<p>marite - I agree that it's helpful for colleges to let kids know if it's tough to get in. I guess it's a matter of HOW it's done. At Cornell, we had folksy guy who gave advice about finding your unique identity and making it come through in the application. He helped the kids and parents understand that Cornell gets MANY applications from qualified students but can only accept a small percentage. But he talked about it in a way that didn't seem pretentious. And he encouraged the kids to give it a shot - but to take time on the app. Our admissions presentation at Tufts was similar.
We got the opposite feeling at Penn. They seemed (to us) to be flaunting their selectivity. It was a "you need us but we don't need you" feeling. Other posters on this board have walked away with a similar reaction so I don't think it's just us.<br>
Some of it is a matter of approach. Plus we all have different expectations and styles. Perhaps some parents/kids liked the Penn 'survival of the fittest' approach - we did NOT. Tour guide was great though!</p>