Can Colleges See How Many Schools You Are Applying To?

Hi. I know that colleges are worried about yield protection. Can they see how many schools you are applying to, or which schools you are applying to? Our family is a donut hole family, so we will not be doing a FAFSA. (I’m pretty sure colleges can see it if you do a FAFSA and it’s important to list schools alphabetically on the FAFSA so they don’t know what your preferences are).

@melvin123
I asked the EXACT same question over two months ago in the common app forum, and received no responses. I am curious as well.

As to the alphabetic FAFSA, my view is it probably does not actually matter, but I would advise arranging them that way regardless.

Wish I could help.

I would not worry too much because every kid applies to more than one school with reaches, matches and safeties. I do not think they know what other colleges you apply to.

FAFSA no longer shares that info with the colleges. I don’t think there is a way unless you tell them (some apps ask where else you applied).

I’m asking because my ex is resistant to our daughter applying to more than 5 schools because his sister told him that the schools will know and decline her due to yield protection. Evidently the HS where my former SIL’s kids attended was adamant about no more than 5 college applications for this reason. Now our daughter is worrying. I think this is crazy to worry about, but want to calm ruffled feathers.

I know if you send a FAFSA schools can see it.
Do schools see them when you send SAT or ACT scores?
Is there any other way for them to see it? I don’t think so.

Look up whether the colleges in question use level of applicants interest in admission in the common data set section C7 or on collegedata.com .

Thanks @ucbalumnus , she has or will visit all the schools she is going to apply to because campus vibe is important to her. That should be enough for demonstrated interest, or does she need to do more?

@melvin123

And you know this how?

Starting a couple of years ago this no longer is the case. Colleges can NOT see where else you submitted your FAFSA.

There are some states where apparently the specific schools can see this info…but it’s certainly NOT the case for most.

Colleges receive the SAT scores you submit to them…they cannot see where else you submitted those scores.

All I know is that if I’m on CC talking about a school I get ads.
If I’m on my phone–I’m tagged.
If I go to ANY website–I’m done for–I get ads.
Pretty sure they could find out–but do they care? Probably not.

according to http://time.com/money/4124705/fafsa-listing-colleges/

“To prevent future abuses, starting with the 2016-17 FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education will no longer share your list of colleges with the schools receiving your FAFSA data. But your list will still be available to state aid agencies, and some states require that students list an in-state public college first to qualify for state aid. So the order in which you list your colleges remains important for financial-aid purposes.”

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1626043-ways-to-show-a-high-level-of-applicants-interest.html is an older discussion on how to show a high level of applicant’s interest to colleges that consider that.

For visits, make sure that the visit is recorded at the admissions office.

Forgive me if this has been asked and answered but when you request SAT scores be sent to schools, do they send the scores from each time you took the test or just the current test you are registering for?

@Empireapple here is the link to the college board page that lets you know that you can choose which scores you send. Some colleges/scholarships require you to send all - you have to look at your individual college/scholarship website to find that out. https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/scores/sending-scores/score-choice

@thumper1 you are correct that my information was dated. I did not know it changed last year.

@runswimyoga thank you for the quote. Very helpful.

@ucbalumnus thanks for the link!