<p>Oberlin</a> Blogs | Blog Entry: "What are my chances?"</p>
<p>Wonderful! What I have been saying for a long time on these boards, that while we empathize with the “need to know” and the commensurate nervous energy, its absurd. And even if you get all thumbs up, it could still be wrong. (Or vice versa). </p>
<p>Small LAC’s get fewer applications, like Oberlin, and they can take more time per application. And while a lot of schools profess to look at each application wholistically before deciding if you go in “that pile” (rejections), the truth of the matter is that often they do have numerical statistical red lines. </p>
<p>Kids and their prestige hound parents would be well advised to be rational and reasonable, and focus on match and safety schools (relative to their scores). And then focus from that pool of schools on which ones fit the best.</p>
<p>Good luck to all.</p>
<p>In terms of admission decisions, I always think of the “story” of the admissions officer explaining why one student was admitted over another equally qualified student. “We needed another French horn player,” he supposedly said!</p>