<p>Most of you have now seen the process up close for at least one year now. If you could change one thing about the way colleges and universities select students what would it be?</p>
<p>If I had a magic wand I would would require all US universities/ colleges to report the actual number of spots taken each year by early acceptances, recruited athletes, developemental admits, international students, legacies, etc.. and the chances of acceptances for those groups of students each year, as well as the student without any hooks- so the average student would have a more realistic idea of what their chances really were.</p>
<p>Make the acceptance call early and not make us fill out all the financial crap when you don't know if your S/D is in or not. What a waste of time if the answer is no.</p>
<p>Menloparkmom,</p>
<p>It might be nice to also have the 25-75% on the SAT's for those groups to assess how much these "hooks" really mattered.</p>
<p>Don't defer students who apply during EA or ED. All it does is prolong the pain and prevent students from fully moving on to other, perhaps more realistic, options. It would be much better to just give a clean yes or no ED/EA answer and get it over with. </p>
<p>By the same token, I'd like to see more transparency in the waitlist process, and much smaller numbers waitlisted. There is absolutely no need for any college or university to have a waitlist numbering in the hundreds.</p>
<p>In both cases, I feel it is cruel to ask 17 and 18 year olds to keep their lives on hold purely for the sake of institutional enrollment management objectives.</p>
<p>Carolyn,</p>
<p>At a minimum it would be nice to know the percentage of students, passed over ED, who are ultimately admitted.</p>
<p>I think I'd like to see USNWR stop including the ratio of admits/ total applications in their measure of selectivity. This might reduce the incentive for colleges to encourage kids to apply who have no chance of admittance.</p>
<p>In a perfect world, all colleges would work under rolling admissions.</p>
<p>Here is a second wish, and I know a lot of people aren't going to like this, but here goes:I think that any US College or University that pays no US taxes , or takes in Federal $$ for research or any program, should be required to reserve most openings for US students. I think the efforts by colleges, particularily those with huge endowments [in no small part due to the results of their huge fundraising efforts which they then pay no taxes on] to attract international students, at the expense of US students, is something that should be challenged. IMHO, their are plenty of students in this country from diverse enough backgrounds , including those who have legally immigrated to this country, to satisfy most colleges need for diversity. This country is a melting pot! Too many highly qualified students are denied acceptance when openings go to international students instead. US students should not be denied the best opportunities for college because there may be a lack of space for international students at universities outside of the US. There, I've said it. Bombs away!</p>
<p>Well, I'm going to echo what's been said. I think it's wasteful to have people take their valuable time to fill out reems of financial aid forms without a clue as to whether the applicant has been accepted. As a pile-on to that, I don't believe $18 for each school the Profile is sent to is justified. (Some real competition would bring that charge down fast.)</p>
<p>I also think that schools that ask a kid who's been deferred after applying EA or rolling admissions to write more essays are being cruel.</p>
<p>Menloparkmom, To a certain extent, the Federal government is the one pushing for colleges to boost international enrollment. The State Department sees it as a strategic way to improve U.S. approval ratings down the road overseas. And, in reality, there are PLENTY of available seats at U.S. colleges for U.S. students. No one is being denied the chance to attend college because an international student has taken their seat.</p>
<p>I think the State Dept could come up with numerous other means to "improve US approval ratings overseas". Students are being denied the opportunity to go to the college of their choice, not just any college, if spaces are specifically reserved for international students, whose parents don't pay US taxes. Would those spots go unfilled if there were fewer international applicants? No.</p>
<p>menloparkmom: I'm a legal alien but not a permanent resident, which means that I have to apply to college as an international student, even though I've lived in the United States for six years (which, since I'm a foreign service brat, is longer than I've lived in any other country). I have attended an American high school and excelled there. I would love to become a dual citizen, stay here after college, and yes, even pay taxes here, but right now there is no way for me to do that legally. Should I be sent back to the country where I was born--even though I'm uncomfortable in the language, haven't lived there in years, and don't intend to live there in the future--because my visa happens to be a G-4 instead of a Green Card? If I ever get my permanent visa, will the taxes I pay for the rest of my life make up for the four years of college I selfishly denied a more deserving US citizen? :confused:</p>
<p>I'm not trying to challenge you; I do see your point, but I'm curious about what you think of those of us who aren't quite domestic, but not dirty foreigners :rolleyes: either.</p>
<p>Edited to add: If I could change one thing about this process, it would be for it to make me feel more like a halfway decent human being and less like something the cat dragged in. I've rarely felt so downright undesirable.</p>
<p>Menloparkmom,</p>
<p>I'm not disaggreeing with the notion that places are taken. But it's my understanding that financial aid is virtually non-existent for international students and that if anything these students meet higher academic standards than the rest of the student body. It's also my expereience that they really do add an element of diversity to the campus that is of value to everyone.</p>
<p>
But it's my understanding that financial aid is virtually non-existent for international students and that if anything these students meet higher academic standards than the rest of the student body.
That is correct.</p>
<p>I'd suggest making the application process two rounds -- for the first round no more than three applications due mid-November with a student accept/reject deadline of say January first. The second round would consist of only those students still looking for a school on January second. The current system of an ED1, and ED2, a couple of EAs, a few regulars, and perhaps a waitlist or two is both wasteful and contraproductive IMHO. "Is twenty applications too many?" YIKES!</p>
<p>Students are being denied the opportunity to go to the college of their choice, not just any college, if spaces are specifically reserved for international students, whose parents don't pay US taxes.>></p>
<p>Menlomom, I do not think there is not a single college or university in the country that has "reserved" a certain number of spots for international students. You might want to read through the threads in the International student forum to see just how hard it is for international students to make the cut at US schools, especially at the "elite" schools you seem to be referring to. I assure you that international students are not getting ANY preference in admissions over equally qualified US students. In fact, they have to jump through more hoops than any US student.</p>
<p>I understand your frustration, and can understand where your point of view is coming from, but the reality is different than you are suggesting.</p>
<p>This is not about financial aid, it's about spaces going to students living abroad when there are plenty of students living here that are just as qualified, even for the most select universities. And no, I don't think that students who live here legally should have to apply as International applicants. There are lots of problems with immigration laws in the country. My son's best friend has lived in the US for all but 2 weeks out of his 18 years, and for numerous reason out if his control- divorcing parents and red tape, he couldn't apply to US colleges as anything other than an international student, which I think is utterly ridiculous. This about US universities, which are subsidized by US taxpayers by virtue of being tax exempt, choosing to accept a student from another country for the sake of "diversity" when there are more than enough students here to choose from.</p>
<p>I would like to see the admissions process become one where students would not let themselves become victims of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem etc. as a result of wanting to be admitted to "top" schools.</p>
<p>Adolescence is meant to be enjoyed.</p>
<p>I assure you that international students are not getting ANY preference in admissions over equally qualified US students. </p>
<p>Perhaps not, but I can assure you that there are enough extremely bright, highly qualified students living in this country to fill all the openings that are given to international students in the name of diversity. </p>
<p>And as long as some colleges are tauting how diverse their student population is as a selling point to lure in applicants, you can be sure that during the admissions process , committees are checking how many "internationals" have been accepted so far, and make adjustments as they go, in order to be able to continue to show their continuing policy of having an internationally diverse student population.</p>