<p>Any confirmed facts? I've heard both that they do it based on your essays and what you might fit into, as well as that its based on a ranking. Ideas?</p>
<p>also wondering, i got sixth college, which was my 4th choice</p>
<p>I’ve made my opinion on this matter clear on CC, but does anyone honestly think they have time to sort the thousands of applicants into colleges based on essays? Why aren’t ALL art majors accepted into Sixth, or ALL engineering majors accepted into Warren? Why doesn’t everyone get into Muir who wants it, even if they fit into Muir’s “independent” and “free thinking” motto? It’s all based on numbers. Whoever has the best numbers gets their first choice. I’m convinced, unless someone can point me in the direction of a Regents scholar who wasn’t put into their first choice college.</p>
<p>I agree with UCSanDiego…</p>
<p>They have like 50 something thousand applications to go through and cut them down (they definitely arent paying attention to your essays at this point and are just giving your points). Even after they have it narrowed down there are several things that can be done.</p>
<p>1-They accept you by points (most likely since you find out SD decisions before quite a few of the other UCs)
2-They spend time and reread all the 30K essays (15K students, 2 essays each) and then sit and think for EACH ONE, “where do I think this person fits?” (Highly unlikely, admissions isnt equipped or paid enough to do that)</p>
<p>And, if the 2nd option is the case, why would they even have us fill in our college ranking anyways. If anything, they’d never ask our college preference and then just place us wherever they pleased.</p>
<p>I know people from my school who got full rides to usc, got accepted into stanford, duke, cal, and ucla, who didn’t get their first choices, and in fact got their 5th choices… so I’m guessing it’s not purely by points</p>
<p>how long would it take to look at my subject tests - USHistory 800 and Literature 750 - and decide to put me in ERC? i agree that looking at essays takes too much time, but looking at test scores and making a rapid decision doesnt. i think it’s probably a mixture of giving the best people the top choice and also actually trying to place people.</p>
<p>I think they might look at ECs too. Because I didn’t write anything about art in my essays but if you look at my EC list, you could tell I do a lot of art. So I guess that’s why I got into Sixth even though it was like my 3rd or 4th choice.</p>
<p>Even taking the time to categorize and organize applications by points just to assign colleges sounds like something way too time and process intensive for 15K applications. I’m more inclined to believe that they just assign the colleges in the order they process the applications.</p>
<p>E.g. Johnny has a 3.4 and was secretary of the Mediocrity club in H.S… His first choice is Muir which is open, so (boom!) he’s in Muir. Uh oh, Muir is now full. Betty’s application is next. She’s got a 4.2, and was president of her own small country for a while. Her first choice is Muir. Oops, sorry, full. Next choice, Revelle. Ding! Winnar.</p>
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<p>I think ucsandiego915 might be right. My son is a Regents Scholar and got his first choice.</p>
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<p>Correlation does not equal causation. There’s anecdotal evidence (in this thread) that suggests otherwise.</p>
<p>You do realize that part of being a regents scholar is that they get their first choice, right? </p>
<p>“Regents Scholars are guaranteed admission to the college of their choice at the time of admission.” </p>
<p>([Regents</a> Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.ucsd.edu/current-students/finances/financial-aid/types/scholarships/freshmen/regents-scholarships.html]Regents”>http://www.ucsd.edu/current-students/finances/financial-aid/types/scholarships/freshmen/regents-scholarships.html)) </p>
<p>I think it’s just luck. If you’re on the top of the pile, you get whatever school is first unless it’s full, then it goes to the next one, etc.</p>
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<p>That doesn’t prove that the folks with the best numbers get their choice, just that Regents Scholars do. I suspect that people who aren’t Regents scholars but have great scores get lumped in the same pile as everyone else. I’d love to see a website or something that indicates otherwise.</p>
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<p>Er, yeah. My point exactly.</p>