We couldn’t help but notice that the New York Times has devoted an awful lot of column inches recently to the brutal process that teens face when applying to the country’s most prestigious colleges.
Looks like we weren’t the only ones who noticed:
To the Editor:
I have noticed several articles in The Times on how difficult it is to get into college. I assume that your goal in publishing them is to drive my daughter, a high school sophomore already worried about college admissions, over the edge.
You have succeeded. Now you can stop. John B. Gilmour
Williamsburg, Va., May 16, 2007
and 
. You can also watch it on 
pkimelma is right – it’s too cheap and easy to apply. I too have just gone through this the second time in three years, and it’s amazingly simple to apply for college. In fact, many schools waive the application fee if you apply on-line by a given date.
My son applied and got accepted to five schools. He had the courtesy to write the 4 he didn’t choose after his selection was made in April, but how many of other kids were rejected or wait-listed from those schools in the meantime?
All this raises the uncertainty level for admissions departments. Ultimately, it costs more money to operate a system that has many more applicants than spaces available, and one that offers spots to many more students than actually register.
Parents are better off coaching their kids to find schools that offer programs of interest to them, and spending their time applying these. One “stretch” school application is generally considered OK.
FYI, I’ve heard from admissions counselors that, in most regions in the country, the increased volume of applicants is expected to subside in the next few years as the peak baby boomlet levels off. Perhaps the frenzy will subside. It also won’t hurt of the US News & World Report Rankings boycott, which some colleges have threatened, occurs.
pkimelma is right – it’s too cheap and easy to apply. I too have just gone through this the second time in three years, and it’s amazingly simple to apply for college. In fact, many schools waive the application fee if you apply on-line by a given date.
My son applied and got accepted to five schools. He had the courtesy to write the 4 he didn’t choose after his selection was made in April, but how many of other kids were rejected or wait-listed from those schools in the meantime?
All this raises the uncertainty level for admissions departments. Ultimately, it costs more money to operate a system that has many more applicants than spaces available, and one that offers spots to many more students than actually register.
Parents are better off coaching their kids to find schools that offer programs of interest to them, and spending their time applying these. One “stretch” school application is generally considered OK.
FYI, I’ve heard from admissions counselors that, in most regions in the country, the increased volume of applicants is expected to subside in the next few years as the peak baby boomlet levels off. Perhaps the frenzy will subside. It also won’t hurt of the US News & World Report Rankings boycott, which some colleges have threatened, occurs.
In my opinion, parents shouldn’t worry about where their kids gets in – they need to worry about how they’re going to pay for it. Any bright-ish kid can get into a good-ish school and do well for themselves until they retire. What’s really depressing is how much even mediocre schools charge for tuition. I went to a top tier school and received an education I would only describe as “passable”, and yet I’m saddled with almost as much debt as my parents were when they bought their house. And I was an amazing high school student, and got almost a free ride to college – but it wasn’t enough. I’ll be paying student loans until my kids are almost old enough to go to college. Fortunately I’m marrying a college professor, so my kids will go wherever daddy works
In my opinion, parents shouldn’t worry about where their kids gets in – they need to worry about how they’re going to pay for it. Any bright-ish kid can get into a good-ish school and do well for themselves until they retire. What’s really depressing is how much even mediocre schools charge for tuition. I went to a top tier school and received an education I would only describe as “passable”, and yet I’m saddled with almost as much debt as my parents were when they bought their house. And I was an amazing high school student, and got almost a free ride to college – but it wasn’t enough. I’ll be paying student loans until my kids are almost old enough to go to college. Fortunately I’m marrying a college professor, so my kids will go wherever daddy works
Tell that to the parents and trustees, skoopey
.lermit
Tell that to the parents and trustees, skoopey
.lermit
I just went through this myself a year ago, and am now advising my brother and sister on their college choices.
Boy do I hate the college application process now that I’m in college. At the time it wasn’t all that nerve racking, but now that I’m in a good college and completely happy, I see how ridiculously college is treated in high schools. That the process is so formulaic, like egretman made it seem (although not that extreme), is kind of sickening.
I had about a 3.25 GPA in high school, took a few AP classes but got 3s on the tests, and got a 2000 on the SAT, and got into every college I applied to, except my “stretch” (the Air Force Academy). As you can see, a pretty unstellar performance, but I now go to Rutgers University (main campus) am in the honors program, and had my choice of many other excellent schools, like Penn State and Pittsburgh.
Don’t force your children into a highly stressful application process. Encourage them to do well, but don’t put the pressure of either getting into college or not on them, it’s not worth it and not realistic.
There are many good schools out there, and there’s nothing wrong with a state school. Don’t count too heavily on getting into one of the Ivy Leagues, your chances for that are real small. After none of the top 10 in my grade (except for the two with parents teaching at Penn) got into any Ivy Leagues, even a kid whos dad and brother went to Yale, I truly have no idea what they want. If those schools are a possibility, then go for them, but be satisfied when you get into good state schools with lots of scholarship money instead.
Oh, and on that note, don’t count on scholarship money…I’ve gotten none even though I’m in the honors program with a 3.885 and am highly involved. I’ll be paying out my ass for years.
…how’s that for my first post?
I just went through this myself a year ago, and am now advising my brother and sister on their college choices.
Boy do I hate the college application process now that I’m in college. At the time it wasn’t all that nerve racking, but now that I’m in a good college and completely happy, I see how ridiculously college is treated in high schools. That the process is so formulaic, like egretman made it seem (although not that extreme), is kind of sickening.
I had about a 3.25 GPA in high school, took a few AP classes but got 3s on the tests, and got a 2000 on the SAT, and got into every college I applied to, except my “stretch” (the Air Force Academy). As you can see, a pretty unstellar performance, but I now go to Rutgers University (main campus) am in the honors program, and had my choice of many other excellent schools, like Penn State and Pittsburgh.
Don’t force your children into a highly stressful application process. Encourage them to do well, but don’t put the pressure of either getting into college or not on them, it’s not worth it and not realistic.
There are many good schools out there, and there’s nothing wrong with a state school. Don’t count too heavily on getting into one of the Ivy Leagues, your chances for that are real small. After none of the top 10 in my grade (except for the two with parents teaching at Penn) got into any Ivy Leagues, even a kid whos dad and brother went to Yale, I truly have no idea what they want. If those schools are a possibility, then go for them, but be satisfied when you get into good state schools with lots of scholarship money instead.
Oh, and on that note, don’t count on scholarship money…I’ve gotten none even though I’m in the honors program with a 3.885 and am highly involved. I’ll be paying out my ass for years.
…how’s that for my first post?