Do great students sometimes get shut out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Of course. There are far more well-qualified applicants than there are slots. Same for the working world, dating, et cetera.

Really? So PP's kid with 3.85 gpa and 1480 SAT was the least qualified of JMU admits? Please.

You have fundamentally misunderstood the college application process.

"There are far more well-qualified applicants than there are slots."

You're saying that everyone who was admitted had higher stats. Nope. Not possible at JMU.

First of all, you’re not quoting me, and secondly, no, I did not say the words you put into my mouth. Does your applicant share your lack of reading comprehension?

Once again, you have fundamentally misunderstood the college application process.

My applicant got into a better school than you could ever hope for with your rambling.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Second DC applying in this round. The real shut-out risk is that the top student in her class got rejected/deferred for ED. Now the top student (and a couple of others like her close to the very top of the class) will apply RD everywhere. And nobody below them has a chance anywhere T30. You get shut out by your own classmates.

This is happening at our private

Colleges running admissions by largely comparing students within schools create this problem. One the one hand, a comparison like that is useful/necessary (esp if there is rampant grading inflation in any given school). On the other hand, it really kills students who apply from challenging schools, especially if they belong to a strong cohort. TO and/or general devaluation of test scores also means comparisons will increasingly be made within schools. Clueless DC private school CCOs are unable to manage this well -- unlike NY Privates ( for example). It is a nightmare. My advice to DMV parents: If top 10/20 placement in college is the goal, get your kids out of top privates and into less competitive schools.

Totally agree. Each year the system appears more broken than the last. Until and unless the massive supply-demand problem between the number of slots at the top schools (which have not increased by much in the last 30 years) and the number of serious applicants is not resolved, all the perversities are mere symptoms. You fix one, the problem re-appears elsewhere.

Who’s holding the gun to your head and forcing you to participate in what you believe to be a fundamentally broken system?

Colleges can do whatever they want to you because they know you are so obsessed with nonsense like “prestige” you will literally do whatever they want and jump through any hoop.

OP here. I am not interested in prestige, just a college degree from a school employers have heard of. It was just surprising how DS's results ended up, and it made me wonder if there are kids who aren't getting any acceptances. We thought the school he was deferred from (71% acceptance rate per Niche, he's well over the 75 per in SAT/ACT) was a sure thing.

I’m confused. Was this your DC’s ED? Or this was one of the school’s on your DC’s list?

EA Auburn.

Public or private high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second DC applying in this round. The real shut-out risk is that the top student in her class got rejected/deferred for ED. Now the top student (and a couple of others like her close to the very top of the class) will apply RD everywhere. And nobody below them has a chance anywhere T30. You get shut out by your own classmates.

This is happening at our private

Colleges running admissions by largely comparing students within schools create this problem. One the one hand, a comparison like that is useful/necessary (esp if there is rampant grading inflation in any given school). On the other hand, it really kills students who apply from challenging schools, especially if they belong to a strong cohort. TO and/or general devaluation of test scores also means comparisons will increasingly be made within schools. Clueless DC private school CCOs are unable to manage this well -- unlike NY Privates ( for example). It is a nightmare. My advice to DMV parents: If top 10/20 placement in college is the goal, get your kids out of top privates and into less competitive schools.

Totally agree. Each year the system appears more broken than the last. Until and unless the massive supply-demand problem between the number of slots at the top schools (which have not increased by much in the last 30 years) and the number of serious applicants is not resolved, all the perversities are mere symptoms. You fix one, the problem re-appears elsewhere.

Who’s holding the gun to your head and forcing you to participate in what you believe to be a fundamentally broken system?

Colleges can do whatever they want to you because they know you are so obsessed with nonsense like “prestige” you will literally do whatever they want and jump through any hoop.

OP here. I am not interested in prestige, just a college degree from a school employers have heard of. It was just surprising how DS's results ended up, and it made me wonder if there are kids who aren't getting any acceptances. We thought the school he was deferred from (71% acceptance rate per Niche, he's well over the 75 per in SAT/ACT) was a sure thing.

I’m confused. Was this your DC’s ED? Or this was one of the school’s on your DC’s list?

EA Auburn.

Public or private high school?

Private. Not in the DMV anymore, so not super elite.

[Anonymous]

Auburn has a 44% admit rate, how can a school with a sub-50 admit rate be a safety?

“Safety” does not mean “my last ranked choice” or “not T50 so nobody I know wants to go there”.

They reject more than they admit!

“Safety” means “there is absolutely no way I am getting rejected”, like open rolling admissions, or guaranteed admissions like VCU is now offering for certain stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Auburn has a 44% admit rate, how can a school with a sub-50 admit rate be a safety?

“Safety” does not mean “my last ranked choice” or “not T50 so nobody I know wants to go there”.

They reject more than they admit!

“Safety” means “there is absolutely no way I am getting rejected”, like open rolling admissions, or guaranteed admissions like VCU is now offering for certain stats.

Niche says 71%. And it's ranked 93rd. Where are you getting your data, and why is there such a discrepancy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Auburn has a 44% admit rate, how can a school with a sub-50 admit rate be a safety?

“Safety” does not mean “my last ranked choice” or “not T50 so nobody I know wants to go there”.

They reject more than they admit!

“Safety” means “there is absolutely no way I am getting rejected”, like open rolling admissions, or guaranteed admissions like VCU is now offering for certain stats.

Niche says 71%. And it's ranked 93rd. Where are you getting your data, and why is there such a discrepancy?

DP. According to Auburn's 2002 CDS, it was just under 44%.

https://auburn.edu/administration/ir/common-data-set/2022/section-c.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which school deferred him? There were a number of big state schools that deferred a ton of applicants this year but I imagine they will take many of them in the Spring. Read about the particular school on College Confidential or post it here and people might be able to advise.

Auburn.

Then, you clearly didn’t do your research. Over the last two years, Auburn has slashed its acceptance rates. It’s still the same school it was academically 3years ago. They are just pushing interest by decreasing their acceptance rate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good SEC school. It’s not in the top three of SEC schools, but it’s solid middle. Top 100 school. Tennessee has begun to copy what Auburn is doing, causing hysteria in applications, although it is still still in the lower ranks of the SEC of academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which school deferred him? There were a number of big state schools that deferred a ton of applicants this year but I imagine they will take many of them in the Spring. Read about the particular school on College Confidential or post it here and people might be able to advise.

Auburn.

Then, you clearly didn’t do your research. Over the last two years, Auburn has slashed its acceptance rates. It’s still the same school it was academically 3years ago. They are just pushing interest by decreasing their acceptance rate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good SEC school. It’s not in the top three of SEC schools, but it’s solid middle. Top 100 school. Tennessee has begun to copy what Auburn is doing, causing hysteria in applications, although it is still still in the lower ranks of the SEC of academics.

No, I did not. DS was so panicked about applying to his top choice that I gave him free reign as far as other options and did not harp on him as far as where to apply.

Should I assume Niche is no longer accurate?

[Anonymous]

Yes. It is no longer accurate. Not a good tool. USNews has accurate rankings. Naviance is also dated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It is no longer accurate. Not a good tool. USNews has accurate rankings. Naviance is also dated.

USNWR says it's rank 93rd, though?

I keep telling myself it's ok. He was accepted at his top choice, and hopefully he'll be able to attend. But there's a chance that he won't, and there are siblings behind him...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which school deferred him? There were a number of big state schools that deferred a ton of applicants this year but I imagine they will take many of them in the Spring. Read about the particular school on College Confidential or post it here and people might be able to advise.

Auburn.

Then, you clearly didn’t do your research. Over the last two years, Auburn has slashed its acceptance rates. It’s still the same school it was academically 3years ago. They are just pushing interest by decreasing their acceptance rate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good SEC school. It’s not in the top three of SEC schools, but it’s solid middle. Top 100 school. Tennessee has begun to copy what Auburn is doing, causing hysteria in applications, although it is still still in the lower ranks of the SEC of academics.

No, I did not. DS was so panicked about applying to his top choice that I gave him free reign as far as other options and did not harp on him as far as where to apply.

Should I assume Niche is no longer accurate?

The moment you wrote that the EA was Auburn, I was puzzled at how you could think it was a safety. The apps there have exploded and I assumed that was fairly well known for folks with HS kids applying outside their regions would also be keyed into this news.

It doesn't seem surprising that your DC received a deferral when some schools yield protect.

The challenge going forward is that your DC may not have composed a list of real targets and likelies. Our DD's CCO told her it was okay for her likelies to cap @ 40% admit rate. I kept saying that was too risky and she needed a UVM or an equivalent on there. DH, who attended a T5 LAC for UG, told me IDK what I was talking about. Fortunately she got in ED at a lottery reach school, but it could've ended up in not a great situation.

OP, I'm sorry I'm not remembering every post - does this mean your DC was deferred/rejected ED as well as deferred for an EA? What else is on the board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It is no longer accurate. Not a good tool. USNews has accurate rankings. Naviance is also dated.

USNWR says it's rank 93rd, though?

I keep telling myself it's ok. He was accepted at his top choice, and hopefully he'll be able to attend. But there's a chance that he won't, and there are siblings behind him...

Okay, I don't get this. Your DC is in at a school, their top choice. What is the issue now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It is no longer accurate. Not a good tool. USNews has accurate rankings. Naviance is also dated.

USNWR says it's rank 93rd, though?

I keep telling myself it's ok. He was accepted at his top choice, and hopefully he'll be able to attend. But there's a chance that he won't, and there are siblings behind him...

Okay, I don't get this. Your DC is in at a school, their top choice. What is the issue now?

Yes, Auburn is 93. Why wouldn’t he be able to attend if he was accepted? And who’s to say with the future holds? If his siblings are going to two years behind him, Auburn will be even more competitive for out of state students, yes.

[Anonymous]

What- the future holds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It is no longer accurate. Not a good tool. USNews has accurate rankings. Naviance is also dated.

USNWR says it's rank 93rd, though?

I keep telling myself it's ok. He was accepted at his top choice, and hopefully he'll be able to attend. But there's a chance that he won't, and there are siblings behind him...

Okay, I don't get this. Your DC is in at a school, their top choice. What is the issue now?

It’s not enough to win the prize you want, you have to be the one rejecting those you see as inferior. They can’t reject you.

People here don’t need college counselors, they need therapists.