Yes, I think the article dfbdfb linked speaks to all of these issues. For a variety of reasons - the war on college education, the demographic cliff, etc. - will impact (favorably for applicants) those colleges outside of the top 100 or so. Those lower down the pecking order will likely see an erosion of applicants and will have to fight harder to fill the necessary spots to remain a viable entity. The Harvards, on the other hand, will likely always have a sufficiently robust applicant pool.
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Literally this morning, D25 tells me, “Mom, I really think I want a college that has football.”
As if we didn’t already have enough variables to consider!
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Random:
Kid applied EA to a school that releases decisions on one day in Jan (or so it says).
In mailbox today is a brochure from this school…cover is
“FirstName, Get ready for life at ___ College!” and inside is
“get ready to find your path here at ___College” …
Doesn’t it seem mean to use this wording if kid isn’t in?
yes, I am overthinking 
When I first glanced at the cover I thought it was a weird admissions letter.. (portal doesn’t say anything..) It is a likely school for them and a not top pick, but now am curious 
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Yep. One of my son’s top choice schools sent an email that said, “Get ready for your decision…” and then linked to his portal. It was just a reminder to check the portal regularly.
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Ugh, I don’t like toying with emotions
Luckily my kid only glanced at the mail today since they are so busy… they didn’t seem to read much into it
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That’s awful.
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That is just cruel! My S got a brochure from his ED school right after he applied and inside it said “You’re in! What’s next?”. It was an interview with a current student recounting how they felt about their admission. Ugh.
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Oh my word! That is truly awful!!
I get they have to produce a ton of materials but you’d think they could get a current student intern (that’s recently been through the process) to gut check some of this!
There has GOT to be a better way to say that rather than make a student think they have received an answer earlier than expected. Ugh.
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C25 received an email with title like Your ED1 Application just saying that all materials have been received.
I know by the end of D23’s admission cycle I had warm feelings for several schools and not so warm feelings for others. I’m sure it will be the same this cycle with S25.
Colleges should be careful about misleading advertising because it does leave a taste in the mouth.
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The good news is that an AO sent an email to D25 and me about flying in for a “Scholars Day”. I responded, saying Nutcracker was that day. She replied, saying that decisions would come out on x date and that “I think she’ll be pleased”. A different AO wrote on a card that was encouraging students to apply, “Yeah, D25!” That one is giving no indication of outcome, to be sure, but it at least means they are aware that she is already in the mix and “known”, on some level.
The bad news is that D25 thinks both these schools are great, but does not think their dance is strong enough. (When I asked if these were wasted apps, she said no, that she will consider them, but that they can’t be her top option, bc they aren’t a BFA.) Sometimes I wonder if we have made the right choices about this, and then I see her passion and how she lights up when dancing, take a deep breath, and keep walking down this path.
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I mean, there’s already been a reduction in the number of kids graduating HS—but there’s also been a decrease in the rate at which HS graduates go to college. It’s a double hit.
D25 got what looks like a Thanksgiving card in the mail from her #1 or 2 college. She’s been gone all day at football semi-finals and I’m dying for her to open it. Hoping it’s a good sign.
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It is all quiet for D25, which is fine because she has 4 more apps (2 reaches, 1 target, 1 more safety) to go. I don’t think she’s going to hear back from anyone else until Jan/Feb/March. She said she’s going to finish everything over this next week and not have to work on apps over Xmas.
I think from up thread, some kids are already done with all apps? Cheers to you all. I will have a glass of champagne to celebrate when D25 is done.
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I think mine is done, but not sure how usual that is?
There was an RD school on their list but they are not looking like they are up for writing another long essay. All their other schools had EA options which they used..We should know from about 1/2 in Dec and 1/2 in January.
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How much weight, if any, are you putting on the financial grade of the schools to which your kid is applying? I let D25 choose the schools she wanted to apply to before checking the Forbes list for this year, and it’s somewhat discouraging now that I’m glancing at it again. Aside from the most well-resourced schools, which didn’t change over the last few years, most schools had a spike with Covid (I presume bc more money came to support them?) and are now dropping again. Her reaches are all in the A+ to A- range, matches are mostly Bs, but her safeties are almost all in the C-D range.
I gave her a heads up about one school before she applied (the one with a D), but other than that decided to just roll the dice and talk about it as one factor to consider when she’s making her decisions. What are you all doing?
One of my son’s safeties has a B- on Forbes ranking, but I know from research that it is in a financially precarious position. Its S&P rating is BBB- with a negative outlook. This makes me so sad, because this is such a perfect fit school for him in so many ways.
We have talked to him about the risks of the school closing or dropping his program and he still applied, but we are closely watching to see if anything changes.
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My kid’s top choices are in the C to B- range. Nothing a B or higher. We’re targeting schools that heavily discount with merit, and have their niche major so it is what it is.
The heavily resourced schools tend to do need based aid but since we’re high income that means we’d be full pay. Can’t justify $400k for undergrad based on C25’s major.
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I am looking at Forbes list and Bain analysis. I steered kid away from some C- on Forbes with Bain predictions of “weak” and getting worse.
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