Would you prefer European-style admissions?

[Anonymous]

Many complain about managing all the factors in US college admissions. Academics, athletics, ECs, and more.

Would you prefer European style admissions where only academics (includes school work/grades and either ACT/SAT, and AP Subject Test results (not the number if AP classes or which AP classes were taken) matter??

[Anonymous]

100% yes. Admissions process is complete BS in US. Opaque, kids don't know where they stand. In Europe they get the grades needed in their standardized exams and tests and they get in. No drama.

[Anonymous]

I think the US way is fine. It is the anxiety around it that is not fine and makes it seem much worse than it is.

[Anonymous]

Don’t most European countries have a highly centralized, national high school curriculum so the differences in grading and courses is largely eliminated? It seems a necessary predicate to that kind of admissions system

[Anonymous]

For STEM, yes.

[Anonymous]

European universities serve a different national outpost from US universities.

You can go to community college with guaranteed transfer to state university in US if you don't want holistic admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many complain about managing all the factors in US college admissions. Academics, athletics, ECs, and more.

Would you prefer European style admissions where only academics (includes school work/grades and either ACT/SAT, and AP Subject Test results (not the number if AP classes or which AP classes were taken) matter??

Yes, DC's McGill application was so easy. Just some paperwork, grades and SAT. Clear, transparent GPA cut-offs for core subjects related to your major so you only apply to college if you are qualified. And no essays allows them to make a very quick determination.

It's rolling admission so DC applied early, and already has been accepted! No ED, just rolling admission with an early period and a regular period. Easy breezy and no stress.

High school is hard enough. We don't need the college application process to be this convoluted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For STEM, yes.

In my opinion, yes for everything

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many complain about managing all the factors in US college admissions. Academics, athletics, ECs, and more.

Would you prefer European style admissions where only academics (includes school work/grades and either ACT/SAT, and AP Subject Test results (not the number if AP classes or which AP classes were taken) matter??

Yes, DC's McGill application was so easy. Just some paperwork, grades and SAT. Clear, transparent GPA cut-offs for core subjects related to your major so you only apply to college if you are qualified. And no essays allows them to make a very quick determination.

It's rolling admission so DC applied early, and already has been accepted! No ED, just rolling admission with an early period and a regular period. Easy breezy and no stress.

High school is hard enough. We don't need the college application process to be this convoluted.

U Toronto is quite different…kid had to write three essays, LOR, list ECs…no different than the US, though essays were shorter and no personal statement.

[Anonymous]

No.
I think we need a limit on apps or to abolish the common app or something. The process now is broken compared to when most of us applied.

But the Asian approach of high stakes testing sounds miserable for kids and I want no part of that. I think we would end up closer to that version then the European model if we went to tests only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the US way is fine. It is the anxiety around it that is not fine and makes it seem much worse than it is.

I agree with this. Holistic admissions is fine so long as at least 25-50% of applicants are admitted. It’s the combination of holistic admissions and very low admissions rates that makes it so every breath a kid takes from the ages of 13-17 is fraught.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many complain about managing all the factors in US college admissions. Academics, athletics, ECs, and more.

Would you prefer European style admissions where only academics (includes school work/grades and either ACT/SAT, and AP Subject Test results (not the number if AP classes or which AP classes were taken) matter??

Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

European way, at least in the UK, is also somewhat holistic. Academic proficiency matters more there, though, and I think they consider the right mix of holistic and academic qualifications.

Not sure their system would work in the US unless we also switched to making kids lock in their majors when they enter college. For example, great math and physics test scores are going to matter if you want to major in physics, but not so much history.

[Anonymous]

I would prefer it. Since we don’t have the same standardized curriculum and exams that make this work in other countries, maybe the universities could set their own exams. That would strongly discourage applying to many