Number of applications

FiddlinEcon
Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:51:51 +0000

I recently encountered arguments about what number of applications is appropriate for a student while we discussed about music EC.
There were few threads concentrated on number of applications in this forum several years ago.
Now we are passing the peak of graduating high school seniors but still the college admission will be very tough for next year. Such circumstances make more college bound students to apply many schools as possible.
My sense is firstly that it is a matter of “mis-match”. More information is needed for applicants. I believe the most reason of increasing number of applications and lower acceptance rate as its result is the asymmetry of information between college adcoms and applicants, especially in case of highly selective colleges. In other words, this is a problem of oligopoly in tight demand-supply situaion. Isn’t it?
Colleges do not disclose what is the normal score range of non-hook applicants, in what magnitude other elements are considered, and so on. I understand that they have rights to select students at their discretion. But lack of accountability make the situation worse. The statements of admission policies at most of colleges seem to me always very abstract and rhetorical. Even I suspect they aim to flame such situation of increasing applications.
What do others think? I am just curious.