Is this a new trend?

Periwinkle
Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:19:44 +0000

Could this discussion transfer itself to a new thread? It’s not really related to the OP’s question. (posting at the same time as Neatoburrito. I was referring to the discussion of the merits of different schools.)

To return to the OP,



Is this a new trend?
It seems like so many kids were left without any offers this year, more so than normal. Is it just that more are posting on this board and it’s always like this but we don’t hear about it? Or has then been a particular waitlistingish year/ (I do realize that I just made up a word.) What are other people hearing about out there in RL?

I’m wondering if it’s only going to be worse next year. I’m not being doomsdayish (another made up word), but just curious if this is a new trend that reflects either more kids applying, the same number applying to more schools, or a combination of the two.



The Freshmen of the fall of 2008 are the Juniors of spring, 2011. By this summer, 75% of the students enrolled in the fall of 2008 will have graduated. Next year, all of the students, except for repeaters, will have enrolled after the fall of 2008.

If schools budgeted $X for financial aid in March of 2008, by December of 2008, many were faced with $(X + N) (N= increased financial aid to enrolled students). I assume that $X was the sustainable share from the endowment for financial aid. I would assume that $(X + N) would not be sustainable over the long term, barring extraordinary donations from alums. So, the question is, are the schools now returning to $X? Or are they returning to a lower level?

It could be that schools are being very cautious about yield, and the overall FA obligation. I agree with D’Yer Maker, that some spots may open up with FA, if the schools were conservative in their estimates. Some spots may also open up for full-pay students, if some parents decide they can’t stretch the family budget.