20 plus applications

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the latest Common App report (2022 cycle), students with SAT scores (ACT equiv) of 1500+ (76,747 applicants) submitted on average 9 applications.

24% of students with scores >1400 submitted 10-14 applications and 28% submitted more than 15.

No surprise, but high volume applicants are applying to highly selective schools: "Naturally, this effect would tend to result in a greater concentration of high-volume applicants in the pools of the most selective members."

https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ca.research.publish/Research_Briefs_2022/2022_12_09_Apps_Per_Applicant_ResearchBrief.pdf

If a qualified applicant has a 10-20% chance at any given school and the chances at any given school are unrelated to the chances at other schools, it makes sense to shotgun applications

I understand why kids are doing it but the reality is it will only get worse for students because if more students submit 15+ applications to the same pool of T100 schools, the 10-20% chance will decrease to 5-10%, especially when you are competing with potentially 76000+ kids with at least a 1500 SAT score (ACT equivalent) and an additional 98000+ in the 1400 range.

Classic collective action problem. Turns out students had been using the SAT/USNWR to coordinate their behavior. Now that system is breaking down, there’s no coordination.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I get it - when even likelies/safeties are becoming unpredictable I can see why kids do this, particularly high stars kids that have the profile that could get into some of the top schools, if they apply to a bunch one or two may come through.

It’s not what my kids are going to do but I get the incentives.

[Anonymous]

It is because of TO. Targets are becoming reach schools for top students also, so they are playing the odds - you need to apply to a lot more for the hopes of getting into one.

Get rid of TO, and the numbers will come back down to normal

[Anonymous]

My kid applied to 12 but kids friend applied to 24. Their logic is that since it seems a lottery at selective schools, you have to cast a wide net. Given how unpredictable results have been, I understand that logic. Each college has different institutional priorities and they are all independent. If you are able to put in the essay work, why not?

But… it’s a lot of work to do thoughtful essays for 20+ apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is because of TO. Targets are becoming reach schools for top students also, so they are playing the odds - you need to apply to a lot more for the hopes of getting into one.

Get rid of TO, and the numbers will come back down to normal

“Get rid of TO” is also a collective action problem, except that it’s the schools who have to coordinate their actions (and it’s illegal for them to do so).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High schools should not be able to dictate how many colleges a student applies to.

My kid’s HS limits it to 10. I’m glad because it forces you to do your homework and apply to schools where your kid will get in. No need to waste applications on long shots.

[Anonymous]

Colleges play the same game. They spam kids with emails and letters hoping they apply even though they realistically have no chance of being accepted and then claim a low acceptance percentage. Colby and Tulane send a massive amount of emails and mailings. Similarly, the ones who don’t charge an application fee to get more applications and to improve their stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High schools should not be able to dictate how many colleges a student applies to.

My kid’s HS limits it to 10. I’m glad because it forces you to do your homework and apply to schools where your kid will get in. No need to waste applications on long shots.

Every top school is a long shot for every unhooked kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the latest Common App report (2022 cycle), students with SAT scores (ACT equiv) of 1500+ (76,747 applicants) submitted on average 9 applications.

24% of students with scores >1400 submitted 10-14 applications and 28% submitted more than 15.

No surprise, but high volume applicants are applying to highly selective schools: "Naturally, this effect would tend to result in a greater concentration of high-volume applicants in the pools of the most selective members."

https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ca.research.publish/Research_Briefs_2022/2022_12_09_Apps_Per_Applicant_ResearchBrief.pdf

This matches what my kid did. SAT in the 1400s and has applied to 13 schools. They're in at their safeties, but so far everything else has been a deferral. Unhooked white kid from NoVa - dime a dozen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Last year, when my kid was applying, some parent had twins, and they were maxing out Common and Coalition Apps to apply to 30+ schools each fishing for max merit aid.

Did this work for them?

Not sure. It was on a CC thread, I think '22 Parents, but I didn't see what the outcome was. Seemed excessive to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the latest Common App report (2022 cycle), students with SAT scores (ACT equiv) of 1500+ (76,747 applicants) submitted on average 9 applications.

24% of students with scores >1400 submitted 10-14 applications and 28% submitted more than 15.

No surprise, but high volume applicants are applying to highly selective schools: "Naturally, this effect would tend to result in a greater concentration of high-volume applicants in the pools of the most selective members."

https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ca.research.publish/Research_Briefs_2022/2022_12_09_Apps_Per_Applicant_ResearchBrief.pdf

Do they remove all the student who did ED first and were accepted? Because that's a large set of 1's to pull down the average.

Just because you apply ED, doesn't mean you only submitted one application. I know of several kids that applied to 15 schools by 11/30, including their 1 ED.

ED just requires that you withdraw your other applications if accepted (and that you can't apply to another school ED or Restricted EA). Many kids are applying to top State flagships unrestricted EA by 11/1, and then it is easy to apply to 4-5 UC schools, since it is just 1 application and you check the boxes of the schools in which you are interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High schools should not be able to dictate how many colleges a student applies to.

My kid’s HS limits it to 10. I’m glad because it forces you to do your homework and apply to schools where your kid will get in. No need to waste applications on long shots.

But every single year a private mom comes on in spring to say that their gifted kid applied to the 10 max … and got nothing. The counselors get it wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the latest Common App report (2022 cycle), students with SAT scores (ACT equiv) of 1500+ (76,747 applicants) submitted on average 9 applications.

24% of students with scores >1400 submitted 10-14 applications and 28% submitted more than 15.

No surprise, but high volume applicants are applying to highly selective schools: "Naturally, this effect would tend to result in a greater concentration of high-volume applicants in the pools of the most selective members."

https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ca.research.publish/Research_Briefs_2022/2022_12_09_Apps_Per_Applicant_ResearchBrief.pdf

If a qualified applicant has a 10-20% chance at any given school and the chances at any given school are unrelated to the chances at other schools, it makes sense to shotgun applications

Exactly

Kids are reporting things like I got into USc, but I have 15 other schools I would rather go to, and 30 o still need to hear from.
I understand why kids are doing it but the reality is it will only get worse for students because if more students submit 15+ applications to the same pool of T100 schools, the 10-20% chance will decrease to 5-10%, especially when you are competing with potentially 76000+ kids with at least a 1500 SAT score (ACT equivalent) and an additional 98000+ in the 1400 range.

[Anonymous]

These kids are plying ED1 and 2 and EA and claim not to need merit. Posts like I got into UNC and UTexas (both EA) but prefer some from the group of 17 I have yet to hear from. Or I got into ISc EA, but there are 15 schools of the 30 I have yet to hear from that I prefer. They are getting deferred ED though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These kids are plying ED1 and 2 and EA and claim not to need merit. Posts like I got into UNC and UTexas (both EA) but prefer some from the group of 17 I have yet to hear from. Or I got into ISc EA, but there are 15 schools of the 30 I have yet to hear from that I prefer. They are getting deferred ED though.

USC not ISc.