<p>"Might WUStL just get information about who gets into an Ivy, if the decisions were made before its decisions i guess, and waitlist many of those people? So maybe if a person didn't get into an Ivy, WUStL would function as a safety and accept him."</p>
<p>Probably not. You would not believe the stink when it gets out that one uni has hacked another's database.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You would not believe the stink when it gets out that one uni has hacked another's database.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Exhibit One: "Princeton Pries Into Web Site for Yale Applicants"</p>
<p>Result: Princeton Dean of Admissions Fred Hargadon fired.</p>
<p>About safeties: Even though people always tell you to, is it unusual not to visit and still get into WUStL, Cornell, UChicago?</p>
<p>-I was accepted to Chicago with scholarship without visiting. I think Chicago really really focuses on the essay. It's a "different" enough school, in my opinion, that it's not entirely in direct competition with the Ivies.<br>
-WUSTL, I would visit if you want to get in - I was in the same situation with middle class parents not wanting to travel all over for safeties, but that's a tough one because they have "Tufts Syndrome".<br>
-Cornell, I doubt they even care if you visit - the Ivies I did visit (Harvard, Brown) didn't even keep track or take names of who visited, even if you request that they do.</p>
<p>Quote: "Cornell was not a safety for anyone this year, even for students at NYS feeder schools. Students that got into Harvard and other Ivies did not get into Cornell, which drew heavily from its ED pool this year."
Sounds like some Tufts syndrome going on there too.</p>
<p>thanks kcastelle :)</p>
<p>For those of you applying to UChicago, I <em>highly</em> recommend doing the "make-up-your-own" essay question...otherwise, here is a list. I particularly like the one about the tightrope and over which landscape you would walk without a net.
<a href="http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=376%5B/url%5D">http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=376</a></p>
<p>For those of you applying to UChicago, I <em>highly</em> recommend doing the "make-up-your-own" essay question...otherwise, here is a list. I particularly like the one about the tightrope and over which landscape you would walk without a net.
<a href="http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=376%5B/url%5D">http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=376</a></p>
<p>For those of you applying to UChicago, I <em>highly</em> recommend doing the "make-up-your-own" essay question...otherwise, here is a list. I particularly like the one about the tightrope and over which landscape you would walk without a net.
<a href="http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=376%5B/url%5D">http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=376</a></p>
<p>The UChic essay questions are really great. I used the first prompt when applying last fall (the one with Langston Hughes's "Theme for English B") and it only took me 30 minutes to write -- the words just kept on flowing out my fingers. I liked it so much I ended up using it for nearly all my other schools.</p>
<p>The U of C essays for this fall aren't up yet - should be in July.</p>
<p>Just a couple of other thoughts on other schools if H is your first choice ...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Make sure you have the money talk with your parents, and there is a clear understanding what their EFC is, if they are willing pay it (or full freight), and where they are willing to pay it. Some of the students on cc have reported that they would pay full freight for a select few schools, otherwise its state u. You need to know this now when you select your long list.</p></li>
<li><p>Unless there is some compelling reason for staying close to home, add some geographic diversity to your list - especially if you live in the NE. </p></li>
<li><p>Remember that part about Harvard wanting to build a class? Let me rephrase that in cooking terms. They are assembling a wonderful academic potage. The recipe may change slightly from year to year, depending upon what ingrediants are the best, but they will still need turnips, carrots and potatoes. Even if its a wonderful year for turnips and a lousy year for carrots, they will still pick some carrots. Good if you're a carrot, maybe not so good if you are a turnip. If you are not accepted at Harvard (and statistically, it is unlikely that you will be) don't take it personally. Besides - there's always graduate school!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Ah, speaking of Cornell. My friend got waitlisted by Tufts, Princeton, and Columbia, and rejected by Cornell, where her sister currently attends. Cornell was weird this year.</p>
<p>(my 4600th post!)</p>
<p>Ouch - where's your friend going, the theoneo?</p>
<p>She only applied to two other schools - Penn's combined nursing/business program (which only takes like 5 people a year, I heard?) ED and Rutgers. She got rejected from the Penn program, so she's going to Rutgers.</p>
<p>Yeah, it really bites because she's such an amazing person. It's taught me to be wary of applying to too few schools.</p>
<p>oops...sorry everyone for the 3-in-a-row posts...stupid internet freaked out, haha.
and yes, the "potage" analogy is quite correct. :)</p>
<p>Donemom: I don't know that Cornell had Tufts Syndrome. Apparently, since they went on the Common App two years ago, the number of apps they get has increased astronomically. It seems that they don't want to take too many from one school, thus, with a lot of ED applicants securing places, the RD pool suffers.
Interestingly, a lot of applicants were rejected (not wait listed) but were offered automatic transfers for sophomore year if they meet certain criteria freshman year. Odd.</p>
<p>Wow, interesting stuff about Cornell. Actually, I don't know exactly how our school did this past year, but I did hear a couple were accepted.</p>
<p>ohio_mom: that was great! hahaha thanks for that:) good advice everyone on here should heed...</p>
<p>Cornell doesn't have tufts syndrome, but rather a huge increase in applications. They switched to the common app. and re-did alot of the college mail. As a result applications went from around 19,000 two years ago to over 28,000 for the past year. It's extremely tough to predict an accurate yield with increases like this, so Cornell decided to draw more from the ED pool. Even so, Cornell still over-enrolled by around 250 students.</p>
<p>"As a result applications went from around 19,000 two years ago to over 28,000 for the past year. "</p>
<p>Yikes. Do you happen to have the ED/RD admit rates, gomestar?</p>