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Well, I've been regularly checking up on this site throughout my senior year, and wanted to let you all know that today I received official word from Harvard, Yale and Princeton. Accepted at all three (and that was after an ED deferral at Princeton)! Thanks for the help you've given me and for all the suggestions I hope to hear in the next few weeks over which of these great schools I should attend. It's a tough decision, but oh what a sweet one to be able to make.

By Roger (Roger) on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 03:28 pm: Edit

Congratulations, Tim, and I'm glad College Confidential was useful in your application process. We like to think that we are THE site for Ivy League admissions, and it's great to hear your Ivy success story! Good luck with your decision, and in the fall!

By Dave Berry on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 03:32 pm: Edit

Tim, that is positively AWESOME! Congratulations! BTW, what if anything did you do to overcome your deferral at Princeton? Could you give us a brief sampling of your stats and overall profile (and maybe a little peek into your Hodge Podge answers )? Again, congratulations!

By Tim on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 03:47 pm: Edit

Dave, as I may have already mentioned, I'm a competetive swimmer and had been in contact with the Princeton coach all year. A significant improvement in my times just in the last month or so helped in my overcoming the deferral. Aside from that, my grades held steady and I remained interested in the school.

By Dave Berry on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 03:57 pm: Edit

Just curious, Tim: Were Harvard and Yale also interested in your swimming talent?

By Tim on Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 11:16 pm: Edit

Yes, I talked to all three of the coaches and after my improvements over the season made their "short lists" of recruits that they handed to admissions. Swimming provided me with a great hook, but I like to look at it as a supplement to very good grades (a 3.8 unweighted GPA in an AP/honors curriculum), a 1430 SAT I score and a 730 SAT II average.

By Jacob on Thursday, April 18, 2002 - 10:39 am: Edit

Somehow, I don't think Hodge Podge makes that big a difference in Princeton admissions. It's just something for fun and slightly informative for them. Incidentally, I got into Princeton having written 'Charmed' for favorite TV show, lying in bed listening to CDs for favorite way to relax, an S Club 7 song for favorite recording, and Ireland for favorite place to get away from it all. The one answer I had that I worried might sound pretentious was "Shakespeare" for favorite source of inspiration, but I decided that if they looked at the rest of my answers they would realize that I had no intention of being pretentious or deceptive at all.

I also got into Yale & Columbia.

I'm not much of an athlete...I do tae kwon do but was never in contact with coaches or anything. So all you, non-sporty people out there, yes, there still is hope!

For me, I think it was my grades and essays that got me in.

I had 1570 SAT I and an 800 SAT II average (Writing, Math IIC, Chinese), and a 4.22 weighted GPA. My rank wasn't that high (4/34), which is in the second decile, but I guess my essay made it enough. I also had a recommendation letter from Fidelity Investments, where I worked.

Thus, there is more than one way into Princeton and these other schools for all the non-athletes.

By Brooke on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 04:30 pm: Edit

Where did you decide to go Tim?

By ks on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 02:31 pm: Edit

hey jacob congrats on your sucess. i was wondering if you could post an excerpt from your essay to show us what level of writing is expected by ivy league schools. thank you

By JS on Monday, July 01, 2002 - 05:41 pm: Edit

Get this... I was rejected from Yale and Brown but accepted at Harvard. I guess being a swimming recruit helps but I honestly do not even know how I got in. My boards were not amazing and my unweighted G.P.A is alright but nothing out of the ordinary. I guess perhaps my unique essay written about my feet helped, but just maybe my application was read at the right time by the right person. Who knows! It seems to me that a lot of the acceptance process is luck. Congrats to all who were accepted to IVY's, it is quite an accomplishment! Good luck next year and in the future!

By Yutre on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 04:16 pm: Edit

Tim + Jakob

Where are you going, which is better Yale or Princeton????

By calliope on Thursday, August 15, 2002 - 02:00 pm: Edit

I think Jacob is probably right, under my "favorite source of news" I put down "my mother" ()and was accepted to Princeton rd!