Sorry, I prefer to say this in Chinglish b/c it is faster for me to type. The following message is also what I have learned from my kid’s experiences of college application. Viewer discretion is advised. J We all know that IVYs can easily fill entire class with kids who got SAT2400 and are Presidents of Student Councils at the same time. BUT, they don’t do that. IVY schools, especially H/Y/P, are not just looking for smart people or aggressive leaders (unless you are one-dimensional person but insanely great at that dimension). Instead, IVYs are looking for INTERESTING KIDS, the kids who can enhance the quality and reputation of their schools as a great producer of outstanding contributors to the society and to the world in the future. They are looking for the kids who can MAKE living, MAKE life and MAKE difference. As Chinese parents, we need to think, “Are our kids this type of person in the eye of admissions officers? If not, how to let them be? As a Chinese kid, you must work EXTRA hard to demonstrate personality and passion in your application package. Admission officers of IVY are tired of SAT2400 kids, especially if they are oriental. It has been acknowledged that admissions officers have a broad stereotype of Asian students (especially boys), as hardworking (with excellent grades) but VERY LITTLE INSPIRING PERSONALITY. So they are more likely to reject you in favor of an applicant with less strong grades, but a better personality in the package. So, it is to your advantage to demonstrate your personality in your application, and to show that you are a colorful and sunny person with caring, loving, outgoing, charming and interesting characteristics --- the kind of PERSON (not just STUDENT) that other people will want to be around, learn from, laugh with, and live with. After all, that is what college is all about. Now, how to makes the admission officers see what they want to see about you? Besides grades, you need to show a great ESSAY, impressive LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION, interesting extra curricula activities, as well as dazzling answers to their short questions. Too many parents are focusing on the IQ of their kids and felt unfair when received rejection, they may forget that admission officers of IVY are also looking for and evaluating the EQ of the kids through things I just mentioned above. Anyway, good facts of IQ and EQ, and their presentation, are the KEY to the door of IVY. And there is no doubt that our kids are not lack of charm of EQ, we just need to show it off. It is as equally critical as IQ. Of course, anything can happen to anyone at any particular school. If you believe that you have a great credential but got rejected by one or two or three ivy –level schools, you may blame on their 有眼不识金镶玉 or discrimination. But if you applied eight IVY schools or so and all got rejected, that tells you something, --- probably, your EQ is not shining enough on paper. This is just my one-cent opinion. Bricks are welcomed.
