I believe @Mwfan1921 has posted in the past that they usually don’t match people on the east coast as most of their students are west of the Mississippi.
That is correct. Declining an acceptance now won’t help anyone else get an offer.
6 Likes
Thank you for this reminder. I admit that I had forgotten it.
Is the conventional wisdom that the delays in students accepting offers of admission due to the FAFSA delay will lead to greater yield uncertainty at colleges/universities and that will probably lead to an increased number of RD students being placed on the waitlist?
1 Like
Yes that’s certainly a possibility.
1 Like
That’s my expectation. I’m also thinking full lay kids might get a boost at need aware schools.
1 Like
I think it was @lindagaf who posted that. I do think many students are on the west coast, but I’m in the Midwest and have been matched with students here, and I know other local counselors who have worked with students on the east coast. 
1 Like
I can only speak for myself.
Not that I need to prove anything and I also don’t want to digress from the thread. ScholarMatch has indicated 1) they primarily serve students on the West Coast, and 2) they strongly prefer volunteers on the West Coast:
I’ll paraphrase my communication from them: they have many students primarily in the Bay Area and are looking for coaches in their time zone. They are not going to match all coaches to a student.
ScholarMatch does amazing work, but students not on the West Coast may want to check out resources that are more regional to them. @Mwfan1921 has other good suggestions.
2 Likes
Thank you @Lindagaf and @Mwfan1921.
Sorry, I misremembered which of you had said it.
2 Likes
I have a D30 too. I feel like I am going to start at square one again as her interests are very different from her brother’s. 45 RDs sounds about right-and 120k/yr might not be too far-fetched also… 
1 Like
As I am about to embark on my college application journey, I wish all of you parents the best in the world for supporting your children.
I am amazed at the current statistics:
** average US salary of 60k, accrued by 14% because parents will be in the higher age group, and assuming both parents are working, which would bring the family income to 2x60x1.14=$137,000 / annum = $104,000/annum (assuming the US average tax rate of 24% which also corresponds to the tax rate for 90,000-140,000 income bracket)
** Average college tuition $42,000 excluding room and board, travel expenses
** For a family of 4 with two children attending college, the average family has $55,000 for housing, food and drinks, transportation, gas per year. Assuming room and board is $8000/person per year, that leaves $6,000/person for savings/transportation/gas/phone/anything else
FOR THAT, I CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU PARENTS!
I would suggest that looking at averages is a poor way to understand how American families finance college education.
4 Likes
While paying for college is insanely hard on the average parent, I believe you haven’t had the joy of doing your own taxes.
First, if your gross income is 137K you will have at least (as a married couple) $28K in standard deductions. Then you will deduct any retirement contribution, health insurance premiums. So I’d say at most you’d be taxed on about $100K
And then the biggie. If you’re in the 24% tax bracket, you don’t pay 24% on 100K. It’s a graduated tax. You’d be looking more at $13K
Of course that is just the feds. You’ll also have your state taxes.
But I appreciate the appreciation
4 Likes
Maybe for private colleges. The linked article mentions that in-state publics are more like $10,000. Those articles often only mention sticker price (or bury info on net price later in the article).
1 Like
UC admission results are starting to come in. DS24 got accepted to his safety schools (UCM/UCR/UCSC).
UC results are also very uncertain and feels almost random. His high stat cousin (4.0UW + 15 APs) got rejected to all top/middle tier UC schools except UCI last year. She is happy at UCI but it was a head scratcher for a lot of us since the other cousin with slightly lower stats got accepted to ALL UC schools she applied to.
9 Likes
This is so interesting because the same thing happened to us! S24 cousin last year, high stat, in-state, competitive SoCal public school got shut out everywhere…except UCI. S24 has lower stats than him and so far got into UCR and UCSC.
I do think S24 PIQs were strong. That’s the only thing I can see was the difference.
3 Likes
The major choices are also a factor at the UCs. But they do all have their own priorities. UCLA seems to value leadership while Cal likes kids that show passion (however they interpret that)… results from our high school have Irvine as the most unpredictable for the higher ranked kids whatever reason.
3 Likes
Yes the UC decisions have started trickling down late few days. He did get into UCR (did not not apply UCM). UCSC he has not yet gotten in yet as they seem to be doing in admissions in waves.
I have heard many stories where the admissions at UC’s have seemed very random. I know a student who was top 2 in her school did not get into the mid/top UC’s. She ended up attending UIUC.
Yes Major choice does play a big role and have seen same kids getting declines at low and mid tier UC’s as computer science/engineering but get accepted at top 2 UC’s where they choose a totally non stem major at the top UC’s.
Major choice along with PIQ and A&A as @bcuzicare mentioned. Some applicants really use the A&A section to further expand on their application. Others copy and paste from the Common App.
The UCs are test blind and use 13 criteria to evaluate applications. Results feel uncertain because stats (GPA, AP, honors) are only three of the thirteen metrics that they use to evaluate applications. The other criteria are more difficult for those outside of admissions to evaluate.
I think see the results of
" 13. Location of your secondary school and residence."
in DS24 Cialfo data. His school has consistently have more acceptance in UCB than UCLA. Since we are in NorCal, I suspect they prefer kids from nearby school.