For parents that were shocked their kids didn't get accepted...

[Anonymous]

Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

[Anonymous]

Entitlement despite the fact that there are thousands of kids domestically and internationally with similar academic profiles applying to the same 50 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

Even the college counselors got it wrong for us -it wasn't just us that were thrown by results (so far) and we are talking experienced high school college counselors and outside paid ones... applied to 23 because of the unknowns in at 6 ...our huge mistake and we knew when it was happening was that we could not get kid to get in ED or EA apps...we tried...hard... but kid would not do it...

[Anonymous]

I think it's hard for some people to fathom the size of some of these applicant pools. And it's also hard to fathom that there are literally thousands of students with amazing programs and top grades in these pools.

We also tend to grasp onto the anecdotes that comfort us after see the numbers. So a college rejects 90% of applicants, but someone's cousin got in with 2 Bs on their transcript, so we tell ourselves our kid has a chance.

[Anonymous]

Plus Covid grade inflation. There are literally entire schools districts (I'm looking at you DCPS) that didn't give grades lower than a B for 2 years.

Let's say the number of kids country-wide with straight As is even up just 10% over a typical year (and it's likely far higher). That's thousands more "top" kids right there.

[Anonymous]

That’s a weirdly aggressive post, op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s a weirdly aggressive post, op.

OP here: I didn't mean for it to be aggressive. Honestly trying to understand what happened/why people are surprised. This includes college counselors!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

DC has options, so we don't totally fit in this category. Turns out DC got into a reach school, less than 30% acceptance rate with profile in the bottom 25%. Did not go test optional. But, I was VERY suprised he didn't get into a "safety" school that has a 70% admit rate and DC being in the top 75% of their range. It was the school DC planned to attend. Thankfully, he just got lucky on a reach he had out there.

We were surprised! We didn't have any warning from anyone that things were so different this year. I'm still not sure I understand this year even after going through it.

[Anonymous]

The thought process that you ‘need’ to attend a selective school to be successful is wrong to begin with. Thats where all the stress and anxiety comes from. It’s unbelievable how seemingly educated people here think the name and selectivity of a school determine success and happiness is completely flawed. Every high stats kid thinks that they deserve to go to a selective school otherwise their high school years were a waste. Thats flawed thinking. Thats a source of stress. Just because you have high stats doesn’t mean you get into a selective school. Fix your expectations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

Even the college counselors got it wrong for us -it wasn't just us that were thrown by results (so far) and we are talking experienced high school college counselors and outside paid ones... applied to 23 because of the unknowns in at 6 ...our huge mistake and we knew when it was happening was that we could not get kid to get in ED or EA apps...we tried...hard... but kid would not do it...

OP here: I would expect paid college counselors to be able to read the room. Many of these trends started before COVID and the pandemic just made it worse, but I have a hard time believing it was a surprise for people in the business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s a weirdly aggressive post, op.

I imagine that the OP is reacting to some of the posts on this thread: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1046696.page

There was nothing wrong with the original post there or most of the replies, but there are some very obnoxious posts from parents who clearly felt their kids were entitled to admissions at all the top schools and seem genuinely shocked by the results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

DC has options, so we don't totally fit in this category. Turns out DC got into a reach school, less than 30% acceptance rate with profile in the bottom 25%. Did not go test optional. But, I was VERY suprised he didn't get into a "safety" school that has a 70% admit rate and DC being in the top 75% of their range. It was the school DC planned to attend. Thankfully, he just got lucky on a reach he had out there.

We were surprised! We didn't have any warning from anyone that things were so different this year. I'm still not sure I understand this year even after going through it.

Woops! I meant top 25%. His stats were in the top of their range.

[Anonymous]

I understand some families have overly high expectations and would have benefited from more accurate information about current conditions. However you're being downright nasty, OP. Plenty of families have been rejected from their preferred choices (yes, families, it's all right if it's a family thing, and not just the student's thing), and are pretty down.

But perhaps cruelty is the point of your post. In which case... thoughts and prayers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

DC has options, so we don't totally fit in this category. Turns out DC got into a reach school, less than 30% acceptance rate with profile in the bottom 25%. Did not go test optional. But, I was VERY suprised he didn't get into a "safety" school that has a 70% admit rate and DC being in the top 75% of their range. It was the school DC planned to attend. Thankfully, he just got lucky on a reach he had out there.

We were surprised! We didn't have any warning from anyone that things were so different this year. I'm still not sure I understand this year even after going through it.

Happy to hear your kid has optioned and got into his reach school. Did the safety school get significantly more applications than last year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where you unaware of the significant increase in applications since COVID? Did you think TO would have no effect on the applicant pool? Did anyone (e.g., college counselor) discuss yield projection for perceived "safety" schools? Do you consider the math/odds in applying to a school that accepts less than 20% of applicants? Did you discuss any of these issues with your kids before they applied? Or is it something else?

Even the college counselors got it wrong for us -it wasn't just us that were thrown by results (so far) and we are talking experienced high school college counselors and outside paid ones... applied to 23 because of the unknowns in at 6 ...our huge mistake and we knew when it was happening was that we could not get kid to get in ED or EA apps...we tried...hard... but kid would not do it...

OP here: I would expect paid college counselors to be able to read the room. Many of these trends started before COVID and the pandemic just made it worse, but I have a hard time believing it was a surprise for people in the business.

My son is a junior at Walter Johnson high school, a well-regarded local public. You wouldn't believe the idiocies spouted by his counselor. Busy students and parents might be heartened by such insane advice, and not go looking for other suggestions. In which case they might be disappointed.