<p>So today my guidance counselor was talking about how the applications at state schools have gone up drastically since this graduating class is huge and the economy is suffering terribly. Now my question is, does this help those who are appling to private schools? If more people can't pay 40-50,000 a year at a private university and are therefore applying to public schools, does it mean that acceptance at private schools will be slightly higher this year? I know last year acceptance rates at many schools were at an all-time low. Will it be the same or worse this year? Or will it be better because of less kids applying?</p>
<p>Not sure where your counselor is getting the info. Questionable state school apps have gone up because of the economy -- people who apply to private schools usually apply to a state school also and thus a bad economy won't necessarily make applications to state school go up although applications to private schools may go down. End figures for this year's apps are not available yet but indications are: (a) number of students applying to college will likely be higher this year because it is the peak year for the last little baby boom; (b) applications to state schools will likely be higher as a result: (c) applications to highly selective private schools will also be higher; (d) applications to many private schools that tend to take most of their applicants (and thus where most could get in before and it was fairly pointless for most applying to have any concern about selectivity and admission rate) will likely be lower because of the economy. In other words, you should likely assume that for those highly selective private colleges with those past low admission rates there will be more not fewer applicants this year making the competition stiffer; likewise for state colleges; not so private colleges that are much further down on any ranking list where apps are likely to be fewer.</p>
<p>I think that top private colleges will accept a tiny, tiny bit more kids because they will think that less people will actually matriculate due to the economy. Overall, I think the top private schools will have about the same admission rates as last year.</p>