All these rejections and deferrals reported on DCUM and CC are shocking and discouraging

[Anonymous]

I like the UK system more. One can only apply to a max of 5 schools. There is no "holistic" BS. They look at your test scores, your grades and your essay is about what and why you want to study what you want to intend to study.
Actually, most higher ed admissions worldwide is not holistic but performance based. Only the US has this social engineering game with college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The test has changed - it's easier to get a good score now. They also allow superscoring, which means if you take the test 3 times, they will only use your best score from each section of the test. For the ACT, this is particularly relevant since there ]

How has the test gotten easier? 7% of HS class of 2023 got a 1400 or higher.
https://reports.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-program-results

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Too many applicants to 50 to 75 colleges.

Rejections in spades is the obvious result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Too many applicants to 50 to 75 colleges.

Rejections in spades is the obvious result.

Correct. And every day a new parent on here with "how doing get my kid into their dream school <SAME SCHOOLS>". Not even sure how the schools are evaluating all these applications. Every year more and more unpredictable.

[Anonymous]

FSU had over 76,000 applications this year and admitted approximate 16600. Applications are definitely way up and I feel like next year will be worse.

[Anonymous]

My 3.7/1300s (and submitted) kid did well. My feeling is that some people are overestimating their odds given the stats, AND not playing the ED game if they are in the fortunate position to do so. ED1 to a reach, fine. If it doesn’t work out and it’s a deferral, ED2 somewhere more reasonable for gods sake unless your kid is satisfied with a couple safeties they hopefully got into EA. Don’t hang around waiting on the ED1 deferral which is likely NOT to happen. Play the odds. Our kid wanted to wait out RD from the ED1, we and her counselor strongly advised ED2 to her 2nd choice, and she got in and was THRILLED. Just my two cents from our experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3.7/1300s (and submitted) kid did well. My feeling is that some people are overestimating their odds given the stats, AND not playing the ED game if they are in the fortunate position to do so. ED1 to a reach, fine. If it doesn’t work out and it’s a deferral, ED2 somewhere more reasonable for gods sake unless your kid is satisfied with a couple safeties they hopefully got into EA. Don’t hang around waiting on the ED1 deferral which is likely NOT to happen. Play the odds. Our kid wanted to wait out RD from the ED1, we and her counselor strongly advised ED2 to her 2nd choice, and she got in and was THRILLED. Just my two cents from our experience.

This is far from most people's experience. We are talking about kids with top stats, ECs, awards, etc. that are getting rejected and deferred at not only reach schools but ones that were likely admits a few years ago. This is a surprise to most people who have not have kids go through this process in the last 2 years or so.

Also guessing you are coming from private since no public school counselor would give this kind of detailed advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the UK system more. One can only apply to a max of 5 schools. There is no "holistic" BS. They look at your test scores, your grades and your essay is about what and why you want to study what you want to intend to study.
Actually, most higher ed admissions worldwide is not holistic but performance based. Only the US has this social engineering game with college admissions.

Could not agree more. And this is why DC is overseas for College. Fortunately, the tide is turning on unreasonable spending by institution s on DEI and Woke messaging. Test optional seems to be fading out. Parents don’t want to pay 91k a year for indoctrination. Hope we return to a more sane system

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the UK system more. One can only apply to a max of 5 schools. There is no "holistic" BS. They look at your test scores, your grades and your essay is about what and why you want to study what you want to intend to study.
Actually, most higher ed admissions worldwide is not holistic but performance based. Only the US has this social engineering game with college admissions.

Could not agree more. And this is why DC is overseas for College. Fortunately, the tide is turning on unreasonable spending by institution s on DEI and Woke messaging. Test optional seems to be fading out. Parents don’t want to pay 91k a year for indoctrination. Hope we return to a more sane system

Stop trolling. Define your problem with diversity beside your likely racial animus. What exactly is woke messaging? Please give us a little bit more detail about that instead of lazily using a term that has been hijacked as a buzzword for idiotic, trolling white supremacists (and their allies).

[Anonymous]

It is all about math. There are 75K high students graduating every year with 1,500+ SAT or 35+ ACT scores. That fills every seat in the top 20+ universities. Except those schools also need athletes, kids in the band, etc., so you can fill maybe the top 30. State schools need out of state kids that they can charge more to cover the bills. Everybody wants more full pay international students.

These factors make admissions more random than in the past and force kids to apply to more schools which is easier because of the common app.

Viscous cycle that will continue for the foreseeable future. Even though college age population in the US will start to shrink, you will see more applicants from outside the US and a reduction in the number of colleges as those operating on the margins today go under.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the UK system more. One can only apply to a max of 5 schools. There is no "holistic" BS. They look at your test scores, your grades and your essay is about what and why you want to study what you want to intend to study.
Actually, most higher ed admissions worldwide is not holistic but performance based. Only the US has this social engineering game with college admissions.

Could not agree more. And this is why DC is overseas for College. Fortunately, the tide is turning on unreasonable spending by institution s on DEI and Woke messaging. Test optional seems to be fading out. Parents don’t want to pay 91k a year for indoctrination. Hope we return to a more sane system

Anyone still using "woke" and invoking "DEI" should stay overseas. Bye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the UK system more. One can only apply to a max of 5 schools. There is no "holistic" BS. They look at your test scores, your grades and your essay is about what and why you want to study what you want to intend to study.
Actually, most higher ed admissions worldwide is not holistic but performance based. Only the US has this social engineering game with college admissions.

Could not agree more. And this is why DC is overseas for College. Fortunately, the tide is turning on unreasonable spending by institution s on DEI and Woke messaging. Test optional seems to be fading out. Parents don’t want to pay 91k a year for indoctrination. Hope we return to a more sane system

Stop trolling. Define your problem with diversity beside your likely racial animus. What exactly is woke messaging? Please give us a little bit more detail about that instead of lazily using a term that has been hijacked as a buzzword for idiotic, trolling white supremacists (and their allies).

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're thinking about it all wrong. There are many more great schools, students, and professors than there were when we were kids. That's cause for celebration, not despair. It's only if you refuse to broaden your view to acknowledge that improvement beyond the traditional elites that things look grim. Adjust your thinking to fit reality for the sake of your own mental health--and especially for your kid's.

You are really lacking in empathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're thinking about it all wrong. There are many more great schools, students, and professors than there were when we were kids. That's cause for celebration, not despair. It's only if you refuse to broaden your view to acknowledge that improvement beyond the traditional elites that things look grim. Adjust your thinking to fit reality for the sake of your own mental health--and especially for your kid's.

Did you/ would you take your own advice? Where did your kids go?
Just curious if ppl on here practice what they preach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the UK system more. One can only apply to a max of 5 schools. There is no "holistic" BS. They look at your test scores, your grades and your essay is about what and why you want to study what you want to intend to study.
Actually, most higher ed admissions worldwide is not holistic but performance based. Only the US has this social engineering game with college admissions.

Could not agree more. And this is why DC is overseas for College. Fortunately, the tide is turning on unreasonable spending by institution s on DEI and Woke messaging. Test optional seems to be fading out. Parents don’t want to pay 91k a year for indoctrination. Hope we return to a more sane system

Anyone still using "woke" and invoking "DEI" should stay overseas. Bye.

+ a million. Fuxxing tiring listening to this same, ignorant BS.