I’ve been gathering info for a year or two on this site preparing for this summer/fall as we go through the “college process” for the first time with our oldest. One of the questions I still have mulling around is whether it would be appropriate to ask the college admissions counselor what tends to hold students from our school back from getting accepted into their school.
For anonymity I don’t want to give specifics, but I’d like to know not only for rising senior (for whom the answer might be too late) but also for the two I have coming up behind her (who might want to make different choices depending on the answer).
I can see the question being received both ways, negatively or positively, and would love some further thoughts to consider! Thank you!
It is a valid question. I am not sure you’re going to get an honest answer, but you can ask it.
They may have found what they consider to be more qualified students elsewhere, but saying that outright open a debate they aren’t interested in having. They will instead tell you about the record number of applications they’ve received and let that imply that the process is pretty competitive.
They may have overlooked your high school. Admitting that doesn’t instill confidence. Hearing that may make you wonder if it is even worth applying, but the more applicants they get, the more selective they appear. Again, they will tell you about the record number of applications received.
Your school may be blacklisted for a couple of years because a previous student or guidance counselor fudged the rules (backed out of an ED agreement or failed to withdraw other applications, for example). Again, they won’t admit that or they’ll lose applicants.
Colleges go for geographic diversity. They may have accepted X from your area already. You may not be aware of the data from other nearby high schools.
I doubt that they would be offended if you ask the question, but I would expect their answer to be vague and unsatisfying. Their job is to increase the number of applications and encourage students to attend their college. Their answers to any questions are going to align with that mission.
I doubt any adcom would give an honest reply to this question, as pointed out in reply #1. Why not phrasing it a bit more indirectly such as “I’ve heard few/no students from here have been accepted at X lately; is there something that would strengthen the application of my child”
That said, a traditional way to boost chances is to apply ED. I wonder if your dilemna is whether to burn the ED app on a school that has not been accepting students from your HS early. If this has been happening then the cause is probably something you can’t change and I’d look elsewhere.
I was thisclosetoasking UChicago Dean of College Admissions Nondorf the same thing last summer at an on-site info session.
It is possible that you may want to first discuss your concerns with the guidance counselor at the school(s) your children attend, and, of course, greatly consider the whole of what the college/university you are speaking of messages it is looking for in its incoming student body. Perhaps few students from the school actually match the student profile the college is looking for in its incoming classes.
At the info session I attended with Dean Nondorf, a slightly different question, but one somewhat related to your concern, was asked: “Is it possible there is a ban on students from my school?” That question was met with an emphatic, arm-span widening (okay, this is purely Nondorf’s style), myth-dispelling, good-natured rebuke.
I can’t think you will get far asking this question, but I also do not believe you would be the first to make such an inquiry of the admissions counselor you make contact with, nor that it would harm your child’s application in any way.
The response simply may not offer up any information that is useful to you in an inside-track kind of way.