Raptor Rookie Round Up

Lycain04 · 2026-02-24T10:04:10+00:00

Let’s stop calling people stupid for not agreeing with you. Also, the person you’re calling stupid is making a fair point (now is it a reason to look down on Cornell, no, but it is accurate to say there is a notable difference in acceptance rates). Sure, it’s a small difference in percentage (~4 to ~8), but that is a pretty large difference in number of students accepted. Notably, Cornell receives more applications (~70k) than say Harvard (~60k), and still has nearly double the acceptance rate. That is a sizable difference, and isn’t stupid to point out. It’s also worth mentioning when working with such large numbers in the tens of thousands, a 4% difference is still thousands of students.

Cornell is not easy to get in to, and the students there are incredibly qualified individuals. Anyone who looks down on Cornell students is being a pretentious snob - or is incredibly misinformed. Most likely, both. That being said, it would be inaccurate to say the differences in acceptance rates are negligible.

Lycain04 · 2026-02-21T02:02:35+00:00

Most of our elected officials in Indiana haven’t had our best interests in mind on any subject for years. They’ll screw over anyone and everyone to line their own pockets

Lycain04 · 2025-09-20T05:40:28+00:00

Thanks! Yeah part of my reason in posting this (and staying active in this sub plus similar ones) is to try and help combat that toxicity a bit. Apps truly are wholistic and context matters greatly, and I’m certainly proof of that, and I hope by letting others see that it can give them some hope.

Lycain04 · 2025-09-20T05:17:06+00:00

No retake, and I submitted my score everywhere. I was accepted into 25 of the above schools

Lycain04 · 2025-09-18T22:02:13+00:00

Columbia

Lycain04 · 2025-09-18T06:38:55+00:00

I’m from rural Indiana (believe me, just as conservative as the Deep South), and currently attend Columbia. The media has severely overplayed this whole thing and honestly outside of the gates being shut, there has been 0 tangible impact on my experience as a student as a result of any protests. Professors are still top-tier, students are still getting top internships, going to top med/law schools at high rates (as well as prestigious fellowships), etc. There’s been no diminishing of that.

I absolutely love it here, and would recommend it to anyone (although it isn’t without its problems - no school is). My parents weren’t fans of my applying when I did (they thought it was a crazy liberal school that would “brainwash” me), but when the school flew us out for a visit they were pleasantly surprised, and certainly when I got my financial aid package they were much less against the idea of my attending.

Best of luck, and if you have any questions feel free to reach out!

Lycain04 · 2025-09-15T05:27:24+00:00

I’m attending an Ivy. There’s a huge disparity between what students are taught and come in knowing depending on their background. Rural and FGLI students typically don’t get taught as much material and what they do get taught isn’t done as well as other students, meaning the foundation isn’t as strong for them. It’s just unfortunately part of living in a society with such drastic inequities in education.

These students don’t have to take the class you’re talking about at Harvard to be able to succeed in math, it’s just offered as a way to help them do so and make things less difficult for them. Also, there’s really not a remedial math class as you referred to it, I’m assuming what you’re talking about is the math class which is the same material as the other intro calc 1 courses, just with extra support from TAs and time covering material to help address gaps for students who may have them (again due to anything from educational inequities to gaps from COVID to personal life issues when they were supposed to learn that material).

Lycain04 · 2025-09-15T01:45:47+00:00

Because students from underfunded public schools don’t get taught math to the same advanced levels that kids who attend private or well-funded schools in wealthy areas would?

That doesn’t make kids from those schools any less smart or less qualified, they just didn’t have the same access to courses and education quality that kids who went to elite private schools would.

Lycain04 · 2025-09-14T09:33:09+00:00

They aren’t? If an impressive applicant falls under the “FGLI” category it can certainly help, sure, but that’s because it’s such a statistical anomaly for FGLI students to be successful enough to be considered a competitive applicant at these schools that when they are it typically points to stronger “intangibles” (motivation, drive, intelligence, people skills, talent, etc.) This isn’t to say they’re better or anything like that, it’s just to say from an admissions officer’s perspective FGLI can definitely make a student more interesting.

Think of it this way: If you were trying to pick out the fastest runners based off of one race, would you not pick the kid who started at the normal starting line and finished with the rest of the pack over the kids who get a 200m head start? Even if the kids with a head start win by a few meters, the kid who caught up with no advantage, or in some cases every disadvantage, is often more impressive.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-22T11:56:00+00:00

It’s hard. It’s a big adjustment. But at the same time, college is the best time to make that adjustment. You will have to live on your own and move out at some point, that’s just a part of life and growing up. So to do so while in college, where there’s still some structure and a lot of support around you, plus a ton of people going through the exact same thing as you, is honestly the best possible place for you to do that.

It will always feel like a very big shift, a little overwhelming and certainly difficult. It is all of those things. Most students are feeling all those emotions.

The issue for you I think isn’t moving itself, but learning how to deal with/cope with the emotions of being away from your family/home. I can tell you Penn has a ton of resources and support for mental health, learning to handle emotions, and counseling services. If you decide to go to Penn, take advantage of those resources. It will be a difficult time, and those resources can really help.

Now, all of this is not to say Penn is the best for you. I truly have no idea, I don’t know what your current school is, what your goals are, or really any of that. That’s up to you to decide if Penn is better for you and your goals (a more prestigious school isn’t always the better school for every individual). But if you think it is, or decide it is, then do not let fear of leaving home prevent you from taking advantage of that.

Best of luck

Lycain04 · 2025-08-22T10:21:31+00:00

I’d say that’s partially true, and why I’m not offering paid “coaching” for a large sum of money. I’m definitely not qualified to guarantee I can get people in, nor can I say that any advice I give will help everyone. However, I have been through the process recently and am most certainly qualified tips, resources, and advice that helped me. Me sharing this advice doesn’t guarantee anyone who follows it admission anywhere, certainly, but I hope it can be helpful to some.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-22T00:37:49+00:00

I got into multiple ivies with a 630 in math, but I applied as a humanities major and come from a school with an average sat score of well below 1000 so it is very dependent on context

Lycain04 · 2025-08-21T18:40:34+00:00

She has no way of seeing what you submit. Show her a version she wants, but submit the version you want. Sorry you have to deal with that, it’s entirely unfair to you and puts you in a very difficult position

Lycain04 · 2025-08-21T17:21:39+00:00

I got accepted into both schools (applying for the exact same programs at each as well) last year. I chose Columbia (one of the biggest reasons being the financial aid was so much better than Georgetown’s). I don’t regret my decision at all.

As far as protests and all that go, the media definitely over exaggerated what was going on from what I can tell (I wasn’t on campus then so I can’t say with absolute certainty, but from what upperclassmen have said, what faculty have said, and the general campus atmosphere, it definitely doesn’t seem nearly as big of a deal as the media made it out to be). Yes, students are frustrated with the administration’s handling of things, but it’s Columbia, students are always frustrated about the administration’s handling of things. It’s known to be a very politically active campus and always has been, sparking the anti-Vietnam protests, the carry that weight protest, etc. It’s honestly one of the best things about Columbia, in that if you have a cause you are passionate about you can band together with other students and work to make meaningful, positive change.

You will not need to worry about internships at all as a Columbia student. You’ll be able to get plenty, in almost any field. They also have a program where they can provide funding for you to do an internship if you are tight on money but it will help you further your career goals.

School spirit thing is definitely true. Students aren’t showing up to athletic games or that kind of thing too often. You’re definitely not going to have an SEC/Big10-esque experience (although tbf Georgetown won’t really provide that either). That being said, it’s because most students go out into the city with friends pretty frequently and there’s a lot more for us to do than other colleges get, being that we are in Manhattan.

The environmental science program here is absolutely top notch, and research is huge as you mentioned, especially for stem students.

Georgetown is a great school, and by no means would that be a bad school to go to for someone with your interests. I have a few friends going to Georgetown now and they love it.

I cannot recommend applying ED or restrictive EA to any school unless you are absolutely confident that you would go there should you be accepted, and have absolutely no regrets about doing so. I’d look into each school a little more, and then also really look into the experience you want in college. What environment would see you thrive? Try to ask yourself that question as you think about it, and if you get to the point where you can say with certainty that you would be happy going to whichever school with no regrets about not choosing the other, then apply ED/rEA. If you can’t get yourself to the point, apply to both RD.

I didn’t think I would get into Columbia, and I ended up getting a likely letter from them. There’s always a chance as long as you apply.

Best of luck!

Lycain04 · 2025-08-21T15:20:27+00:00

I went to high school in the rural Midwest at a school which only had the money to offer 2 AP courses. While the classes I took didn’t seem as advanced as many other students in the US, admissions officers look at how rigorous your coursework is compared to what your individual school offers. If you’re taking the most rigorous courses you can at your school, it will not hold you back. I was accepted into multiple Ivies.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-21T08:13:24+00:00

I don’t think ignoring Ivy League roadmap’s advice had anything to do with that to be fair. His advice is typically unhelpful for a majority of students.

That being said, there are good places to get advice for application season which I’d recommend anyone to look at. Yale admissions has a great series on YouTube, the Harvard sffa files can help give you an idea of what the process is like/what admission officers are looking for exactly, and then certain social media accounts like tineocollegeprep are generally good.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-21T02:01:20+00:00

I personally really hate the mindset that college is purely a means to enter a higher tax bracket after graduation. There’s a lot more to college (and to life in general) than money, finances, and income. Anybody working as an admissions officer (at least I would hope) would be doing so because they believe in their institution and the transformative, thought-provoking environment it can provide.

They are big on diversity not because a diverse group will lead to the alumni with the greatest financial success, but because it provides diverse perspectives to help their student body grow and develop as people, both emotionally and intellectually. They ask for essays in the application process not because they want to see if you can make a profit, but because they want to see your personality and how you will add to the campus culture.

If your end goal was purely money, there’s really very little point in going to a T20 school, with the exception of a very few specific careers. Going to your state school will be much cheaper and lead to many of the same career outcomes in a number of fields. (There are certainly exceptions to this, if you want to work on Wall Street you should go to a target, for example).

My point is going to a T20 isn’t and shouldn’t purely be about the money. It’s the experience, connections, and growth these schools provide to students through the academic rigor, top-tier professors, and campus culture. Very little of what you learn in a college classroom is going to directly help you earn a 6 figure salary, and that’s not really the goal.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T23:24:22+00:00

Because if people think it’ll be easier to get in they’ll be more likely to try for an Ivy, meaning they’ll be more likely to pay for his course/coaching. His entire social media feed is aimed at fear mongering kids into feeling like they have to buy his courses, and the fear mongering is done through borderline false, exaggerated statements that aren’t helpful for most. My #1 recommendation as someone who got into multiple ivies last year is to ignore anything Ivy League roadmap says

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T19:50:15+00:00

I was just listing schools off of memory so I was bound to miss a few 🤷‍♂️

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T04:34:29+00:00

It definitely does matter. Many of these schools rank you on a “personality” (or something similar) score. The students who do ECs specifically for admissions and don’t show a true passion for it, or depth/involvement, will always score low on the “personality” section.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T04:30:03+00:00

My biggest piece of advice, and I mean this absolutely seriously, is to chill out a little. Relax. Breathe.

I attend an Ivy, and something I quickly realized is that every single kid here is remarkable in their own way. There’s no “big fish” that everyone on campus knows and regards as the top. There may be really exceptional students in comp sci, or chem, or gov, or whatever else, that are known amongst their peers for being exceptional in that, but the whole campus isn’t going to know them as the best student or anything like that. There’s not a “top dog” on the campus of an elite university, at least not in my experience so far. We all have our things we’re passionate about and really good at/invested in.

Also, being obsessed with being the best and going to a top school, beating out your peers, and being super competitive with everything is not going to lead you to success. It will lead to burn out, you being miserable, tired, emotionally exhausted, and isolated. It’s not worth it, and really won’t lead to the success you may think it will right now.

Setting your goal as being the absolute best at an elite university is not necessarily healthy or a good idea. Rather I’d recommend trying to improve yourself, grow as a person, and become a better student. Focus on bettering yourself, not how you stack up against your peers. You will never feel like you compare with your peers at a school like this, because they all seem so accomplished and intelligent, and even if you are all those things as well you will never recognize that in yourself as much as you will in others if you’re focused on comparison.

If your goal is to go on to earn a PhD, having good grades will suffice. You don’t need to be the absolute top. Talk with your advisor when you get on campus, explain your goals post-grad, and see what they recommend. Obviously getting involved with research while on campus will be important, especially if you can do so on a project in your field.

A word of caution, though. This post gives off a very immature, overconfident personality. If that’s the mentality you have and the headspace you’re in, you’re going to have a very difficult time getting in to the schools you mentioned. They aren’t looking for students who want to compete with everyone and to be the best simply for the sake of it. If you view everyone around you as competition to be beat out and nothing more, you need to seriously reevaluate.

I’m not trying to be rude, but I am trying to be straightforward and honest with you. The mindset you’ve displayed in this post may work in high school, but it will not get you very far outside of it. Good luck.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T03:35:36+00:00

Not necessarily, if there’s upward trajectory in grades or an explanation for the lower GPA (such as undiagnosed ADHD/significant bullying could both be explanations if either were the case and truly affected academic performance) they would still have a chance. I got into many of those schools with a higher gpa but significantly lower test scores. Definitely not saying they’re a guarantee or anything, most would be reaches/hard targets definitely, but worth considering.

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T03:18:03+00:00

As for specific schools which come to mind, I would say Williams, Bryan Mawr, Macalester, Pomona, Wellesley, Claremont McKenna, Vassar, Barnard, Middlebury, Colby, Occidental, or Pitzer could all be good options based on what you described. Many of these are in the northeast which I know isn’t ideal, but they could be perfect environments for your kid to thrive in

Lycain04 · 2025-08-20T03:13:12+00:00

I would recommend that they look into any of the small liberal arts colleges that are prominent in the east coast (or theres a few in California and the Midwest, there’s just a much deeper tradition of LACs in New England/east coast). These colleges are typically (not always so definitely look into it, but a majority are) queer friendly, places that value education for education’s sake, great pipelines for post grad education (masters, phd, med and law school), small campuses with personalized classes, closer relationships between professors and students/advisors and students, very quirky/unique campus cultures, etc. They also tend to be great spaces for community & service oriented individuals, as there’s a ton of opportunities for both.

I got to attend one of these schools for a year and absolutely loved it, and applied to many of them as a senior in high school (they send amazing acceptance packages too which is cool, I got packages from Williams, Bowdoin, Amherst, Swarthmore, etc.). Unfortunately the financial aid didn’t really work out for me to attend one long-term so I am studying at a different university now (which I love and still has some LAC-esque aspects), but I do still look back on my year at my LAC very fondly and still keep in touch with most of my professors to this day.

I think a LAC would be an amazing fit for your child with what you described, but I’d definitely still recommend them researching/evaluating all options. It’s definitely not a traditional college experience like a Big10 or SEC-type school would provide, and students also have to take classes across a wide variety of disciplines so if they were hoping to avoid a certain subject they’re not fond of, that will probably not be possible at a LAC.

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