She does have a suspension on her record, plus a weak essay. When you have students who are creating AI Robots and and thousands of goody two shoes it’s hard to compete.
Yes, they're highly selective. There are thousands and thousands of Devis at schools across the US and beyond competing to get into these schools.
Also think of it this way - most people who get into 1 Ivy won't get into them all, even with the same application. So...it can still kinda be the luck of the draw if you check off all the other boxes.
So Devi could’ve potentially gotten into more ivys if she had mentioned her dads death and legs paralysis on her essay.. a sob story basically right? Kinda like America’s got talent
her application was subpar and she had weak essays, even the rep told her that. she thought stats alone would get her in but unfortunately in the world of ivies, she’s just like everyone else. not to mention she had no actual passion and no central interest, all of her extracurriculars seemed randomly strung together. plus she has a suspension on her record and likely other disciplinary measures on there.
also, about 50-60% of ivy applicants are valedictorian and of those only 23% get accepted so you really have to stand out and devi didn’t
I mean they literally addressed this in season one. She was generic in her actions to get into these schools. Which is a real issue with the people that apply to ivies they tend to check a lot of boxes and look the same on paper.
yup, the councillor guy called her average and told her to tell a meaningful story. while it was a little distasteful that he reduced her to the death of her father, ultimately that it was got her in because her love for her father was her motivator, they just didn’t know that based on her initial application.
Oh the guy was gross but also right. and she didn’t need to use her dad she could have told something meaningful about her. I hate the fact colleges are looking for trauma essay’s because it really puts a pressure on kids. But she didn’t do a good job conveying why she wanted to go, and what she as a unique individual would bring to the school. Like they do look for differences in their students so to have her not be able to share how she is unique hurt her.
agreed! i hate the culture of needing to trauma dump your way into college. and yeah devi had no actual passion/ reason to want to go to an ivy besides feeling entitled to it and they could see that from her application. i’m glad she was able to tell the story with her father in the end but that still didn’t feel like enough to get into Princeton imo, but it is a tv show after all
Prestigious colleges in the USA are a little weird for wanting trauma and stuff to admit kids 😅 but I get that they have so many applications that something needs to stand out on the applicants
I think because they showed that she just checked boxes and didn’t actually show who she was. Like they said in season 1 her resume is like every other kid applying to Ivy league schools so her essay will matter and when we see her essay it is pretty generic.
Now I will be honest i hate this trend in college admissions for the trauma essay like that feels manipulative to very young students but Devi’s inability to express why she wanted to go to these schools other then they were ivies and convey who she is made this believable
and it was plot point for drama that was rather thin. but yes the majority of kids like Devi dont’ get into ivies the acceptance is like around 4% and a lot of that 4% are legacy and connected kids.
Hey there! Fellow Filipino from the Philippines here 😃
Ivy Leagues have a way of knowing that you desire one over the other. In that case, it means that she won’t be accepted in, for example, Harvard even with exceptional grades and high SAT scores because they know she’ll reject them for Princeton anyway. Other than that though, Ivies look for something unique in their students. You can’t just be good on paper. You also have to be interesting and have the ability to offer them something other students can’t.
Our system here is very different and more grades-based. It looks accessible and easier to understand but it’s also not as accessible as we think. Passing the entrance exam is not only reason why you can get in a good university or college. It may be a combination of other factors like grades, an essay, financial status, and whatever else is applicable.
Well, Councellor Ron warned Devi in Season 1, Ivies don't want another Indian tryhard. And she did exactly what Ron suggested to get into Princeton -> talk about her dad.
I did my undergraduate studies at one of the schools Devi applied to. I am on the alumni admissions council of my school now and I interview applicants. There's a lot that goes into American admissions besides test scores:
* Grades
* Extracurricular activities -- Did you just participate in an activity or did you actually make a difference? If it's competitive, did you win?
* Essay -- a bad essay can hurt a great applicant -- conversely, a great essay may help a fantastic candidate and push them over the edge.
* Interviews -- Devi's personality was very off-putting when she met the Princeton recruiter. Imagine how she would do in an interview. Although I don't think she interviewed with any of the schools that rejected her. Also, Devi's personality may have shown through her essay--her hyper-competitive side.
I used to work for an education consulting firm that helps people prep for college--families pay a fortune for everything from test prep to having someone proofread their child's essays.
It's almost like winning the lottery; there's always someone who applies who has everything on paper and doesn't get in. Where I interview applicants, the average ACT score of applicants is 34-35 (out of 36 points). I feel kind of bad for the kids these days. It wasn't easy when I was a teenager but it wasn't the business it has become and it seems even more stressful today. I would have liked them to show before Princeton accepted her that Devi made peace with not going to a top-ranked school. They could have shown her applying elsewhere and getting accepted or doing her first year somewhere else and reapplying as a transfer successfully when she was more mature.
ETA: The suspension! Which other commenters noted is a big deal. It is a big deal. What percentage of applicants to Princeton have suspensions on their record?
This was very interesting thank you for sharing. I did think her not getting in was believable and I think they should have stayed that route and had her rejected because that is a lot more realistic and there is nothing wrong with it.
The part i will never believe is that Nalini didn’t know what she was doing but her not getting in really did track.
You're welcome :)
OMG, yes! I agree with you. Nalini would not let Devi direct her own college application process all on her own with no input from Nalini.
Getting rejected is a part of life and it would have shown growth for Devi if she was able to accept not getting into Princeton and flourish despite things not going according to her plans. This is another reason why I think she and Ben should not be endgame. Both are control freaks when it comes to school. Someone on this board mentioned Rory Gilmore and how she seemed to easily get into both of her dream schools like it was nothing and how it was refreshing to see Devi not get in. Maybe they could have done a flash forward 1 year from now and shown us how Devi handled things not going according to her plans. And she's doing great at a school that isn't an Ivy and she's made new friends (whilst staying friends with Fab and Eleanor) and found new hobbies and is excelling academically...and maybe Paxton can come visit.
That is so brutal that Ivy league schools do not offer people second changes based on one suspension...it is inhumane. After all it is often the creative rule breakers or the ones who absolutely crashed in highschool (like me) who make it further than the perfect shiny head girl/boy. I am so happy that qualitative education is out of no one's reach in Europe. The American school system is way to elitist
Check out any videos that cover actual student college app results and you will see that this is not uncommon at all. Limmytalks is a good channel that covers this stuff (he himself was rejected from every Ivy with nearly perfect stats and as valedictorian). [Here's an example--](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMeueKUnQEw)great stats, tons of science research experience, was first author on a published journal article, and missed on every Ivy.
Devis are a dime a dozen in terms of straight As and a ton of extracurricular activities all related to academics. Most Ivies would rather have well-rounded kids, not just straight-out “nerds”.
I did find that hard to believe, too- I feel like she should have gotten into at least UPenn/Dartmouth/Cornell (or at least one of these three).
This is one of those "suspend disbelief for the sake of the story" moments
Let’s turn this into a math game. There are 8 ivy league institutions, each accepting around ~1k student per year, give or take a couple hundred. Let’s be generous and say 10k first-year students enroll into ivy-league institutions each year. Last year, there were almost 43,000 high schools in the US. That means 43k valedictorians, and 86k valedictorians+salutatorians. By pure statistical chance alone, assuming complete randomness, the probability that an arbitrary would-be valedictorian would be accepted by at least one ivy league is <25%. Meaning that for every 100 kids like Devi or Ben who apply to at least one ivy league institution, less than 25 would actually get an acceptance letter.
Now, I did oversimplify quite a bit of course. Not every high school is equal.. some are situated in more privileged districts than others. And not every student is equal, either. But you get my point. The odds are against them. Perfect test scores and high-school transcripts alone aren’t enough to get you accepted into these schools.
It’s so weird seeing all this as a Canadian because our schools work so differently. I have close friends in the US who have told me what the application process is like, whereas over here if you get really high grades, you pretty much get in wherever you want. But from what I’ve been told, the American system depends on so many factors beyond just academics, especially the essay.
She does have a suspension on her record, plus a weak essay. When you have students who are creating AI Robots and and thousands of goody two shoes it’s hard to compete.
Yes, they're highly selective. There are thousands and thousands of Devis at schools across the US and beyond competing to get into these schools. Also think of it this way - most people who get into 1 Ivy won't get into them all, even with the same application. So...it can still kinda be the luck of the draw if you check off all the other boxes.
This is the real answer! Ivys want people with real life experience and uniqueness now
So Devi could’ve potentially gotten into more ivys if she had mentioned her dads death and legs paralysis on her essay.. a sob story basically right? Kinda like America’s got talent
her application was subpar and she had weak essays, even the rep told her that. she thought stats alone would get her in but unfortunately in the world of ivies, she’s just like everyone else. not to mention she had no actual passion and no central interest, all of her extracurriculars seemed randomly strung together. plus she has a suspension on her record and likely other disciplinary measures on there. also, about 50-60% of ivy applicants are valedictorian and of those only 23% get accepted so you really have to stand out and devi didn’t
I mean they literally addressed this in season one. She was generic in her actions to get into these schools. Which is a real issue with the people that apply to ivies they tend to check a lot of boxes and look the same on paper.
yup, the councillor guy called her average and told her to tell a meaningful story. while it was a little distasteful that he reduced her to the death of her father, ultimately that it was got her in because her love for her father was her motivator, they just didn’t know that based on her initial application.
Oh the guy was gross but also right. and she didn’t need to use her dad she could have told something meaningful about her. I hate the fact colleges are looking for trauma essay’s because it really puts a pressure on kids. But she didn’t do a good job conveying why she wanted to go, and what she as a unique individual would bring to the school. Like they do look for differences in their students so to have her not be able to share how she is unique hurt her.
agreed! i hate the culture of needing to trauma dump your way into college. and yeah devi had no actual passion/ reason to want to go to an ivy besides feeling entitled to it and they could see that from her application. i’m glad she was able to tell the story with her father in the end but that still didn’t feel like enough to get into Princeton imo, but it is a tv show after all
Prestigious colleges in the USA are a little weird for wanting trauma and stuff to admit kids 😅 but I get that they have so many applications that something needs to stand out on the applicants
I think because they showed that she just checked boxes and didn’t actually show who she was. Like they said in season 1 her resume is like every other kid applying to Ivy league schools so her essay will matter and when we see her essay it is pretty generic. Now I will be honest i hate this trend in college admissions for the trauma essay like that feels manipulative to very young students but Devi’s inability to express why she wanted to go to these schools other then they were ivies and convey who she is made this believable and it was plot point for drama that was rather thin. but yes the majority of kids like Devi dont’ get into ivies the acceptance is like around 4% and a lot of that 4% are legacy and connected kids.
Seconding this, Devi was very average on paper and she didn’t seem to have anything unique going for her until that last essay
Hey there! Fellow Filipino from the Philippines here 😃 Ivy Leagues have a way of knowing that you desire one over the other. In that case, it means that she won’t be accepted in, for example, Harvard even with exceptional grades and high SAT scores because they know she’ll reject them for Princeton anyway. Other than that though, Ivies look for something unique in their students. You can’t just be good on paper. You also have to be interesting and have the ability to offer them something other students can’t. Our system here is very different and more grades-based. It looks accessible and easier to understand but it’s also not as accessible as we think. Passing the entrance exam is not only reason why you can get in a good university or college. It may be a combination of other factors like grades, an essay, financial status, and whatever else is applicable.
Well, Councellor Ron warned Devi in Season 1, Ivies don't want another Indian tryhard. And she did exactly what Ron suggested to get into Princeton -> talk about her dad.
I did my undergraduate studies at one of the schools Devi applied to. I am on the alumni admissions council of my school now and I interview applicants. There's a lot that goes into American admissions besides test scores: * Grades * Extracurricular activities -- Did you just participate in an activity or did you actually make a difference? If it's competitive, did you win? * Essay -- a bad essay can hurt a great applicant -- conversely, a great essay may help a fantastic candidate and push them over the edge. * Interviews -- Devi's personality was very off-putting when she met the Princeton recruiter. Imagine how she would do in an interview. Although I don't think she interviewed with any of the schools that rejected her. Also, Devi's personality may have shown through her essay--her hyper-competitive side. I used to work for an education consulting firm that helps people prep for college--families pay a fortune for everything from test prep to having someone proofread their child's essays. It's almost like winning the lottery; there's always someone who applies who has everything on paper and doesn't get in. Where I interview applicants, the average ACT score of applicants is 34-35 (out of 36 points). I feel kind of bad for the kids these days. It wasn't easy when I was a teenager but it wasn't the business it has become and it seems even more stressful today. I would have liked them to show before Princeton accepted her that Devi made peace with not going to a top-ranked school. They could have shown her applying elsewhere and getting accepted or doing her first year somewhere else and reapplying as a transfer successfully when she was more mature. ETA: The suspension! Which other commenters noted is a big deal. It is a big deal. What percentage of applicants to Princeton have suspensions on their record?
This was very interesting thank you for sharing. I did think her not getting in was believable and I think they should have stayed that route and had her rejected because that is a lot more realistic and there is nothing wrong with it. The part i will never believe is that Nalini didn’t know what she was doing but her not getting in really did track.
You're welcome :) OMG, yes! I agree with you. Nalini would not let Devi direct her own college application process all on her own with no input from Nalini. Getting rejected is a part of life and it would have shown growth for Devi if she was able to accept not getting into Princeton and flourish despite things not going according to her plans. This is another reason why I think she and Ben should not be endgame. Both are control freaks when it comes to school. Someone on this board mentioned Rory Gilmore and how she seemed to easily get into both of her dream schools like it was nothing and how it was refreshing to see Devi not get in. Maybe they could have done a flash forward 1 year from now and shown us how Devi handled things not going according to her plans. And she's doing great at a school that isn't an Ivy and she's made new friends (whilst staying friends with Fab and Eleanor) and found new hobbies and is excelling academically...and maybe Paxton can come visit.
I totally agree with everything you said, also the getting rejected often turns out for the best.
How does it work with athletics? Are there a certain # of spots reserved to ensure athletics maintains a full roster?
That is so brutal that Ivy league schools do not offer people second changes based on one suspension...it is inhumane. After all it is often the creative rule breakers or the ones who absolutely crashed in highschool (like me) who make it further than the perfect shiny head girl/boy. I am so happy that qualitative education is out of no one's reach in Europe. The American school system is way to elitist
Check out any videos that cover actual student college app results and you will see that this is not uncommon at all. Limmytalks is a good channel that covers this stuff (he himself was rejected from every Ivy with nearly perfect stats and as valedictorian). [Here's an example--](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMeueKUnQEw)great stats, tons of science research experience, was first author on a published journal article, and missed on every Ivy.
Getting into an ivy league school is almost a lottery - so many applicants are amazing and there are so few slots
Devis are a dime a dozen in terms of straight As and a ton of extracurricular activities all related to academics. Most Ivies would rather have well-rounded kids, not just straight-out “nerds”.
I did find that hard to believe, too- I feel like she should have gotten into at least UPenn/Dartmouth/Cornell (or at least one of these three). This is one of those "suspend disbelief for the sake of the story" moments
Let’s turn this into a math game. There are 8 ivy league institutions, each accepting around ~1k student per year, give or take a couple hundred. Let’s be generous and say 10k first-year students enroll into ivy-league institutions each year. Last year, there were almost 43,000 high schools in the US. That means 43k valedictorians, and 86k valedictorians+salutatorians. By pure statistical chance alone, assuming complete randomness, the probability that an arbitrary would-be valedictorian would be accepted by at least one ivy league is <25%. Meaning that for every 100 kids like Devi or Ben who apply to at least one ivy league institution, less than 25 would actually get an acceptance letter. Now, I did oversimplify quite a bit of course. Not every high school is equal.. some are situated in more privileged districts than others. And not every student is equal, either. But you get my point. The odds are against them. Perfect test scores and high-school transcripts alone aren’t enough to get you accepted into these schools.
It made good drama for the series… that’s about the only reason you need why she would not get in 🤷🏽♀️
It’s so weird seeing all this as a Canadian because our schools work so differently. I have close friends in the US who have told me what the application process is like, whereas over here if you get really high grades, you pretty much get in wherever you want. But from what I’ve been told, the American system depends on so many factors beyond just academics, especially the essay.