| I always say that we do a dis-service to our kids (and ourselves) by focusing in on the "acceptance" rate for each school instead of the "rejection" rate. Think in terms of "91% of applicants to Harvard get rejected" and you have a totally different view of things than if you're thinking "9% acceptance rate." In the first case, you really looking at your chances, in the second you're likely to think "hmmm, I (or my kid) am wonderful. Of course I'll be in that 9%!"
And, it's not just the super-selective schools where you need to think this way, in my opinion. Apply it to schools where there's a 30% chance of rejection, a 40% chance of rejection, a 50% chance of rejection. It keeps things in perspective, and reemphasizes why you need to do a good job on EACH and every application.
Like Curmudgeon, my daughter prepared her list of colleges knowing that acceptance at any given school is uncertain, and that the raw numbers don't always tell the full story about who gets in. I guess some would say that Cur and I have urged our kids to be overly cautious, but hopefully, in the end, they'll have many solid choices to choose from. |