Reality sets in and application is unfinished

frazzled2thecore
Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:22:49 +0000

Dad II - Last year our guidance office warned parents that college admissions had become so unpredictable that while they used to advise students to apply to no more than around seven schools, they now have no problem with ten, twelve, or even more, especially with top students targeting top schools. As a practical matter, though, students seem to stop at around twenty, and only a few get that far.

They also informed parents that for the past couple of years, they had seen students who did not get admitted to any schools on their list. This happened to one of my daughter’s friends, who is taking a gap year.

From talking to other parents, the more common scenario is for top students to apply to our flagship, PSU, and also UPitt as safeties, and to go to one of these if they are turned down everywhere else. Some are happy at the state school, while others transfer. For other students, during the months between getting admission to either of these schools and hearing from the other schools, they receive merit aid, admission to honors colleges, and invitations for special visits, and they are so impressed with what these “safety” schools are offering their top admits that they see no reason whatsoever to go to reachier schools (even Ivies) that offer admission. PSU even holds guaranteed honors housing for students admitted to Schreyer until the May 1 reply date, so that these students do not have to send in housing deposits earlier rather than risk ending up in supplemental housing.