I know, my son didn’t get his first choice.
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I probably should have directed that to bestmom888; you know what I’m talking about!
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Yes!!!
So long. So very long!
Maybe it’s fitting that many of us will be finishing up getting vaccines about the same time our kids will have decided on their respective schools.
I feel Iike Prince’s “1999” will be my theme song sooner than later. 
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Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate that. We do have a few good options too, thankfully, though each has something that put it not quite at the top of our list. But that’s OK. Glad to hear your D has some good options as well—Oberlin is wonderful!! Hope you have a lovely visit tomorrow. Cheers!
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Listening to podcast. Notes: offers made prior to May 1 are typically full pay. Some colleges needing to manage yield may intentionally under-admit in RD because WL yield is typically 70-75%, much higher than RD yield - this is often the intention when WL is active mid-late April. Confusing: then he explains that students who say no when they get the call are not counted as admitted, but then he says that they may have to call 100 students to get 20 to say yes. Is the yield figure he was quoting of 75% the portion of students who said yes on the phone who then actually enrolled?
Also mentioned the need to be ready to respond when the call comes.
I’m a little confused about the phone call part. I can imagine someone messing that up somehow… Do they ask, “are you still interested?” or do they ask “would you take a seat if offered?”
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Maybe this isn’t a concern, but if there’s any possibility of WL movement before May 1, I’d be concerned about the need to be prepared, due to this particular WL’s rule:
If you are accepted off the Wait List, you will be notified by telephone and asked to make an enrollment decision within 24 hours. Notification will be followed by a formal letter.
Would this stipulation hold in the event that the WL offer was made before May 1?
Separate question: does it matter how soon the student agrees to be put on the WL? As in, right now, or do they wait a couple of weeks, figure out their plan, get a LOCI ready, etc.?
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That’s not how the auto admit system works at UT. The state mandates that the top 6% of all students in every high school senior class over a certain size is automatically admitted. They are only guaranteed admission but are not guaranteed either their first or second choice major and often some are put into some generic major. Then the rest of the in state applicants are accepted into majors they apply to based on the mandate that 90% have to be in state, similarly to schools like UNC UVA, and some others (different %'s but same idea), 8% generally go to OOS and 2% or so to international. The process though is generally holistic and not just based on GPA. So even if you’re auto admit (AA) based on your ranking in high school which is based on GPA, you’re not put into the major your want based on that aspect, but a holistic review. And trust me, it is a very holistic review. Essays at UT matter a lot. Every year parents can’t understand why their top kid didn’t get in but the essays, ec’s, course rigor, honors, awards, etc. really matter. Submitting a resume matters. They don’t take LOR’s either except if applying for honors. It’s a whole process and one real pain in the butt application but you must put the effort in or it can make a difference. Some kids can sneak in to less popular majors from OOS that are easier to get into with lower stats than some of the other more highly competitive majors like CS, Engineering or Business.
The other real issue is their notification process is horrible and keeps getting worse. Michigan’s was pretty bad this year with their lack of transparency and updating applicants throughout the process, but UT definitely takes the cake and I thank god I didn’t have a kid in that game this year.
Great school but definitely need to figure out a way to streamline their admissions process. One other thing also, in state students also are offered transfer options if they attend a different UT campus but they need a certain GPA, those spots fill up quickly (it’s like a feast to get those more desirable locations) and no guarantee you’ll be able to transfer, thus sometimes it’s better to just take the better offer which may be at A&M or another Texas school altogether.
On the flipside, I have an OOS student who attends and loves it, but couldn’t imagine this nonsense and knowing my kids would be guaranteed admission but be stuck waiting months for what school they are in.
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That sounds confusing because a kid could say yes, they’re interested, get an offer and still not actually take it. No skin off their back.
Interesting they say they call 100 and it takes 20 to get a yes. Wonder why kids stay on the list then?
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But when do they call? If a kid gets a call in early May, the chances they are saying yes are exponentially higher than if the call comes in August.
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@GetCollege19 , so if the choice is between UNC in state and Barrett ($10-$12K/year), personally I would pick UNC (and my daughter goes to Barrett). No school handled COVID exceptionally well. If she really wants to go to ASU, then it’s not much more, as long as the distance doesn’t cause any issues. Both schools have great reputations.
I think before May and after May will be different. My son’s waitlist acceptance from Virginia Tech on Friday still gives him until May 1 to respond. Two years ago my daughter got off the waitlist for Brown in mid-May and had a week to decide (not that she needed it), but that was an email/portal change not a phone call.
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I can see staying on WL and later saying no to the offer - especially if it is before May 1 and a kid has not made a final decision yet. It’s like holding an acceptance - you want to keep that door open if you are narrowing down choices. My S21 is still torn between 3 and if he had been waitlisted at one of these, he probably would have kept it in the mix as he decided.
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I’m coming back to my recommendation (again) to listen to the The American Life podcast that delves into the equity issues around standardized tests. I work in higher ed policy, and I thought I knew the issues with the test, but their storytelling + data really brought home the unintended consequences of the tests in terms of equity.
The UT-Austin research and programming related to their auto admit policy is amazing. These kids would have been shut out of the state’s top college if a test were required.
Slight digression, but I had the privilege of introducing Uri Treisman at a conference for math faculty. He’s the UT prof who was interviewed in the segment. At our conference he shared his story and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. He’s like the real life Matt Damon character in Good Will Hunting. Grew up blue collar poor with no plans for college. Got a landscaping job at a California college after HS. Starting listening in on math classes during his shifts. Prof took interest in him. Fast forward a couple decades and he got the nation’s top math award! His life’s mission is removing math as a barrier to success for students.
Anyway, based on the admissions office interviews in this segment, I don’t think the test scores will ever be required again.
Do yourself a favor and give it a listen!
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Here’s an “oldie but goodie” article that explains why “holistic” isn’t “holistic” and therefore neither acceptances nor rejections should be taken as AOs passing judgment on the applicant “as a person”. I think it’s healthy for our kids to keep this in mind in this season of waitlists and rejections.
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This was one of the best episodes. In this context, I would also recommend this episode from 2015
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Yes, I’ve heard that episode too – the disparities are just too much to handle.
They also did a two-parter on school bussing that was truly excellent.
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I really enjoyed the episode and that prof sounds absolutely amazing. I have a lot of thoughts about the complicated topic but I will just say that our public elementary and secondary schools need to have higher expectations and work in partnership with parents. There is currently talk of “equity grading” here in our district, which to me is like the adults throwing up their hands. Many students are not getting a solid education in our state and, having worked in my kids’ classrooms, I just couldn’t be more sad about it. I am hopeful because of the controversy swirling in college admissions, there will be more focus on the root problem. May we lift everyone up and not let it be more divisive.
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Now I can’t wait to listen to/read these!! As soon as I have a break…
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It is the before may scenario that worries me. That’s assuming the kids take the high road, or just simply know early enough their top choice, and start turning down offers now. My D is WL at Claremont. She hasn’t had the chance to visit and there are things she is very interested in about the school, but if they called next week I don’t know that she’d do. I think she’s in the research phase. But then again this could all be moot. Overthinking? Yep.
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Talk about equity grading around me as well. In my opinion I want to make sure all kids/families have access to resources and opportunities, but in some instances some people just work harder and deserve to be rewarded. We diminish the impact of success for others when we constantly worry about the failures of those who don’t put in the work to measure up.
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