Don't believe the hype with colleges stalk you

Parents…if you have a student with good grades and good SAT’s (but not necessarily outstanding) try not to fall into the trap so many families fall into.
When colleges begin following your student, and begging them to apply based primarily on their SAT’s, please don’t believe the hype. I think College Confidential calls this, Stalking. Tulane and Fordham are two colleges that begged my S to apply, starting in the summer before his senior year in high school. They begged and begged and he finally gave in. My S was deferred, then ultimately denied at Tulane and deferred and ultimately wait listed at Fordham. The whole journey took 8 months to complete.

Lesson learned…if a college seems interested in your student based on SAT scores, and begs them to apply even though deep down you know your student does not qualify based on the school’s published requirements, your probably right. Don’t waist your time and money applying.

Yes Google “common data sets” plus college name. Look at last years stats and see where your student falls. If it’s at the lower end forget it. Even the Ivies and Ivy likes hound all kinds of students knowing full well they won’t be accepted. This presses their acceptance rates lower each year and makes a nice little chump change for then charging $100 or so per application.

I think University of Chicago is one of the biggest offenders. There is a thread somewhere on CC where people posted “their favorites”.