<p>Curmudgeon- Your GroundHog Day response brought a smile to face even on this dreary day in NY. All I can say is that people do eventually learn and adjust to the realities of college admission. I'd say in the NYC/LI region, this "shock" and dismay factor about kids getting rejected, was more prevalent 4 to 5 years ago. Certain regions have been hit harder and sooner than others. Kids who thought they were a "sure thing" at Tufts or Wesleyan are heading to schools like Grinnell or U. Michigan. Metro NY'rs have learned to take a more realistic approach to college admissions and do use some of the larger schools as "safeties". And many still use a SUNY as a sure thing. No matter how great the applicant is, we in NY know that a bit of luck ALWAYS comes into play. I think the rest of the country is learning what we here on the east coast have known for some time. Be realistic- pick your schools wisely-and DEMONSTRATE INTEREST. Don't take any college for granted. Think of it as a Relative- you gotta call, you gotta write/ or pay a visit and treat the school in a respectful manner.</p>
<p>This thread was very important to us. This thread prompted us to encourage our son to expand his list somewhat. Most importantly, my son applied early to two larger schools that he liked that have rolling admissions. He had two acceptances in hand by mid-October and that helped us all relax a little. We also followed up on two visits to schools that we had not planned to visit. All turned out very well, as he was accepted ED to Swarthmore, his dream school. Yet, I can say that had that not happened, he would today be in a better place emotionally as he waited out RD, with his two acceptances in hand, especially his Honors admissions to UMich. </p>
<p>I think that every year a large group of applicants are unaware of how grueling admissions have become. At my son's HS many top students were deferred this year from the very top universities and LAC's, in spite of excellent credentials. Almost all of them were surprised because they were not aware of admissions situation. The counselors were surprised because they are not very involved in the process there and are not in the know.<br>
This must be true of high schools all over the country. </p>
<p>I think this thread should be required reading for high school students!</p>
<p>Yep.. make it a featured discussion Permanently...</p>
<p>And yes, I did get a rather nasty shock when I got deferred at UChicago. My friend (one year senior) had gotten in with stats wayy lower. Still, luckily, I applied to an awesome safety/goodmatch and got in with honors.</p>
<p>Still, please make this availiable for all to read
Its invaluble</p>
<p>"The counselors were surprised because they are not very involved in the process there and are not in the know.
This must be true of high schools all over the country."</p>
<p>Boy, you got that right. My daughter has had a different guidance counselor every year she has been in high school. Unfortunatly, some of these counselors don't have a clue about where these kids are likely to be admitted, really only being familiar with their own state or region. In our case, it has mostly resulted in discouraging our kid from applying to reach schools where maybe she had more of a chance because of geographic diversity. In fact, she has already been admitted to 2 such schools and we are waiting on 2 more. She has a free tuition scholarship to our local state school - so of course they tried to push her in that direction.</p>
<p>Her older sister was treated pretty much the same way and she ended up attending Cornell, so I learned then not to rely much on the advice of these counselors! But there are plenty of parents who don't read forums like CC and their kids are going to get an unrealistic picture of where they are likely to be accepted.</p>
<p>I am so glad that this thread was bumped up for our reread. Because of Andi's warning, my D applied and had two safety acceptances in hand when she received her rejection letter from Emory (the school of her dreams). I cannot tell you how many people on the Emory website had commented afterwards that it must have been something that she had done or not done to deserve a rejection (not even a deferral). Three other people on CC with almost comparable stats to my daughter were admitted to the school. It happens. It happened. We go from there. She was admitted last weekend to U of Florida. It does not have the academic prestige or US News ranking that Emory has but it is a good school, with a solid business program, a 5 hour drive from our home, and at least 25% of the undergraduate population are top students (very bright, high rank, National Merit types). The bottom line is there is no ONE school that is the school for anyone.
"There are no answers, there are only choices."</p>
<p>"There are no answers, there are only choices."</p>
<p>Nice quote.</p>
<p>Luckily, we dont have GC's in India. So I had to do research and man, lucky enough I ran into CC
And I am happy and wiser ever since :D</p>
<p>
Wouldn't that be "Think of it as an elderly relative with money" ?</p>
<p>I just feel so sad when I read or hear about a student who is rejected and has to hear that something must have been wrong with him or her that caused the rejection. Sure, there may have been a bad match, but in so many cases the reasons are more about the class the school is striving to put together. I tell kids over and over again not to take rejection from highly competitive colleges so personally. If the students, the parents and the high school personnel knew more about the admissions process, then more students would be more realistic, better prepared and less hurt. They also might not have to bear that "knowing look" that they just didn't have what it takes.</p>
<p>Yeah- but you'll be paying dear "Great Uncle Ted" $100,000 +. Not the other way around. That is unless you really do have a rich great uncle.
I agree with you Atlanta mom- I think kids in NY and their parents used to take it way more personal. We've seen wonderful-terrific kids being passed over for years. I think more of us are thinking "out of the box" and have looked at schools outside the northeast region. Schools like Tulane, Emory, and U. Michigan have become extremely popular on LI. As they too become harder to get into, there will be a new list of "potential safety" schools cropping up on everyone's list. As an example- for the solid NY student, U Maryland and Delaware were high on everyone's list. As those schools got harder to get into, more kids look at U. Conn and U of Pittsburg. There are plenty of wonderful schools out there, but sometimes you have to look a little harder to find the right ones. I am pretty much done with this process- so I wish all the newcomers well. And please- do a great Rolling Admission School. It really makes everthing so much easier when you have an acceptance early on in the process.</p>
<p>rofl you posted this earlier like last october</p>
<p>why did the kid apply to 5 ivies? What a big mistake.. They're all so different. It sounds like he was applying to ivies for the sake of applying to ivies.</p>
<p>I know someone who was rejected from 13 schools. Running the range from Colby and Reed to Yale and Princeton. She was quite bright, with great grades, good SATs, and some nice ECs.</p>
<p>^ wow. that does not make me feel good...i applied to 14 schools...with 2-3 "safeties".</p>
<p>haha.</p>
<p>Colby, Reed, Y and P are not anywhere close to safeties</p>
<p>Maybe she didnt get any safeties</p>
<p>The last few posts on this thread demonstrate why this thread is important. Lots of kids with outstanding statistics assume that schools like Oberlin or Colby are safeties. The point is that throwing in a couple of schools like them does not constitute a well-balanced approach to college applications. Andison fell victim to inadequate college counseling and a change in the process that has caught many a parent off guard. Would have caught me too except for this thread. At my son's school I am seeing some kids repeating the risky strategy AND THEY DON'T KNOW ITS RISKY! That's why this thread is so invaluable. This year there will be similar stories, but the more the word is out, the less of them there will be.</p>