after a follow up meeting with the consultant, not feeling so negative. Actually, I am more impressed with DD and thinking it was just sales technique.

Also, the reason I wanted to write. They have this whole division with professors/corporations that they can connect kids to do "papers" or internships. As mentioned, DD was a semifinalist in Technovation Challenge last year. Again participating. Someone from Google asked to be her mentor this year. I asked how is this different? She has to think of an app, build the app, write the business plan and pitch. She gets help from a Google mentor and launches an app. -- answer is that she will need all these sign ups to show it is real. And I am thinking how is that different than some given internship they provide from their contacts? And DD got this on her own?

And the research -- working with a professor so they can say they contributed to some paper that was published. Seriously. DD goes to UNC-W, (cancelled for 2020) and does diving and research with professors. Not published papers but how does that not count?

I think this is so ridiculous and canned. and of course $17K. But it is interesting to hear all this. I would think that DD's stuff is authentic and real and focused on her interests. How can colleges not see through this?

So forget fake athletic stuff, now it is "internships" and "research projects" with professors that somehow come out in time for application.