Was this initiated by Michigan AO’s or the GCs at the school?
Yes, ours is private. Relationship with UM not as close as some of the private schools (Wake, Vandy, etc.) but there’s a mutual interest it seems in finding the applicants whose top choice is UM. Every top student in our school sends an app to UM. Often the differences are subtle, and all parties are helped a bit if further information can be shared.
To be fair, GC says she doesn’t know HOW much it helps. But it can’t hurt.
@DadSays, the school my D withdrew from isn’t UMich. She initiated the action herself and then informed her GC.
The only school I’ve heard AO’s actively engaging on this topic has been Wake. In our instance, at least, it’s been GCs reaching out proactively. They said sometimes it backfires. Penn apparently scoffs at this type of engagment, UVA seems disinterested, etc. But they strongly believe UM is overly concerned with yield %, and embraces it at some level.
We are in your shoes @CMCMLM We have had to remind our sons GC to send in transcripts and recommendation letters - she even missed a couple deadlines early on. I also sent a reminder to upload mid-year grades. We are basically dong this on our own.
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We are in the same boat. My son has gone to the Guidance office multiple times and requested his mid year report twice in Naviance and it still just shows as “Requested”. It’s getting pretty frustrating to get anything accomplished when the GC doesn’t seem to have any motivation to help out.
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Case Western is more actively and more demonstratively attempting to cull their apps:
Maybe Michigan is taking a lower key approach?
This is awful, IMO. So many of these schools are spamming the students with emails. While opting out certainly might signify less interest, it certainly doesn’t confirm it. I suspect even students who opt back in to the admissions process will be at a disadvantage.
Someone made a poor decision in CSW admissions. Why not just de-value the applications of those students, as opposed to aggressively tweak them?
I see. My kids withdrew their acceptances (UVA, Georgia Tech, Richmond) also as it made sense for them and some of their friends were hanging in for the RD rounds. The GCs at their school (public) do not get involved with those decisions. This is the first I’ve heard of something like that but private schools are different.
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I think that too is a bit much.
From what I’ve heard schools like Case bombard students with almost daily emails. It’s very hard for kids to keep up and click through each email, with everything else they’ve got going on in senior year.
So, assuming a student is less interested because they didn’t sufficiently interact with the emails and website is an approach that lacks empathy.
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Completely agree. My point was that if they did so internally and silently, nobody would be any wiser. I suspect schools right now are really in a tough spot themselves, trying to determine what actual yield might be so as not to under or over enroll a class with application numbers dwarfing previous years.
I’ve been somewhat raked over the coals for suggesting that one should consider withdrawing acceptances/apps if one has 2 or 3 acceptances in the bag. Or that maybe don’t shotgun 20+ schools or somehow self-limit. Here’s hoping that this manifests (the kids love this word) in a Ross acceptance!
Public schools don’t do as much of this encouraging, if at all - I think they are not allowed to. Private schools do. @westchesterdad22, I am surprised that the family of the Harvard REA does not do this right away. Maybe no younger siblings at the school:)? Friends of mine whose child was accepted REA not only withdrew, but double and triple checked that the counselor knew they withdrew.
I think that is how private schools can provide value. Not for the kids at the tippy top who are quadruple legacies, $$$ donors and great grades/ECs but for the rest of the class. College AOs know that a kid from XYZ private is likely not allowed to apply to >10 schools, and their list is curated.
The Harvard REA is first gen and URM, and has told classmates that he wants to be one of those kids on TV that get accepted almost everywhere they applied. The parents are genuinely nice people who are standing behind their child’s wishes. The school is pushing them…but their hands are somewhat tied. He didn’t apply to UM, luckily.
Interesting you reference the school limit. Our school had one until this year. No longer. They recognized the variance in admissions from the last few cycles, and 1) felt they couldn’t discourage students applying to schools where their stats were in 75% and historically produced reasonable outcomes and 2) had to leave room for a much higher % of likely schools for each student.
I believe that is also one of the reasons for their recent meeting and ask. Schools like UM have to have so many “shotgunning” kids from all angles- the top kids are obviously going to apply, the kids who used to feel it was a reach are going to apply, and the kids who can afford to apply to 20+ schools are going to apply to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle.
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I see. Most private school families would be too paranoid to stand by their child if they had a younger child in the school. For most families at private school, the tacit agreement is that they limit themselves to X and the private school counselor will work very hard to get them to the promised land. Whereas I tried to get our public school counselor to call DD22’s ED school, and they wouldn’t budge. Not even one tiny phone call. I suppose that we have to be grateful that everything was uploaded in time.
@westchesterdad22, is there really NO limit? Or would the school say something if a child applies to 20 schools?
Case Western absolutely spammed my S22 non-stop. It was overwhelming, especially given all these kids have going on senior year.
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Case the last two years has seen an increase of applications. They are deferring and rejecting much earlier then normal. They need to weed out just like every school who really has interest. I am not saying their approach is ideal at all. It’s a very good school overall and good for engineering.
Sorry, but I laughed at this one. My D’s went to a large public and I would be just a little bit miffed if they weren’t DOING THEIR JOB! 
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Are we expecting a wave of acceptances this Friday ?
There was another thing (as DD22 is our eldest) that we didn’t know to do and the counselor did NOT tell us. Counselors at peer schools did - annoyed at myself for not googling the right thing and it may cost us $$ in merit $ (not at Umich).
Expectations are low here IMO. Hoping. After all, 2/25 is 4 weeks from their EA release.
My expectations would rise for the following Friday (3/4), but you never know with Michigan.
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