School advising kids to "try again next year" regarding college applications

[Anonymous]

I heard from my kid that results are so bad this year at our (Big3) school that the college counseling office is now telling kids
to either take a gap year OR matriculate at a lower tier school and "try again next year".

Have you heard this? It is worrisome or typical advice?

[Anonymous]

I think colleges should review dcum postings and reject anyone whose parents have ever used the term “big 3” in case it’s hereditary.

[Anonymous]

First of all "Big 3" does not guarantee admission anywhere.

Publics always do better in this area.

Parents need to do their jobs and have their kids target safeties as well.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

I think that advising kids to matriculate to one of the schools that accepted them is hardly alarming advice, and that, if they are opposed to that then advising them that their other options are to take a gap year or go to a school that accepted them and try to transfer in a year is just speaking truth.

What else would you want them to say to a kid who chose their matches and safeties badly and is now upset at their options? Is there some other option missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my kid that results are so bad this year at our (Big3) school that the college counseling office is now telling kids
to either take a gap year OR matriculate at a lower tier school and "try again next year".

Have you heard this? It is worrisome or typical advice?

If I spent 200k on a high school and that was the outcome, I'd want a refund

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that advising kids to matriculate to one of the schools that accepted them is hardly alarming advice, and that, if they are opposed to that then advising them that their other options are to take a gap year or go to a school that accepted them and try to transfer in a year is just speaking truth.

What else would you want them to say to a kid who chose their matches and safeties badly and is now upset at their options? Is there some other option missing?

I'd want to know how much input the counselor had in making the list and advising on which schools were safeties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all "Big 3" does not guarantee admission anywhere.

Publics always do better in this area.

Parents need to do their jobs and have their kids target safeties as well.

OP here.
These are kids who applied only to schools 50-125 and are not getting in. They thought they had safeties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that advising kids to matriculate to one of the schools that accepted them is hardly alarming advice, and that, if they are opposed to that then advising them that their other options are to take a gap year or go to a school that accepted them and try to transfer in a year is just speaking truth.

What else would you want them to say to a kid who chose their matches and safeties badly and is now upset at their options? Is there some other option missing?

OP.
The problem (as I hear it) is that what can be considered a safety has shifted. What was a safety even last year is no longer a safety.
The kids in the lower 50% of the class are getting shut out or close to shut out.

[Anonymous]

I think this is a troll OR a one-off where individual parents/student were disappointed by a college they were focused on

[Anonymous]

Oh no, it's getting hard for even rich people to buy their way into selective colleges. Oh no.

[Anonymous]

How is it possible since there aren’t more applications

[Anonymous]

I heard that applications for top tier schools have doubled since kids no longer have to submit test scores. The kid who never thought they could get into Harvard before now thinks he has a shot if he writes a really good essay and has good grades. The kids who didn't get in early may still get in down the road this year, but these colleges don't have the man power to consider the increase in applications for ED/EA. A lot had a strict grade cut-off and if you didn't have that, you got deferred.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my kid that results are so bad this year at our (Big3) school that the college counseling office is now telling kids
to either take a gap year OR matriculate at a lower tier school and "try again next year".

Have you heard this? It is worrisome or typical advice?

If I spent 200k on a high school and that was the outcome, I'd want a refund

Yah, nope. Money is well spent regardless. To each their own.

[Anonymous]

Troll. Only ED, EA, and rolling admissions decisions are out right now. Come back after the RD decisions are released this spring.