Parents who didn't grow up in the American system, and who may have moved to the U.S. in large part for their children's education, feel desperate and in-the-dark. Some shell out tens of thousands of dollars for consultants as early as junior high.
Esther’s academics weren’t “stellar,” Kim said — only a 4.3 GPA, 1520 SAT and nine AP courses. But in her personal statement, she wrote about her mother’s fight with breast cancer. And she was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania.
“That was her trump card. It was a unique situation that she overcame,” Kim said. “To be frank, she got really lucky.”
Fuck sake