I’m going to guess that having to do almost 10000 financial aid packages for potential students is challenging the reaources of the school. A lot of work for the 30 percent yield they are currently experiencing.
EA is what helped my daughter choose BC over other schools. With their current admitted statistics I’m not sure BU and NYU are what they consider their peer schools.
I do think 2 consecutive years of changes in their admission process are aggressive and perhaps will be negatively viewed.
Are you saying BC’s peer schools are higher or lower than NYU and BU? They are both expensive privates that have lower acceptance rates than BC(which will probably even out once BC implements ED) and fairly similar SAT averages.
I also agree that BC should probably stay away from any more admissions changes for a while after this though haha.
BC is a Jesuit closed campus school that is need blind and meets full demonstrated financial need. Also BC is in suburban environment.
NYU and BU are non religious affiliated open city campus schools that are not need blind and do not meet full demonstrated financial need.
NYU and BU have almost double to 3 times the applicants to achieve similar admission statistics to BC in terms of average accepted SAT and ACT scores.
So my feeling is that most kids that truly want to go to either BC or NYU/BU are not peer competitors. For 75 bucks many people apply to multiple schools and they may all cross paths,
Georgetown, Notre Dame and Dartmouth would be more likely competitive admission peers of BC.
NYU, BU, Northeastern, U Penn are more likely to be cross competing peers.
@lgs03 While there are many different environmental factors between BC and BU/NYU, what is usually meant by peers is academic and student body factors, and in that regard they are absolutely peer schools. I myself am still surprised at how many cross applicants the schools get given fit factors but I think that happens because people group Boston schools together and believe BC is an urban school based on the name if they don’t do their research. But still, they are all absolutely academic peers statistically in terms of acceptance rates (15-35%), test scores (ACT ranges within 31-35), and yield (20-35%).
Based on accepted student data they are academic peers.
NYU and BU would end up being cross applicant schools to probably at least 3/4 of universities based on the sheer amount of applications they each receive.
The only data I can see for applicants is my children’s and nephews Naviance that also shows the applicants grades and test scores. BU and NYU applicants tend to have an overall lower GPA and test scores than BC applicants. Not a statistician to know if this is significant or the overall applicant across my state or the country.
Not sure how BC has data on another schools admitted data on page 34
They are all highly competitive academic schools that on a personal level and friend to a college consultant not consider as competitors once the admittance is in hand. also not suggesting one is better than the other.Or am I suggesting that a student would choose BC over either. But very likely there are other schools more likely in play for those students.
Just very different in all aspects other than SAT/ACT score of admitted students.
“I think in that ND and GT scenario the kids shoot for those EA and if they don’t get in then they may decide to try BC in the ED 2 round. I sort of think that’s why BC is offering that.”
@suzy100 very good point. When I saw this news, I was disappointed in BC because many who apply to ND REA also apply to BC EA (as my son did). But I guess one could move an RD application to ED2 if denied or deferred from ND. But either way, it puts the student at a disadvantage because they have to make a commitment without having all the information available to them.
Interesting that BC has predicted numbers for their ED/RD stats for next year on the ED webpage. The website says 40%(~950) of the class will be filled through EDI and EDII out of a pool of 2000-3000(30-50% acceptance rate) and then 60%(~1450) out of a pool of 25000. So applications severely dip again from 35k to 27-28k similar to when they added the essay, yield around 35% and acceptance rate around 25%. I’m surprised they believe the RD pool wouldn’t change from people not willing to ED, so doing RD now instead of EA at all.
I agree, one thing I like about ED at BC is that those that get in through that route show that BC is their #1. Everyone grows to love it and there’s huge school pride here, but there was definitely a sense of BC being some people’s second or third choices during freshman year, usually behind Georgetown and/or Notre Dame. Putting admissions stats aside, I do like the idea of admitting who truly want to go to BC instead of making it easier for people to just add it onto their list. I think nonrestrictive EA was going in the wrong direction, inflating app numbers and most likely decreasing yield. The new admissions director’s goal was to improve yield, and finding students who have BC as their #1 is the way to do it.
All great points. BC, Norte Dame and Georgetown all attract very high caliber students. EA option offered them the opportunity to measure. Schools with single digit admission policies (ED)do not give students that privelage. BC was late to the prestige game relative to ND and GT. All great schools but if admitted to all 3 and they all had some admit rate and cost factor I feel the students again would know where they belong. Students next year applying ED will ignore the smoke and apply ED because they want to be there.
Not a fan of the ED change but it’s a business
Assuming the target class size stays the same, around 2300, 40% ED would be 920 (did someplace say 950? I missed it). While they have projected 2,000 to 3,000 ED 1+2 total apps, I wonder how they came up with that prediction and whether it will be accurate. Coincidentally, BC is also aiming for 920 to enroll out of the 4,488 EA offers this year and at the moment, the 2023 FB group is at 1,084, though presumably not all will enroll. This will be interesting to watch.
I understand that college enrollment is BIG business, but still, I am disappointed that BC is going to ED. It advantages the advantaged, and to me, that is un-Jesuit like. (And, for the same reason, not a fan of the Gabelli scholarships…)
Only advantaged in college process are first generation, underrepresented minority , recruited athlete and possibly active alumni children. They are a full need school. So if it’s your first choice that is addressed. You may not like it so if that’s the case don’t apply ED. Majority of the top 50 have ED. I think often people of financial means may think ED is an advantage if scores and grades are lower than average. However this is rarely the case as these schools have the volume and quality off applicants they need. However I’m all for no ED at any school.
Not really, since there are plenty of more generous schools that are need-only. In addition, there are plenty of merit schools that can offer a ‘better deal’, at least for those in the lower-middle class. Thus, ED advantages those that do not have to compare financial aid offers. And to me, that is direct conflict with a Jesuit education value…
“Women & Men For and With Others - Sharing gifts, pursuing justice, and having concern for the poor and marginalized.”
…as the poor should not apply ED to anywhere but the most generous schools (read Ivy and thier ilk).
Perhaps true, but BC is the only Jesuit school in the top 50 with ED. (Of course, Georgetown in the only other Jesuit top 50.)
Unless you have a hook you are very unlikely to have multiple admittances and resulting financial aid offers to top 50 schools. Unhooked competitive applicant is lucky to have 2 acceptances to a top 50. Many stories on CC of not getting any acceptance to top 50 with great stats. There are just too many competitive applicants to the top 50. People complaining about BC or any schools not being generous enough just don’t see the value. Which is perfectly fine. They should not be in ED pool at any school if they want multiple acceptances and FA offers.
There should not be ED at any school. However CC is full of posts of people trying to negtiate as much aid as they can. Again it’s the hooked applicant that has the advantage negotiating as they are most desirable for ranking purposes.
@NYC2018nyc ED2 is good for those who may have applied REA or EA in another first choice school but was denied or deferred in December. The ED2 option is a later deadline, therefore, those who consider BC to be second choice (for example, backup for ND or GT), could apply ED2 to increase admission chances.
@bluebayou I agree with you about ED being “un-Jesuit like.” It basically puts those who are disadvantaged financially with no hooks, etc. into the RD pool and decreases their chances of admission. Also, their merit is so limited. It would be nice if they offered more merit awards, but not full pay. My son was nominated for merit at ND, and we were pleasantly surprised. They really should consider spreading the that money around to more people.
@WineLover
All schools have an estimated financial contribution calculator before you apply…If you are economically disadvantaged you know your cost before applying. The only disadvantage from a financial perspective to ED is the ability to NEGOTIATE. God bless those that are fortunate enough to get the admits to top 50 schools and the ability to negotiate. Its a very small group, that IMO mislead many on CC.
Schools are not in the business of negotiating with thousands of students against other schools before they have committed…
We need to stop this blame game on CC, The problem with ED is that 17-18 year olds are asked to make that commitment without the ability of finding out where else they would have gotten in.
Notre Dame likely offers more spread out merit due to its rural location in my opinion. Its a logistics and financial concern for families. BC attracts many more students from the northeast.I think they want too sway the high IVY students to BC. Not sure which is more equitable as they both are already a full need school. Merit aid at a full need school super competitive admission school seems like an oxymoron personally. Its the reason BC eliminated its honors programs. How can you really differentiate ?
Congratulations on ND its a fantastic school.
It’s not necessarily about negotiating FA packages but comparing them. My Ds were admitted to several “meets full need” schools and the FA offered at those schools differed by as much as $12K.
I strongly disagree with this statement, but since cc is not a debate society, I’ll just register my opposition and leave it at that.
Correct.
Not necessarily. The NPC works great for the intact family with W2 earnings and typical investments (house, equities, etc.) It’s not so accurate for those that own a small business or have divorced parents and one of the 'rents is not so forthcoming with financial info (which is quite common as posts on cc indicate).
