Number of applications

momrath
Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:30:39 +0000

There are two situations in which I would recommend applying to 10-12 or even more schools.

First, if the student is interested in applying to ultra-selectives like HYPSM, AWSP. You don’t need the colleges to tell you that the chance of acceptance is low. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from applying to one, two or even all 9 (10 if you count Wellesey and Williams as “W”), but I would encourage him/her to have a reasonable Plan B. In that case I don’t see 5 reaches, 4 matches and 1 safety as being out of line.

Second, aid. If a student is eligible for need based aid s/he can be reasonably assured of the amount that will be offered. Reasonably, not exactly. Two or three applications will provide a basis of comparison and negotiation.

If a student needs (or even wants) merit based aid, then s/he may have to cast a wider net as awards have always been difficult to predict and in this financial environment, I believe, will be even more competitive.

I don’t see the small and medium sized colleges being more forthright about “chances.” They are building a class and have to factor in so many variables – academic interests, artistic talent, athletics plus diversity in race, ethnicity, religion, geography, economics, politics. . . The chances of an individual applicant are relative to who else is in the pile. In other words, will they admit a violinist or two? Yes. Is your son the best choice among all the violinists who apply? It depends.

I would like to see the less selective and medium selective colleges taking a more aggressive role in early confirmation – either traditional early admissions or more rolling admissions or early acceptances. I think that securing a good but non-binding early acceptance would go a long way in cutting down the number of superfluous applications.