Why is the University of Chicago so desperate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

This. They want as many people as possible to apply, so they can have a low admit rate.

Yes, but don't discount the other benefit -- that they have a larger pool of applicants from which to choose. It's not completely cynical.

[Anonymous]

I wish USNWR would drop that component from their ranking calculations. It just encourages this false hope and is cruel to kids who don’t understand what they are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish USNWR would drop that component from their ranking calculations. It just encourages this false hope and is cruel to kids who don’t understand what they are doing.

If you mean acceptance rate, they already did

The magazine killed one part of its methodology -- the acceptance rate -- that has long been seen as rewarding colleges for the number of applicants they reject. But this was worth only 1.25 percent of the formula.

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/09/10/us-news-says-it-has-shifted-rankings-focus-social-mobility-has-it

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings

[Anonymous]

Yes but that was a bit of closing the door after the horse bolted. I think it is a bad statistic that colleges have adopted, even though they deny it, as a proxy for how good the school is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes but that was a bit of closing the door after the horse bolted. I think it is a bad statistic that colleges have adopted, even though they deny it, as a proxy for how good the school is.

I don't think colleges adopted that. In fact I am sure they HATE it. But that's the reality of what the general public thinks, and the colleges all compete with that mindset for students and endowment.

Also, I am no fan of USN, but as noted above: before they dropped it, Acceptance Rate was only 1.25% of the ranking calculation.

[Anonymous]

Well I wish more school would not charge application fees. If it works for their benefit or not, it certainly would benefit my wallet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well I wish more school would not charge application fees. If it works for their benefit or not, it certainly would benefit my wallet!

https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/colleges-with-no-application-fee/

[Anonymous]

Your kid isn't so special, my 2.5 kid gets the same stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:True, but U of Chicago is rare in that they do not charge to apply.

test scores aren't free to send.

I believe they are also one of the schools no longer requiring test scores. Or at least making them optional.

[Anonymous]

They are the worst. They hardcore marketed to my 3.8 33 ACT kid. He rolled his eyes when their mail came.

[Anonymous]

My kid is also getting stalked by Case Western and Swarthmore. Case Western isn't impossible to get in, but Swarthmore is.

[Anonymous]

If you care so much, you can opt-out (message admissions office) from their mail. Emails can be easily unsubscribed.

Same process as if you want to stop a company from sending you a catalog.

[Anonymous]

My kid gets so much mail from Chicago!

[Anonymous]

Their essays are very challenging to write though. They are not just an extra line on the common ap.

[Anonymous]

USNWR does not use admissions rates as part of their rankings.

UChicago does not charge an application fee if you apply for financial aid (whether or not ultimately received)

UChicago does not require test scores, and if you do submit scores, you can self-report.