<p>I think that much of the angst and anxiety is caused by a lack of transparency. And I frankly don’t get the reason for the lack of transparency. If the schools are tracking interest, they should let the applicants know. If this includes opening the emails, let the applicant know. </p>
<p>There seem to be many unwritten rules about the application process. Activity resumes, for example. DS and I hadn’t heard about them until a school he applied to said do not submit. Attaching other information to the app; no idea until DeanJ at Virginia show the box where all this stuff was thrown away. </p>
<p>If some information is accepted from “in-the-know” students, let all students know about it. When the application process is not transparent, people try to game the system. </p>
<p>Sorry if this sounds “rantish”. Maybe the process is getting to me. DS seems unfazed at least. </p>
<p>The problem is that “in-the-know” students cannot really know why they were accepted or rejected. Only the adcoms know! In addition, it is good to remember that applications convey personal and individual information. What might be good and work well for Little Suzy might not work for Little Sammy. All “we” know is nothing else than a tapestry weaved from multiple anecdotes and a bit of common sense. Fwiw, some people have done really well by sending a detailed activity list at schools that frown on the practice --read Stanford. But then, “we” will never know if they were accepted in spite of it or … if the list helped. There was a famous story about a (silly) essay about tortillas submitted to GBS that prompted hundreds of copycats. Years later, the adcoms shared that the applicant was accepted despite the really bad essay. </p>
<p>Am I missing something or is this a simple case of the applicant overvaluing his/her own merits? Pretty presumptuous of anyone to assume that they “should have gotten in.” If you didn’t get into your safety school, it might be a simple case of you having picked a wrong safety. Maybe shoot lower.</p>
<p>Well, we did everything we could to have my daughter accepted at her top choice. She is a very good student- perfect no- but well rounded and clearly not just padding her resume to make it looks like she is involved in everything. She has already been accepted by several other schools but the top choice waitlisted her. We visited the campus several times, she interviewed, she participated in online chats, etc. Still did not get in. this school, like many others really tips the scales for the ED kids. Personally, I think this whole ED thing should be rethought. </p>
<p>You have to subtract 100 points off your SAT score because you are white. If you’re Asian you have to subtract 200 points. If you’re jewish you’ll probably also have to subtract a few additional points. It’s like a tier list. </p>
<p>True, specific scores are much less important than most people think. The gist of the post is well taken though. Schools are looking for diverse populations, so your racial, ethnic, geographic and economic background are all factors that weigh (heavily in some cases) into the admission decision.</p>
<p>The reality with the SAT scores that gets lost in the ‘game’ is that schools are looking for someone who meets their unpublished threshold. Once a student does that, test scores are no longer a factor. Think of it more like a qualifying score. The thing is, students who want to go to those school perceive that higher is better, so they retake the tests and squeeze as many points a possible raising the ‘averages’ for accepted students…which pushes even more kids to needlessly stress over the specifics of otherwise high scores.</p>
<p>In retrospect, I wish we could have convinced S1 to take the process more seriously. He assumed that his test scores and academic prowess was enough to get him admitted nearly anywhere. He has a great opportunity and I don’t know how it could or would really affect his life in the future. But, he may have been taken more seriously by his reach schools if he had actually put forth the effort. Ultimately, finances would have prevented attendance, so the process probably worked. </p>
<p>For me personally, this whole process has added a new ‘what would you do if you had billions’ thought. I would love to found a university, staffed with the best professors money could buy; filled with the best equipment and facilities; and dedicated to educating the absolute best and brightest in the country. A true magnet for the exceptionally bright student regardless of economic or social condition. Only recreational sports, I am a sports fan but this school would be only for academically gifted students. Tuition would be covered by endowments and corporate sponsorship. Admissions would be focused on the absolute best. Only 1st test scores taken. To get some diversity, guarantee admission to the top 20 applicants from each state. The more I think on this…it should probably be a new thread…</p>
<p>@Torveaux—hasn’t that been tried already with Cooper Union in NYC and Olin in Mass? I think they may both have moved from full tuition to half tuition, due to various financial pressures. Lovely idea though. I anticipate a Gates building on many campuses the way you see Olin building from generations past.</p>
<p>Sometimes a student can do everything right and still not make the cut. It has little to do with anything lacking on their application. In a different year - with a different mix of applicants they might have been accepted.</p>
<p>It is not a reflection on the worth or merit of that student. That’s the most important takeaway.</p>
<p>I do think students rely too much on grades and scores as an indicator, however. There are many other indicators that might suggest a student with a lower score is just poor at test taking but has a thirst for knowledge and other results that make them interesting. Or it can be a matter of a recommendation from a teacher that was lukewarm. Sometimes they are negative - which the family will never know because the reports are confidential. I’ve seen students rejected that I knew were at the top of the charts and who received strong recommendations even from interviewers. I’ve seen others voted a “no” because they came to the process arrogant and entitled. </p>
<p>But mostly - once you weed out those who are unqualified or are clearly not a fit for the environment - there are still too many students (thousands too many) with strong applications to be accommodated. </p>
<p>I tell students to do the best they can with what they have and apply broadly - but only to schools they would be happy to attend even as a back-up if that is the result. And to make sure teachers know more about what motivates them and about their extracurricular activities outside of school so the letters of recommendation can have some depth.</p>
<p>Beyond that - it’s just been very rough out there. And getting tougher every year.</p>
<p>My S has never had a formal visit to any college. He says he doesn’t need to see a dog and pony admissions show to determine whether the school has what he wants. We have unofficially visited many campuses without telling anyone in admissions we were there, since there was no point in doing so. In fact, he was raised with annual visits to his first choice campus, because that is my alma mater and one of my former profs is still a close family friends and his namessake. S has no need to visit that campus for an admissions tour to know what it offers. He knew how to hook 'em horns when he was two and he’s grown up in a burnt orange home.</p>
<p>If schools really think all interested students make appointments at the admissioins office or send emails with fake questions, just to initiate contact, they are missing a pool of applicants.</p>
<p>Many kids never visit or do an official recorded visit. I have visited many schools for research, and cannot always check in, either. People pass through campus, visit a friend there, but may never get a admissions office tour. </p>
<p>If you cannot visit in person, it is wise to make points if contact or demonstrated interest with admissions office. </p>
<p>College fairs. </p>
<p>Admissions online chats. </p>
<p>Representative visiting high school campus. </p>
<p>Regional receptions. </p>
<p>Check in with online portals if available. Do this often. The more you check, the more some schools check that you did. . They know metadata about your online visits. Not every school does, but you might be surprised how more common it is becoming. </p>
<p>If the 'horns are his first choice, they are affordable, he falls into the automatic admission criteria, and is not applying for a division like engineering or business that is more selective, then perhaps his application list is done at one.</p>
<p>Case, for example, provides the option of alumni interviews…so you can show interest without going to Cleveland if there is an alumni interviewer in your area. They also have regional presentations and have representation at college fairs.</p>