While I agree that this is a bit intrusive, some colleges do ask and it often, IME, came up in interviews. My answer in advance of the RD deadline for most schools was, “I am still formulating my list.” After the RD deadline, this no longer works. My answer then was, “I’m applying to schools that offer X, Y, and Z, such as AA, AB, and AC,” where two of the schools are at the same level as the school asking the question, and the third is a step below. I would not list all the schools, and I would list them in random (or alphabetical) order. Since some schools ask this question to predict yield, you do not want to reveal that a school is your safety (if it is in fact a safety.)
I guess it just depends on your view of the process. I continue to look at college selection like buying a car. They have to sell themselves to the consumer! If you look at them like a country club? that you have to pander to, to gain acceptance? your approach will be different.
I truly believe its just “data collection” They want to know who their peers are as perceived by the potential customer. There are data sets on that info… colleges lumped together by applicants and who they (the colleges) see themselves peer’d with.
We did tell the schools she was accepted to where she finally chose if they asked, and many did ask.
Graduation tomorrow, and it’s supposed to rain heavily all day, which adds complications to both the ceremony and our party after. The ceremony is being moved indoors, with overflow seating and live streaming in a separate gym. Ack…hope there’s not too much chaos trying to get into the prime venue…I don’t remember the last time it had to be indoors!
@albert69 - I can’t find the article i read a few months ago but it stated that a higher percentage of higher income students are applying to colleges. Coupled with the ease of apply via common app (and other factors as well), there has been a significant increase in the number of applications to colleges.
In fall 2014, some 21.0 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, an increase of about 5.7 million since fall 2000
Increases in the traditional college-age population and rising enrollment rates have contributed to the increase in college enrollment. Between 2000 and 2012, the 18- to 24-year-old population rose from approximately 27.3 million to approximately 31.4 million. The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college also was higher in 2012 (41.0 percent) than in 2000 (35.5 percent)
Re apps asking for “which other colleges are you dating”: Now I’m wondering if she should list a few peer schools that all fall into the same stats band, but are in different cities, to which she is also applying. Like, maybe two or three colleges – even though she’s got 12 on her list. The goal would be to present a brief list of almost identical colleges.
Ick. I really hate this app question. I’m afraid that if she leaves it blank, the app would be considered incomplete.
In a college interview, I’d recommend Ski’s approach of dodging the question. Like during a salary negotiation.
Sigh.
@wrights1994 - wrestler was waitlisted at Case. By the time he was notified he decided it was ot the spot for him.
If he wants small but not too small, look at Truman. We had an interesting experience on a rental car bus ride to the airport terminal where everyone on the bus raved about wrestler’s decision to attend there. I really did not realize it was that highly regarded in the midwest (being an east coast person). Plus they were just named the best financial value in the country.
@dyiu13, the college counselors at D’s HS told the kids they do not need to answer that question. Or they could partially answer it (like put in a few safeties and the typical public in-state schools kids in our area apply to). D did that and it seemed to be just fine. They do not have the right to know every school your D is applying to, and many kids add/delete schools during the application process anyway.
My daughter listed colleges that were peer institutions and also a state school. I don’t see any way that it impacted her results.
@Wrestlersmom… I added Truman to the list! I am going to do some research on all of these schools and pick a few to visit
If a school is on the Common App, can they see other schools you applied to on there?
“Schools do not have any access to your information until you add them to your My Colleges list. At that point, they can see only the information you have filled out for their school. They cannot see other schools to which you are applying.”
https://appsupport.commonapp.org/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=18#ratingContent
They do see the other schools on the FAFSA form though.
@suzy100: I was wondering about that cause the advice is to always put the schools in alphabetical order on the FaFSA.
I’m a high school teacher in Missouri who will second that rec. Truman attracts lots of strong students for its combination of rigor and affordability. Very attractive, comfortable campus, too. D’15 (who ended up at Macalester) and I were so pleasantly surprised.
DS is now officially a graduate. For the first time in 15 years they had to have the ceremony indoors because of torrential rain, but it was nice ceremony and we all got to see it. DS did his salutatorian speech as a series of observations punctuated by singing parts of songs to go with them. “Our class survived the freshman year flood… ‘We Are the Champions!’” “Sometimes things won’t go as planned, but ‘Don’t! Stop! Believing!’” And then of course, “In conclusion, there’s just one thing to say…‘Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, GOODBYE!’” The crowd went wild .
Party was great, and people must have liked it because the last guests left 4 hours after it was supposed to end yawn. Tomorrow we’ll pack up DS and drive him to the camp where he’ll stay for the next month and a half as an activities director. Fun time, sad time, proud time, all mixed together. But life is good.
Congrats! Graduation is finished here as well. My daughter was sad but is looking forward to going away. It’s a combination of happiness and sadness at the exact same time- a very weird mix of emotions. Next week is orientation - fingers crossed that all goes well.
We chose the meal plan, set up her banking, put money on her ID card, started to look at bedding… So far, so good.
As Elle Woods once said, “We did it!” =D>
@albert69 Regarding the number of students graduating high school being fewer than 10 years ago -the percentage of students who graduate is much higher. The last official year they have full statistics for, 2013, I think, has the highest graduation rate in the history of the US. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/12/us-high-school-graduation-rate_n_6670174.html
It really hit home today for me that, after 17 years of public school parenting and three graduates, I’m not the parent of a school-child anymore. I’ve been checking the high school parent portal website daily to see whether they had yet transferred my daughter’s final credits from the community college to the high school, and to make sure she had all of her fees taken care of.
Today I went to check - and the system said I did not have an account on the system.
Which means her final credit came in, she had no debt, and they removed her from the district rolls.
sigh
Maybe I can adopt?