College matriculation - a bad year?

<p>That’s typical what you say when you don’t know. Besides, does “why” matter more than “what” - in this context at least?</p>

<p>So let the thread die, but please post a link when the 2011 matriculation standings of the top schools comes out.</p>

<p>Just check the school website. Later in the year they should have the 2011 data posted in the “College Counseling” section.</p>

<p>Compare and contrast groups of leet schools with this year’s matriculation against previous recent years to get the picture for 2011.</p>

<p>Even at a PA or St.Pauls, one year of matriculation data can be misleading for any individual assessment or conclusion. Some classes are stronger (or have more legacies, athletes, etc), and kids get into or rejected from colleges for many different and sometimes inexplicable reasons. My college advisor recommends as follows: focus on areas that your DC can control and tune out the noise you cannot (which include the hype about whether 2011 was a good or tough year).</p>

<p>One can’t make any definite conclusions from the data from one year of course, but it can be part of the “trend analysis”. Or, if there’s a significant change in a few top schools, that may say something too. The point of this thread was messed up by thoughtless title anyway. I just wanted to get a “preview” of this year’s matriculation data from parents who have access to them.</p>

<p>Replay post #24 for insight into trends.</p>

<p>Just because they don’t go to Ivies doesn’t mean it’s bad. Because they don’t count some of the really good UC’s out there. My brother attends Berkeley and he’s friends with some Exeter grads.</p>

<p>Metrics are unreliable. They can’t distinguish between college admission rates and student decisions. HYPMS. Hmm. If only a few accepted students decide to attend Olin, rather than MIT, or Williams rather than Harvard, it throws off the statistics. </p>

<p>I don’t think you can assume HYPMS will always win, when students make their enrollment decisions.</p>

<p>Periwinkle has hit the nail on the head. Don’t assume HYPMS will always win for the final decision of a student. So much has changed recently with the excellent universities being able to deliver their messages in real time and digitally to potential students. “The times they are a changin’.”
I would rather see quantitative analysis on how many students got into their first choices from their prep schools. That would be a real measure of success.</p>

<p>Wow, I see that 8 chose to attend Boston College from Phillips Academy. Could that be a factor in regarding it as a “bad year” for matriculation? I mean isn’t BC considered “beneath” the Andovers of the world? – and it’s Catholic to boot!</p>

<p>BC is a great college, near a great city, Boston, and with a tightly knit community. I can see why it would top the list of anyone matriculating from any HS.</p>

<p>Sorry all. I wish I could change the title of the thread (kicking myself now). I had a closer look and gave it some more thought, and decided that it was another good year for Andover (and maybe for other schools too if I get to see some of the data). :)</p>

<p>rbgg - I was being facetious.</p>

<p>Leanid, Where did you see 8 kids going to BC? Can you please provide a link to that info if it is posted somewhere on the Andover website?</p>

<p>Check out page 1 of this thread. The second post, by lemonade, shows where the class of 2011 matriculated.</p>

<p>@leanid, sorry L, I missed it. But as you can see I am in complete agreement. :)</p>

<p>Oh wow spending 200K for getting into Boston College? Something must be wrong in putting the smartest kids through a black box, out come the BC matriculants.</p>

<p>Invent, lots of families are looking at BC (and plug in whatever ofther school of this vintage you choose) after paying 200K at top BSs. Top colleges will not fill their classes with PAs and Paulies, so every kid after the 20-30% of the class at these schools is looking at an outcome like this.</p>

<p>Wow @Invent. Why aren’t students entitled to go to the college that best fits their need? Fit is no different than for college choices and it could be HYP seems like more of the “same.” Your attitude about Andover (being an HYP feeder) is precisely why they began looking at a different way to select their class makeup (as well as other boarding schools).</p>

<p>At my D’s school there are 150 matriculating seniors. 125 colleges showed up for the college fair.</p>

<p>Going to BS means that students have a pretty broad range of choices coming out the other end. And colleges know the “transition” and “academic prep” is top notch. So it could be that after paying $200,000 for boarding school, a full ride or generous merit scholarship for a well-trained student trumps paying for (or take out loans for) another $200,000 for a degree at an HYP.</p>

<p>Which means the students who make such choices are better trained in economics then you give them credit for. :)</p>