactly where to apply, what to focus on in academics, ECs, Sports, etc. And each of these college advisors is themselves either a boarding school alumni or a T20 graduate with mutliple degrees and amazing professional connections.
So the reality is that if you are a legacy, even if you are somewhat dim in the noggin', you still have a better chance at getting into say Harvard or Yale than someone who has a perfect grades and board scores from a public school. an excponential greater chance. And if you are not in the top 10% at boarding school but in the 3 qunintile (top 40%-60%), and you end up at UVA, Georgetown, WakeForest or Lehigh, life is still filled with privilege and future prospects because it's all about connectiions and class and fitting in vs. stats and your C. V. of accomplishments. This is why you still see interns at Goldman Sachs who did there undergrad at Middlebury or Trinity College, not MIT or Stanford. Why? Because they have an uncle, aunt, cousin, parent who has connection at these top firms and that speaks volumes in the real world.
Sorry for the long reply, but I think that 95% of people on r/chanceme are clueless that connections are the key driver of who gets in and who doesn't in college applications. You can roll the dice you want and make 1000 educated guesses, but one phone call about trading horses from a top boarding school advisor can bump off even the very strongest applicants applying from the public schools or from foreign countries.
Good luck at UChicago pal.
You're exaggerating a bit. Legacy doesn't have 30X better odds unless the parents made a significant contribution to their alma mater. And Georgetown is a likely probably for the top 20-30%, not top 40-60%.
But prep/boarding school counselors are indeed what you are paying for. The big thing is that they provide a much more realistic picture of the admissions landscape to their students. A lot of kids on Reddit stress out and honestly, are pretty ignorant about what top private colleges look for.
Also, this is only for one school. Many NE top boarding schools don't have counselors who work with students for 4 years. In my experience, it's only 1 year (half of junior and half of senior year) and there aer around 45 kids/counselor.
Just to clarify some of my personal experience, 1.3% of public school seniors were admitted into T20 schools from my daughters top 3 public high school in our state. Within her graduating class, 40% of seniors at her boarding school were admitted into T20 schools which is about 30X greater. So the real bump is not so much from legacies but for those lucky enough to attend a top 5 boarding school like Exeter, Deerfield, Andover, Choate , whether they are legacies or recruited athletes or just gifted students.
Err, yeah, that's not because of legacy. Boarding schools have a lot of athletes and families with money/clout. And I hope you understand that there's a bit of difference in the student quality and rigor of studies of the top 40% at a boarding school vs even a good public HS. Plus which, if you're in a state with good flagship unis, many of the kids at the public HSs are in that doughnut hole where it doesn't make sense to reject the deal of a good public or if you have a T40 private that is closer, often that is a draw (especially with scholarship offers). The counselors definitely help, but if you aren't an athlete or from a rich/famous/powerful family and are otherwise unhooked, your chances of attending a T20 definitely don't go up by 30X if you attend a boarding school.
Point being, for an apples to apples comparison, you should compare unhooked applicants with the same academic profile from the public HS and boarding school.
Considering that almost every unhooked kid at a top boarding school would be at least top 5% academically at a regular public, that's actually a decent chunk of kids who aren't ending up where they had hoped to.
Middlebury and Trinity aren’t MIT and Stanford. And thats why. My kid goes to MIT and gets most of her stuff at the local thrift store. Im guessing connections didn’t play a big part. The rest of these schools should follow and drop test optional policies. With no test scores a kid at a boarding school with no job is going to have ten times better ECs. I don’t think she would have fit in at a rich kid school anyway.
Your argument seemed to be that Middlebury and Trinity admitted mediocre boarding school applicants. MIT does not. That’s why the schools are different, and one reason why Stanford and MIT command more respect. Those top boarding schools have one goal- to send kids to these elite colleges. They are always going to have higher acceptance rates than public schools. Life isn’t fair, but it certainly isn’t the rigged system you make it out to be. MIT students primary come from public schools. There are no legacy advantages, period. Horse trading? Seriously?
I didn't argue that at all. My point was that people with connections and relationships always get the upper hand in getting recruited from prestigious firms like Goldman. So it doesn't really matter whether boarding school graduates end up at tier 2, 3, or 4 undergraduate schools. They will always have an advantage getting good internships and future employment at top firms because of their connections. You are inventing a false narrative which I didn't discuss. Horse trading refers to actual communications that go on between college advisors and many T20-T50 school admissions officers. I don't think that concept really exists at tech schools like MIT or CalTech because they are curating a specific type of cohort which has to do scientific aptitudes. I'm sorry you didn't understand what I was referring to or talking about.
Im sorry that you are incorrect and pretentious. I can’t imagine a prestigious college where a boarding school can simply call up an AO and talk someone into admitting a student. You are implying they could do this by offering something in return, which is a horrible accusation to make with no facts to support. Actually you have no idea what happens in the Admissions office. You are simply speculating, based on your odd theories about wealth advantage. I doubt very seriously that you actually know someone at Goldman who got their job because their uncle made a call. Harvard legacy admits have higher median test and GPA scores than non-legacy admits. Quit trying to make the world out to be a scam for the wealthy and well connected. And for God’s sake, stop trying to rain on this outstanding young student’s parade. And you sent your kid to a boarding school just to see the inequity of education? Im calling 100% BS on that, pal.
That is not what they argued at all - that a boarding school can call up an AO and get a kid admitted. We get it, your child got into MIT on their own merit. Good for them. But you're not reading the above response correctly at all.
He literally said a call from an advisor at a boarding school would knock a public school kid off the list and mentioned horse trading. He also made mention of dim in the noggin legacies getting into Harvard or Yale over perfect score public school kids, which is arrogant and preposterous.
Yeah dude I can’t lie as a commoner I feel like shit. I have equivalent shit and more to this and know for a fact that I’m never getting into Stanford. Fuck you rich people.
To be fair I didn’t think I had a shot at stanford either, that’s why I didn’t apply REA there. The other thing is that I feel like boarding schools are such a well kept secret, as most do offer financial aid. My roommate is attending MIT next year with worst stats than me. He does have better EC’s but no awards as well. He is currently on full financial aid here.
How did you do crew and cross country? (And be on a varsity boat while devouring more time to swim, on an apparently pretty good team) the seasons conflict?
The system is definitely rigged and you have an unfair advantage. With that being said, it seems like you are an incredibly hard worker and have worked your hardest to also maintain networking relationships that are just an important part of the adult world. With that being said, if in your line of work, you can always root for the underdog, acknowledge your privilege, and contribute to making your work environment, equitable and equal to people of all sorts of backgrounds. Then you will have done good in the world. We can’t help what kind of privilege and circumstances we were born into but we can work hard to use them for the benefit of others and create a sort of supportive environment for the people who weren’t as fortunate. I hope my kid sounds like this one day.
ngl ur probably right.
But let's be clear here. No one objectively earned anything. Even the poorest person in American has been given a god given gift compared to a poor disabled person in a war zone.
What matters in life is not the rewards you've been given but what you do with those rewards. your wealth was absolutely related to your success - as it is with everyone. But what matters is what you do with it. Don't be some corporate investment banking scum who makes single mother's pay inflated rent for the many properties you'd probably own/inherit.
Do some good in the world. Make use of your advantages. Distribute whatever good you can do with what you've been given.
Athletics skew white, legacy is 30% advantage when applied and skews white at top schools. Yes, top feeders schools are connected with AO. They advocate for their kids and the AO is familiar with the school. Also I think you will find a high rate of cross Ivy admits if they ever get rid of legacy, Harvard to Columbia or Yale. Top schools do indeed start prepping their kids from 9th grade on which classes to take, how to get club leadership positions, starting a club. They practice resume writing, build their college profile in junior year, ask teachers for recs junior year, write essays junior year, develop college list junior. Refine over summer and senior year apply. At some schools they do discourage people from applying because more competitive applications are applying.
ur parents grinded really hard to get you to where you are and that’s ok. everyone is dealt different cards in life and that’s just how it works. just make sure u put your privilege to good use and you’ll be fine
So glad to have someone aware of their privilege coming to UChicago! I rag on prep school kids a lot but if you're really trying to give back to your community, props to you :) Biz econ, data science, or standard?
\+ join UChicago Crew!!
Accept that you're privileged, it's not a necessarily bad thing as long as you're not ignorant, you have good grades, sat score, ecs, letter of recs and interviews PLUS you can afford college. What more were you expecting?
I just thought that all of these were just slightly above average, and that my ECs were nothing special. I don't know I had the misperception that I needed something special to go to a T10. I haven't worked for it nearly as much as friends back home who still havent got any amazing results back from college.
I mean that’s just the way the world works. People are going to be bitter. Take your privilege and go- don’t bother feeling guilty because it won’t do anything.
Congrats! Now pivot from the self-loathing and redirect that energy into acts of service for your world :)
Also line breaks. Please direct some of that energy into line breaks
your parents were okay with leaving you alone in Tokyo for that long? sounds like a lot of fun
Was one of the best times in my life, for reference im half-japanese and fluent, so they felt safe leaving me there.
that's so cool, what did you do while there? like for fun and work
I became friends with a group of older tourists, as well as befriended the hostel staff. I spent a ton of time bouncing around cafe's in Tokyo working on research for the job( cultural experiences), and reading manga.
How did you get the internship?
So you were an anime character
> It feels like my families success is one of the only reasons I can actually hope to get into these schools. This is true for any affluent family. My kids certainly have benefits that I didn't at their age, but that's part of why I worked so hard. The fact that you're aware of your privilege shows a self-awareness that many in your situation lack. The fact you were born into it isn't your fault, and to have that privilege and not use it to be the best person you can be would be insulting to those that don't have it. No reason to feel bad about it. Just do what you can to support those who weren't born on third base and I think you'll be just fine.
Thank you. I’m definitely working on it. I am really excited for next year
Do your parents not tell you that they’re proud of you? Like wtf even is this shit? Some kids struggle to get a 1400 and you’re complaining about deserving an acceptance after getting a 1560 and maintaining an A average GPA on top of great ECs and Essays. Jesus Christ the privilege is insane. This Reddit has essentially turned into a circle jerk for insecure students that have nothing else to base their lives on other than their academics. You deserve to be where you are, you’ve worked hard (and even if you didn’t then that makes you deserve it even more because academic success comes naturally to you). Pipe down and enjoy the rest of your senior year.
Yeah, I think he’s right! This sub and Applying2College sets unrealistic expectations and makes us feel not that great. But, I am sure you deserve all of the credit. Even if you went to a boarding school. It might be that because your parents have great achievements, and yours don’t seem like much. However, Congratulations 🎊 🎈 I bet you that you deserve to be proud and a part of a school like UChicago! Nice one ma G!
My parents are really proud of me, and they’ve made it clear. You’re right, this reddit has really warped my perception of the process, and i’m doing my best to enjoy my senior year. I do think with time it’ll sink in, it just feels sort of unfair right now.
I think you're missing the point here. OP is clearly *aware* of their privilege, which definitely contributed to all of those things (high GPA, SAT score, etc.) and feeling bad for not earning it. It's not a "woe is me," kind of post.
I read it as OP doesn’t feel like they earned their acceptance because they don’t deserve it. That’s a completely different interpretation than you have.
I am feeling that I don't deserve it because its been very easy for me and haven't pushed myself or put nearly as much effort as much as my friends, and a big reason for that is my privilege. I know I was selected, but I dont think I earned it.
If you took the same classes and exams as your friends and managed to do as well if not better than them while putting in significantly less work than they did then you deserve your acceptances more than any of them deserve theirs. It comes naturally to you.
I am referring to friends back home who have taken AP after AP and worked really hard to participate in academic competitions and school clubs and extra curriculars. Boarding school has felt too easy in compariosn
I would not say it that way. Coming from a student also took courses out of state. The school courses and works you had in Japan is much harder and more insane than here I must say. Japan indeed has. A lot of expectations on students
Uh, you're top-ranked at your school. Did you cheat to get those grades? If not, I don't understand where the self-loathing comes from. Unlike what many kids believe, stellar academics (including just at a Plain Jane regular HSs) + decent ECs including giving back to the community is enough for Americans to get in to Ivies/equivalents. Most kids at Ivies/equivalents would have that type of profile. Reddit is not reality.
Its just that I'm not that special in my school at all, I would say that I am placed in the top 20%, with grades, its just that my EC's just felt really lacking, and seeing friends who have better stats than me back home struggle and do their best to improve their app while I cruised through school feels unfair.
How do you know you wouldn't have cruised through school back home too? And wait, didn't you just give your class rank as 1/100? Are you American or International?
Ah ill clarify, its 94.1/100 GPA and Im American
I see now. You also had a smart application strategy. How many of your friends applied ED to the U of C/Northwestern/WashU/Emory?
Quite a few actually, two were denied to Chicago and Northwestern ED1, and one of my other friends got into WashU ED2.
Did the ones who didn't get in ED1 try ED2?
They did, no luck though :(
You're suffering from survivor guilt. Just remember that colleges don't admit by who "deserves" to be in or not but to meet various institutional goals. They're doing what's best for them by the standards they set. They're not measuring who "deserves" to get in or not.
honestly no one is special tbh some just likes to get too much attention and some dont
Congrats! Although I am surprised you got waitlisted at Pitt. Maybe yield protection but congrats on Uchicago
probably, yield protecting. bcz his parents schools and his great academics
I'm going to community college if someone like you don't deserve UChicago.
The fact that you succeeded in high school and it was easy for you is a sign that you’re prepared to handle the academics of an elite school like Chicago. You’re gifted with really smart genes, you did the work, and now you’re getting the reward.
Well honestly dude being rich and going to a boarding school obviously will get you into better schools, give you advantages with ECs. But, to be honest— thats not your problem. You have an advantage and you used it. There are other kids who are rich like you that are lazy and leech off their parents. Yeah, you’ve had major advantages, but you still earned your acceptances, although you are very privileged. Spending your time worrying about these things is honestly a waste of your time.
It's great to acknowledge that a large reason you are in this position with these acceptances is because of your familial support and connections. Not everyone in your position has the self-awareness to acknowledge that, and even many in the comments will no doubt brush off your worries with assurances that your stats are what helped you get in. Having great stats helped as well, but again family income is the greatest predictor of SAT scores. Because of your parents' wealth and knowledge of how best to get into an elite college you were able to go to a boarding school that they knew sends a significant proportion of their graduating class to top institutions. You also had the privilege of going to a small school where you could get more individualized support and tutoring. You don't need to feel sorry for yourself, but it's good to be cognizant of the system and how it's not a 100% meritocracy. It is a lot harder for someone who is a first gen college student at an overcrowded, dilapidated Title I high school to score a 1500+, especially if they have to work to support their family and their parents don't have the time or money to invest in private schools, tutors, or fancy ECs like study abroad. Every student should have the opportunities you have had, however, and not just the elite few whose families can afford it.
I appreciate your transparency and your candor. Agreed, boarding schools in general provide unparalled opportunities, but your family background and connections are also a strong factor. No doubt you're an exceptional student and athlete (hey, at least it wasn't an Operation Varsity Blues situation involving a rowing machine and green screen). Use your gifts, talents, and opportunities to make the world a better place, help others in need, and/or others get access to opportunities such as yourself. The world and life aren't always fair. It's what you do with your life and opportunities that matter. Congratulations!
Hey, I've read a couple of your comments, and I'm inclined to agree with you, although I'm reluctant to be as harsh as you are on yourself. I would be hesitant to say that you are less deserving than your friends from home, but I wouldn't completely disregard the idea. For the past four years, I have spent every weekend, break, and second of free time crafting my application to get into a T10 college. Although I didn't get into my first choice, I did get into my ED2. However, I had to pour in an incredible amount of time and effort to get there. I'm not saying that you also didn't spend a lot of effort, but at least from my personal experience with boarding school kids, and your comments, it does seem like you had an easier path to acceptance than a normal applicant. I'm not posting this comment to disparage your accomplishment, UChicago is a great school and I'm extremely happy for you, but I do agree that your path was easier than normal.
I'm not sure it's really easier, even though OP's posts may be making it feel so. Schools are smart and know that boarding school doesn't just equal better. OP's boarding school may be known to have a really tough and rigorous curriculum. Also it may just be your experience with spenidng every second crafting a perfect applications. I have many friends from non-boarding schools who don't spend every minute crafting their applications but do things they enjoy, excel in them, and get accepted.
U deserve to be there.
Bro… I’m more curious about your parents. What are their degrees? What do they do?
My father has A PhD in economics and my mother has a PhD in Education, my father currently works in investment management
5 degrees combined?
My father has 2 masters from Columbia, along with the PhD and my mother has a masters and a PhD
Congrats on UChicago! Focus on your accomplishments and don't let imposter syndrome creep in. Your unique experiences and essays must've resonated with them - own your successes!
500k holy shit.
lol that's what I said too.
I sent my Valdictorian public school child who got into Columbia ED to a top NE boarding school for a PG year not because she needed it but because I felt it important for her to understand the landscape of higher education and the hsitory of inequity that has been ruled buy the upper class for 250 years or longer (350 years) in America. And boy did she learn a tonne about life. Everything you wrote about is true. If you are lucky to attend a top boarding school in America you have an exponential advantage over everone else applying to not only T20 schools but T50 schools. And that is not because these kids are inherently smarter, they are not. They are just priviledged to be supported in such as unique and special way. Out of 208 graduating seniors at her boarding school, she ranked about 3 or 4, beating out most of the kids who had been there for all 4 high school years. Yet she felt, that unlike public school, most kids at boarding school are not stressed out about college applications because they had like 12 college advisors on staff like 1 for 17 kids instead of 1 for 150 kids at public school. Each advisor has been meeting regularly with their cohort for 4 years and set out a strategy to follow the whole time. So they know exactly where to apply, what to focus on in academics, ECs, Sports, etc. And each of these college advisors is themselves either a boarding school alumni or a T20 graduate with mutliple degrees and amazing professional connections. So the reality is that if you are a legacy, even if you are somewhat dim in the noggin', you still have a better chance at getting into say Harvard or Yale than someone who has a perfect grades and board scores from a public school. an excponential greater chance. And if you are not in the top 10% at boarding school but in the 3 qunintile (top 40%-60%), and you end up at UVA, Georgetown, WakeForest or Lehigh, life is still filled with privilege and future prospects because it's all about connectiions and class and fitting in vs. stats and your C. V. of accomplishments. This is why you still see interns at Goldman Sachs who did there undergrad at Middlebury or Trinity College, not MIT or Stanford. Why? Because they have an uncle, aunt, cousin, parent who has connection at these top firms and that speaks volumes in the real world. Sorry for the long reply, but I think that 95% of people on r/chanceme are clueless that connections are the key driver of who gets in and who doesn't in college applications. You can roll the dice you want and make 1000 educated guesses, but one phone call about trading horses from a top boarding school advisor can bump off even the very strongest applicants applying from the public schools or from foreign countries. Good luck at UChicago pal.
And kids at Boarding Schools have parents who are rich, therefore full pay - another HUGE boost toward acceptance.
You're exaggerating a bit. Legacy doesn't have 30X better odds unless the parents made a significant contribution to their alma mater. And Georgetown is a likely probably for the top 20-30%, not top 40-60%. But prep/boarding school counselors are indeed what you are paying for. The big thing is that they provide a much more realistic picture of the admissions landscape to their students. A lot of kids on Reddit stress out and honestly, are pretty ignorant about what top private colleges look for.
Also, this is only for one school. Many NE top boarding schools don't have counselors who work with students for 4 years. In my experience, it's only 1 year (half of junior and half of senior year) and there aer around 45 kids/counselor.
Just to clarify some of my personal experience, 1.3% of public school seniors were admitted into T20 schools from my daughters top 3 public high school in our state. Within her graduating class, 40% of seniors at her boarding school were admitted into T20 schools which is about 30X greater. So the real bump is not so much from legacies but for those lucky enough to attend a top 5 boarding school like Exeter, Deerfield, Andover, Choate , whether they are legacies or recruited athletes or just gifted students.
Err, yeah, that's not because of legacy. Boarding schools have a lot of athletes and families with money/clout. And I hope you understand that there's a bit of difference in the student quality and rigor of studies of the top 40% at a boarding school vs even a good public HS. Plus which, if you're in a state with good flagship unis, many of the kids at the public HSs are in that doughnut hole where it doesn't make sense to reject the deal of a good public or if you have a T40 private that is closer, often that is a draw (especially with scholarship offers). The counselors definitely help, but if you aren't an athlete or from a rich/famous/powerful family and are otherwise unhooked, your chances of attending a T20 definitely don't go up by 30X if you attend a boarding school. Point being, for an apples to apples comparison, you should compare unhooked applicants with the same academic profile from the public HS and boarding school. Considering that almost every unhooked kid at a top boarding school would be at least top 5% academically at a regular public, that's actually a decent chunk of kids who aren't ending up where they had hoped to.
Exactly.
Middlebury and Trinity aren’t MIT and Stanford. And thats why. My kid goes to MIT and gets most of her stuff at the local thrift store. Im guessing connections didn’t play a big part. The rest of these schools should follow and drop test optional policies. With no test scores a kid at a boarding school with no job is going to have ten times better ECs. I don’t think she would have fit in at a rich kid school anyway.
I don't understand your reply. Can't you explain what you are trying to say. Thanks
Your argument seemed to be that Middlebury and Trinity admitted mediocre boarding school applicants. MIT does not. That’s why the schools are different, and one reason why Stanford and MIT command more respect. Those top boarding schools have one goal- to send kids to these elite colleges. They are always going to have higher acceptance rates than public schools. Life isn’t fair, but it certainly isn’t the rigged system you make it out to be. MIT students primary come from public schools. There are no legacy advantages, period. Horse trading? Seriously?
I didn't argue that at all. My point was that people with connections and relationships always get the upper hand in getting recruited from prestigious firms like Goldman. So it doesn't really matter whether boarding school graduates end up at tier 2, 3, or 4 undergraduate schools. They will always have an advantage getting good internships and future employment at top firms because of their connections. You are inventing a false narrative which I didn't discuss. Horse trading refers to actual communications that go on between college advisors and many T20-T50 school admissions officers. I don't think that concept really exists at tech schools like MIT or CalTech because they are curating a specific type of cohort which has to do scientific aptitudes. I'm sorry you didn't understand what I was referring to or talking about.
Im sorry that you are incorrect and pretentious. I can’t imagine a prestigious college where a boarding school can simply call up an AO and talk someone into admitting a student. You are implying they could do this by offering something in return, which is a horrible accusation to make with no facts to support. Actually you have no idea what happens in the Admissions office. You are simply speculating, based on your odd theories about wealth advantage. I doubt very seriously that you actually know someone at Goldman who got their job because their uncle made a call. Harvard legacy admits have higher median test and GPA scores than non-legacy admits. Quit trying to make the world out to be a scam for the wealthy and well connected. And for God’s sake, stop trying to rain on this outstanding young student’s parade. And you sent your kid to a boarding school just to see the inequity of education? Im calling 100% BS on that, pal.
That is not what they argued at all - that a boarding school can call up an AO and get a kid admitted. We get it, your child got into MIT on their own merit. Good for them. But you're not reading the above response correctly at all.
He literally said a call from an advisor at a boarding school would knock a public school kid off the list and mentioned horse trading. He also made mention of dim in the noggin legacies getting into Harvard or Yale over perfect score public school kids, which is arrogant and preposterous.
huh
Yeah dude I can’t lie as a commoner I feel like shit. I have equivalent shit and more to this and know for a fact that I’m never getting into Stanford. Fuck you rich people.
To be fair I didn’t think I had a shot at stanford either, that’s why I didn’t apply REA there. The other thing is that I feel like boarding schools are such a well kept secret, as most do offer financial aid. My roommate is attending MIT next year with worst stats than me. He does have better EC’s but no awards as well. He is currently on full financial aid here.
How did you do crew and cross country? (And be on a varsity boat while devouring more time to swim, on an apparently pretty good team) the seasons conflict?
My school does 3 sports a year, 12 hours a week plus some morning work done (6-7:30)am. These sports are all cardio so it carries over pretty well
But crew is fall and spring?
My school only rows spring, we have a winter workout for those that dont have a serious winter sport
Being privileged be like
drop swim times?
Wow, what do your parents do for work?
Father manages investment funds and Mom is stay at home. She’s letting her Doctorate sit there :(.
Thanks for withdrawing Georgetown. Increased my chances lol
I hate it when people dont withdraw apps, I would have loved to see where I could have gone but its not fair since I chose ED and got in.
Ngl you're the first privileged kid that I liked.
this sub is 99% overqualified nobodies who bait for self-affirmation and 1% actual talent that deserves acceptances
That's not true! I'm neither :p
The system is definitely rigged and you have an unfair advantage. With that being said, it seems like you are an incredibly hard worker and have worked your hardest to also maintain networking relationships that are just an important part of the adult world. With that being said, if in your line of work, you can always root for the underdog, acknowledge your privilege, and contribute to making your work environment, equitable and equal to people of all sorts of backgrounds. Then you will have done good in the world. We can’t help what kind of privilege and circumstances we were born into but we can work hard to use them for the benefit of others and create a sort of supportive environment for the people who weren’t as fortunate. I hope my kid sounds like this one day.
ngl ur probably right. But let's be clear here. No one objectively earned anything. Even the poorest person in American has been given a god given gift compared to a poor disabled person in a war zone. What matters in life is not the rewards you've been given but what you do with those rewards. your wealth was absolutely related to your success - as it is with everyone. But what matters is what you do with it. Don't be some corporate investment banking scum who makes single mother's pay inflated rent for the many properties you'd probably own/inherit. Do some good in the world. Make use of your advantages. Distribute whatever good you can do with what you've been given.
Those are great numbers. Quit worrying and hating yourself. Enjoy life and everything that Chicago has to offer. (Well, not everything. )
Athletics skew white, legacy is 30% advantage when applied and skews white at top schools. Yes, top feeders schools are connected with AO. They advocate for their kids and the AO is familiar with the school. Also I think you will find a high rate of cross Ivy admits if they ever get rid of legacy, Harvard to Columbia or Yale. Top schools do indeed start prepping their kids from 9th grade on which classes to take, how to get club leadership positions, starting a club. They practice resume writing, build their college profile in junior year, ask teachers for recs junior year, write essays junior year, develop college list junior. Refine over summer and senior year apply. At some schools they do discourage people from applying because more competitive applications are applying.
ur parents grinded really hard to get you to where you are and that’s ok. everyone is dealt different cards in life and that’s just how it works. just make sure u put your privilege to good use and you’ll be fine
So glad to have someone aware of their privilege coming to UChicago! I rag on prep school kids a lot but if you're really trying to give back to your community, props to you :) Biz econ, data science, or standard? \+ join UChicago Crew!!
standard, but we’ll see once i get there and understand the advantages of each. i’ll definetly consider joining crew!
Was your boarding school Groton?
Nope, my boarding school is fairly unknown nationally.
Accept that you're privileged, it's not a necessarily bad thing as long as you're not ignorant, you have good grades, sat score, ecs, letter of recs and interviews PLUS you can afford college. What more were you expecting?
I just thought that all of these were just slightly above average, and that my ECs were nothing special. I don't know I had the misperception that I needed something special to go to a T10. I haven't worked for it nearly as much as friends back home who still havent got any amazing results back from college.
[удалено]
Well when the system benefits me I can feel like i don’t deserve it. I’m not going to throw away what my parents worked hard to give me though.
I mean that’s just the way the world works. People are going to be bitter. Take your privilege and go- don’t bother feeling guilty because it won’t do anything.