<p>do you need FA? If you do, there’s pretty much a 0.0001% chance that you will get off.</p>
<p>I guess I’m just bothered by the amount of “speculation” that goes on here from people outside the system and wonder why everyone is so fixated on “theories.”</p>
<p>At this point, the major consideration is balancing a diverse population with an economically viable one. And for many schools that have found themselves oversubscribed, the trend has been not to do some sort of “Tufts” effect, but prevent the need for overflow housing.</p>
<p>What has been interesting is that the applications were going up even though the economy was tanking. That’s not necessarily a trend in other industries. Hence, tighter yields and more scrutiny on who is likely to attend.</p>
<p>ExieMITAlum: Although I can certainly understand your being bothered by the “theories”, I’m a little confused by your surprise at the fixation on them. The application process to both high school and college is a tension-filled process filled with many unknowns of which the participants are trying to gain some understanding. Constructing theories to explain perceived effects (whether they actually exist or not) is simply a part of human nature to add more certainty to an uncertain situation.</p>
<p>I do agree, however, that many of the theories postulated around here are nonsensical on their face. Given that many of the posters here are teenagers (as bright as many of of them may be, you and I know that experience means a LOT). And even some of those posted by adults aren’t quite on track (this is an open forum on the internet, after all). Nonetheless, there is useful information to be gained by the discussion process.</p>
<p>And for many schools that have found themselves oversubscribed, the trend has been not to do some sort of “Tufts” effect, but prevent the need for overflow housing.</p>
<p>The “Tufts effect” makes very little difference in the actual students who enroll at a school. It simply means that instead of admitting a chunk of seemingly over-qualified students (few of whom will actually enroll), the school wait-lists them. The result is that the school’s yield rate goes up at the cost of possibly missing a few well-qualified applicants who were wait-listed when they might have enrolled if they had been accepted. Presumably, this is not a large number if the admissions committee is good at assessing applicants. The value of a low yield ratio is that the school appears more desirable and the applicant pool may become slightly stronger in future years.</p>
<p>And, of course, I’d guess that most schools do not engage in the “Tufts effect”, but I don’t have any data to support that. As I posted above, I certainly have seen it in practice at several NYC independent schools, though.</p>
<p>I can imagine that in NY where getting into the right school has taken on a kind of ruthless pathology.</p>
<p>I think the problem with discussion boards is they amplify things. So everyone see’s some conspiracy (the Adcoms talk secretly among schools, some kids have an advantage, the numbers or rigged, etc.). It’s not the kid speculation that bothers me, it’s when the adults engage in it. Of course, I’ve been lurking on the college boards where conspiracy theories make the prep board look relatively tame.</p>
<p>But to each his/her own. I just hope that - at least for the adults - who are in a position to influence decisions in their household, that the speculation gives way to the concrete.</p>
<p>Exie, having just gone through the NYC Day and BS processes in parallel, I would say the former is quite relaxed by comparison. Or is it so because of the discussion boards ? :-)</p>
<p>I have to say, I completely agree with prepclassof82.
Having recently finished the high school application process, I found that as long as your grades are in the 90’s and you test well, you’ll be guaranteed a spot at a seemingly “selective” NYC public school.
However, I spent countless hours working on my interview skills and writing copious essays for my boarding schools, prepping for the SSAT, etc. - and even then, I was waitlisted at two of the schools I applied to.
And I’m very flattered that infamous people like ExieMITAlum and Lvillegrad commented on my lowly thread…
Special shout out to Exie by the way - she took the exact track of education that I had been dreaming of for months (Exeter and then MIT).</p>
<p>5SchoolApplicant,
there is more to it.
hint: ISAAGNY schools will not offer you an early decision, unless of course you request one</p>
<p>I’m not sure that I understand - what is ISAAGNY?</p>
<p>let me take a guees</p>
<p>independent school admission association of greater new york </p>
<p>kinda of like the TSAO</p>