We are in rural Texas in a meh district… My mid-performer S22 got into several colleges where he was squarely in the bottom quarter grade-wise, some even with big merit aid. I can only surmise that it was geographic diversity and the fact that he came off as humble and real based on his activities and LORs.
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Or it’s more likely that you read the situation properly.
I truly believe that it remains easy to “understand the landscape” of both acceptances and money but there are many who don’t do the prep work or try.
I helped one family - and nearly nailed it on their chances. They also used college vine which gave similar answers.
You picked the right schools given your sons chances. And hopefully there was a rejection in there - just to ensure you applied at the right levels - but that only matters if you were using rank or pedigree as a barometer…otherwise it doesn’t.
Too many think TO means I can get in without a test (true, but if it’s not a test blind school, it may not give you a leg up and it may not give you a leg up on merit, etc.)
Or their kid has a 4.0 so they are golden.
It’s more like who doesn’t have a 4.0 
Or being gay or trans is a hook - sorry, put 5000 people together and you’ll have LGBTQ members there so it’s not a pull, etc.
Or writing about that - like the AO didn’t get 27 essays earlier in the day about the same thing.
Yes, more are applying to the same “top” colleges and the lesser known schools are struggling - and hence discounting. And the named schools have more apps than they know what to do with.
It’s really not that hard - sorry to all those who have struggled.
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This is obviously anecdotal, but at my S22’s school what we are seeing is more kids than ever opting for the least expensive options, regardless of acceptances. Most of his friends who were accepted to more “prestigious “ schools are not going if it is more costly. They don’t want the loans and don’t want their parents burdened with the cost.
Three of the top 5 students are all going to state schools, despite acceptances to “elite” schools.
His take it that Covid changed the way they think about the cost of college.
Our HS is an average public school I guess.
But compared to when my other kid graduated in 2019, there isn’t that obsession with rankings.
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“Or being gay or trans is a hook - sorry, put 5000 people together and you’ll have LGBTQ members there so it’s not a pull, etc.”
Technically, the same could be said for all groups that are traditionally considered “hooked” (put together 5000 people and you will have URMs, legacies, and strong athletes).
Also, I think it is now a hook at Amherst College (though not as strong a hook as URM, Legacy, or Strong Athlete) because they recently started asking sexual orientation and gender identity on the Common App, and D (who is a student at Amherst College) knows people who have worked in the admissions office and they heard from the admissions officers that they have added that question explicitly to increase LGBTQ+ diversity on-campus.
I also think being transgender is more likely to be a hook than being gay because the latter is much more common than the former.
Amherst is a smaller, so perhaps that’s why - and perhaps my statement is just flat out wrong. After all, it’s an opinion.
But honestly, what is to stop someone from checking the box, just to think it gives them a leg up?
and how would one know if it was asked - that it wouldn’t be used against them?
btw - I agree with your statement - well depending on the school and aid policy - about put 5K together and you’ll get this or that. If a school doesn’t meet 100% need, you may not get the diversity
But some “seek out” athletes, URMs, first gen, or legacy. And yes, you could make the same point about LGBTQ.
And perhaps I’m off kilter but we read so many chance mes that say they are LGBTQ and/or Trans - and my belief is, that’s not an advantage…nor should it be…but neither should it be a disadvantage.
But that’s my “opinion” and I do appreciate your insight.
D actually had a classmate in high school who (obnoxiously) pretended to be gay so she could get a LGBTQ+ scholarship for science majors at Georgia Tech. What makes it worse is she actually got the scholarship and accepted it.
Well, and I may be false in stating this, but if you read chance mes - since everyone else (ok, not everyone but it seems like it) - since everyone embellishes their ECs (it appears), why not embellish their identity
Makes you wonder of the overall moral fiber of many of the students out there.
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Generally, the apple doesn’t fall too far away from the tree.
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It could also become a little self fulfilling. Who knows… Once having declared a new identity, they may explore it.
I have noticed that trend, at least in recent posts (though I suspect that two recent chance mes may know each other in real life). You may be right that there may be identity embellishment in some posts (and @RosePetal35’s story makes me ill), but I can’t say how depressing, demoralizing, and just heartbroken it would make me if that was truly the case.
My trans S22 didn’t want to put that information on his application or essays. That was his choice. He didn’t think it should be a factor.
It was, of course, a factor in him excluding entire states and all colleges within due to what their legislatures are doing currently.
But, once he narrowed the choices down to “places I am unlikely to be jailed or killed for existing”, he chose not to bring it up, on the chance that it might be a hook.
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It’s fair - I’m not sure why everyone has to identify things (in life). I’m not saying that people shouldn’t be proud of who they are - they should.
But i’m sure essays about growing up gay or trans are probably - overly common.
I’ll be honest and one day I’ll take the time to learn - i still don’t know what trans means - i.e. dressing, identifying, or surgically becoming another gender - and I know trans is just the pre but there’s gender, sexual, and more - and I need to learn.
I think your son is smart to find a school or if he wants to - a state - that would be welcoming to him…as any student should find a welcoming school. And yes, you might find a great school like Rice but in a state that many think is unwelcoming - just using that school and Texas as an example.
Hopefully, all these kids find great settings for themselves.
Somehow, they’ll look back in 20 years - and hopefully all will have found some level of success.
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Literally, if we were to visit Rice, I could be accused of child abuse, since he is not 18 yet, and that’s what Texas is doing. So, he just eliminated colleges he would be unable to visit, or we would be unable to help drop him off at, assuming school started before his late August birthday.
It does help focus the mind, a bit, when people are making your existence illegal or subject to 10 year jail sentences.
I suspect that “self-selection” may cause trans and gay to be less of a “hook” since they’re all selecting to similar schools and away from other schools.
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I’ll have to read the law - that seems extreme. I know a lot of these laws - they blow up in the media as something that they may truly or not truly be.
But it is sad that our free society is “polarized” to its level today and that people can’t be who they are without fear of repurcussion.
There is definitely something to this. My S22 had four NMF’s in his school and three of them are going to the same state flagship. Why? Because that school offers full tuition scholarships for NMF’s.
People are much more attuned to the cost of college now than they were a few years ago. It was definitely a factor with both of our kids, partly because we had very honest conversations up front about budget, but mostly because they’re well-informed and concerned about debt.
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The laws are often as extreme as reported. From today’s news regarding the new Alabama law:
In addition to banning gender-affirming medications, the bill also prohibits gender transition surgeries, although doctors told lawmakers those are generally not done on minors. Violations are punishable by up to 10 years in prison
Texas:
Late last month, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a letter to Texas state health agencies announcing that delivering gender-affirming medical treatments to transgender youths “constitutes child abuse” under state law. It stipulated that doctors, nurses and teachers are legally now required to report parents who aid their child in receiving such care to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).
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Always interesting to me that those that are anti government or for keeping government out of peoples lives don’t really mean it. These politicians are hypocritical.
I’m fortunate that my kids don’t face these issues. As a parent who wants to do what’s best for their kids, this has to suck. The good news. Your kids will be of age soon but I imagine the entire states have been turned off to you.
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Many kids who aren’t directly impacted want no part of places that would treat their friends, or anyone, this way.
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My son goes to Bama. He wouldn’t notice anything. He went for the nice dorm. He’s unpolitical. But he would never deny someone their rights.
I think Bana is drawing hugely. From all over. Mainly because if football and more importantly their scholarships are unreal. Auburn draws more regionally. The scholarships aren’t as aggressive.
I know it’s a hollow message but the law is for below 19…not sure y not below 18…but they are not denying but denying til someone is an adult.
I know that’s not the point. You see the government as hateful. I get it. It’s happening more and more.
But your kids, as adults, will still have access.
Unfortunately these restrictions will continue to pop up in more and more states thus making more people disenfranchised. These are the people we are electing. Not good.
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Our college counselor was useless . No direction on colleges to apply . DD22 goes to a private school. Not elite , but private . D22 did most of the work herself .