FYI thx1138, I sent you a PM. My envelope blinks constantly so I only check it rarely, so I wanted to let you know.
Let me first start out with advice that I think is applicable to everyone, and if you have any specific DYS questions, let me know.
All of the elite US colleges use holistic admissions, which I think of as having four parts:
1. Rigor and Grades: Top grades in a rigorous curriculum are the foundation for a strong application. Most importantly, you want the high school counselor to say in the recommendation letter that you took the most rigorous curriculum possible. And the grades should be near the top of the class. But they don't need to be absolutely perfect (my son had one B and was accepted nearly everywhere 3 years ago).
2. Test scores: The vast majority of elite private schools are test-optional but they do consider test scores (as mentioned earlier the public UCs do not, and CalTech does not). Score 1550+, and you should send your test scores everywhere you can.
3. Extracurriculars: This is everything that you do outside of schoolwork.
4. Personal: While the other categories are about what you have done, this category is about how you come across. This includes your essay, your teacher and counselor recommendations, and any college interviews.
Note that lots of kids do great in rigor, grades, and test scores. In fact, there far are too many kids that do great in these categories throughout the country for even a fraction of them to be admitted to the most elite schools.
So what sets the kids apart is how well they do on the extracurriculars and personal rating. And in order for an unhooked student to have a good chance to get into the HYPSM (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT) level, either the extracurriculars or the personal rating must be nationally competitive. Most students don't really know what the national competition is like and therefore incorrectly gauge their chances.
Here are examples of national-level awards that get a student seriously considered (I will focus on STEM because that's what I understand best):
* Well-known research summer camps: RSI, Simons, SSP, (MIT PRIMES is at this level, but is full-year)
* Well-known math camps: PROMYS, Mathcamp Canada/USA, ROSS
* Recognized science awards: Regeneron STS Finalist, ISEF Best of category
* Competitions:
* Math: USAMO & higher (most useful for MIT and CalTech)
* Physics: USAPho
