I searched the forum because I was sure this would have been linked here already but didn’t find it, so forgive me if it is a repeat. I offer it for information purposes and to see what people’s thoughts are about it. It DID address some questions I had about the precipitous drop in elite admission rates which did not seem to me to correlate to anecdotal population trends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2dkeYnEzA
While there is no magic in it, it certainly made me relax a bit as our family enters this strange new world.
Please let me know your thoughts if you have 11+ min to watch it.
Thanks @Lindagaf , I had already read that excellent post of yours. I especially liked the “be likable” advice and don’t know why it isn’t more prominent in things you read about this. Works in just about every other aspect of life, why not college admission? 
The Ted talk is more about explaining the drastic change in the numbers, which I had really mystified me.
Yes, I thought that was a good explanation. I thought he could have been a little more direct in his main point. As I saw it, he was saying “apply to 14 good (for you) schools, and you are sure to be accepted to 3-4 of them.” I am not sure though if some people might not go “hmmm, he’s right, if I apply to the very top 14 schools, I am sure to get into 3-4 of them.” Those people won’t focus on the other part of his message, which was to find schools you like, and not to focus on the “beautiful girl.”
“Hacking college admissions”, LOL. People use that word (“hacking”) so much these days, it has lost all useful meaning.
I think I’m going to give a TED talk called “hacking personal finance”. In it, I’ll tell people to spend less than they earn, and save their money. {applause}
applying to 14 schools is fine if someone else is paying application fees and to send SAT/ACT scores.