<p>[College</a> Admission Gets Tougher | Newsweek Education | Newsweek.com](<a href=“http://www.newsweek.com/id/83159/page/1]College”>http://www.newsweek.com/id/83159/page/1)</p>
<p>This article was very stressful.</p>
<p>Stressful, yes. In a way it is comforting to know that everyone else is going through the same feelings that we are. I am glad my kid applied to a safety with rolling admissions, so she has that even though it is her last choice.</p>
<p>Well it’s entirely in these magazines interest to pump the frenzy right? They, with their rankings, are seen as a primary source of this ‘college frenzy’ and the stress in turn pushes up the value of these rankings (a big source of revenue). </p>
<p>Brilliant game.</p>
<p>I have one in hs class of 2009 when the application madness peaks, BUT was happy to see things might be different for her younger siblings. Of course, all the jobs will be taken when they graduate from college…</p>
<p>of course all the stupid stuff goes on when it is my turn.</p>
<p>Not only are college admissions getting ridiculously competitive, but the decisions are also being driven by the ratings game and are increasingly random. For example, my child, who was an excellent student in high school and well rounded, but not at the very top of the top, was admitted to a top ten rated school while being waitlisted or rejected at schools far lower in the rating scale. Why? Not sure, but I think it may have been the “Tufts” syndrome. If a school thinks that you will reject them if you are accepted to attend a higher ranked school, they may reject or waitlist you in order to obtain a higher yield from their accepted students, thus increasing one of the factors used in the U.S. News and World Report Ratings. Likewise, some schools are looking for students with certain talents to bolster areas that they want to strengthen. In my child’s case, she is an accomplished musician and the school she attends now has her singing in three of their choirs. I think that was her hook that got her in. So, try to find out what the school you are reaching for is looking for and see if you can convince them that you have it. Sometimes that will get you the upper hand even if your SATs and grades are on the lower end of the scale of their admitted students.</p>
<p>So my kid will have to apply to about 20 schools to make sure the safety schools don’t see her as just flirting with them…</p>
<p>“If a school thinks that you will reject them if you are accepted to attend a higher ranked school, they may reject or waitlist you in order to obtain a higher yield from their accepted students, thus increasing one of the factors used in the U.S. News and World Report Ratings.”</p>
<p>Actually, I believe that yield is no longer a factor used for ranking by US News. Otherwise, I agree with you that some schools seem to play games to increase their yield.</p>
<p>Just some consolation: I have a frosh S. Yes, the admissions process was bizarre, quirky, money influenced, yield influenced. All of it. However, all the kids he knows did end up at schools that fit them and their levels of aspiration. It was just a weird ride.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>actually - you have to be careful – if you apply to too many schools, it becomes harder to show any given school that you are really interested – it just gets harder to visit that many schools and interview at that many schools. </p>
<p>personally, i don’t think its a matter of applying to more to ensure a safety’s acceptance – but just rather taking the time with that safety to show you are serious – visit, request an interview, and be prepared at the interview to talk about what about the school appeals to you. </p>
<p>and for all the talk of “tufts” syndrome – i still think some safety schools will readily admit high stat applicants and even offer merit aid to attract them because they want to raise their stats for accepted students – which i think is a much more publicized stat than yield.</p>
<p>One interesting thing to me in this article is that top colleges are recruiting heavily for the wealthy internationally to have more applicants when American numbers go down.</p>
<p>This explains why everyone I know in India has attended ivy school events in the last few years. The schools don’t make clear they want full paying students and are thus rejecting huge numbers of internationals.</p>