What happens if they're not accepted anywhere?

[Anonymous]

I know, this is partly just the anxiety of the whole process. But DD has only applied to one safety which is honestly more like a lower target, in my opinion. Do I insist she apply for a few more places with a 90%+ acceptance rate? Let the natural consequences happen? I don't want to harp, and I'm pretty amenable to the schools she has chosen, just think she needs a better backup.

[Anonymous]

In May NACAC publishes a list of colleges that still have openings. Most colleges accept most students. I'd only push to add another safety now if she doesn't love that safety. If the more selective ones don't work out, it's nice to still have options to choose between.

[Anonymous]

She takes a year off and tries again. I don't think that college is the panacea that it once was. There are alternative paths out there and lots of ways to still have a wonderful life without it.

[Anonymous]

Since you have this insight now, I'd encourage her to apply to an easy admit she likes, preferably one with early action/rolling admissions so she's got a sure option. Not having enough "likelies you like" is the biggest college application error.

If she doesn't take that advice, the most common option is community college. Also, every spring there is a list of colleges that still have openings due to miscalculating yield on acceptances--you can apply to those, but obviously the options are much more limited then.

[Anonymous]

She does community college and applies again for the sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She does community college and applies again for the sophomore year.

Or for spring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She does community college and applies again for the sophomore year.

She's a straight-A student. We're not looking for Ivy League, but I'd be pissed if it came to this, to put it mildly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In May NACAC publishes a list of colleges that still have openings. Most colleges accept most students. I'd only push to add another safety now if she doesn't love that safety. If the more selective ones don't work out, it's nice to still have options to choose between.

Yes, this. My kid got on some college distribution list that probably sent 100 emails over the course of the admissions year. Started with apply ED and ended with an email on August 15th saying the school still had slots available for the school year starting in one week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In May NACAC publishes a list of colleges that still have openings. Most colleges accept most students. I'd only push to add another safety now if she doesn't love that safety. If the more selective ones don't work out, it's nice to still have options to choose between.

Good to know! I didn't realize there would still be options come May.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know, this is partly just the anxiety of the whole process. But DD has only applied to one safety which is honestly more like a lower target, in my opinion. Do I insist she apply for a few more places with a 90%+ acceptance rate? Let the natural consequences happen? I don't want to harp, and I'm pretty amenable to the schools she has chosen, just think she needs a better backup.

I'd imagine they get a job or sign up for community college.

[Anonymous]

Do you have access to a college counselor? She needs to hear it from someone besides you. They're so stressed and unable to hear us.
We saw a few kids only get their safeties last year, so a goal for me and DS was to have a couple safeties that he legitimately liked and could really see himself at.

[Anonymous]

A good plan has multiple real safety schools. You can wait until December and apply to one then if she doesn’t have any acceptances by then, but you might have to insist. Also, by December their attitude may be different. So much happens with Seniors between September and January.

[Anonymous]

There are school that take most everyone so its not that they aren't accepted anywhere but they did not apply to realistic schools and they need to apply to others, more or ones with rolling admission that have space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She does community college and applies again for the sophomore year.

She's a straight-A student. We're not looking for Ivy League, but I'd be pissed if it came to this, to put it mildly.

Then you should strongly encourage her to add a few more true safeties (stats over 75th percentile and acceptance rates of >70%). If there is only one point you take away from this board please make it that admissions have been exceedingly unpredictable, even year over year, since the pandemic. The upside of applying to true safeties is many offer excellent merit for strong students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She does community college and applies again for the sophomore year.

She's a straight-A student. We're not looking for Ivy League, but I'd be pissed if it came to this, to put it mildly.

I didn’t get into UC Berkeley initially so went to community college and transferred. It’s honestly not a big deal and I saved a ton of money. She will be ok “if it came to this”.