Lessons learned: 2025-2026

[Anonymous]

We live in volatile times: Assume that some things that were axiomatic last cycle will change this cycle. Be prepared to adjust!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have posted it several times.

EA Case Western! The decision came right before the break, it's exactly the news the family needs. Once you have an acceptance, no one is too stressed. DC focused on RD supplementals during the break.

Demonstrated interest is important. Visit in-person.

I’ve also seen this suggestion a few times. But it assumes implicitly that the kids will be happy there.

We are ever grateful to Case giving acceptance and merit. No doubt.

But on the other hand this is a school having 15% yield. No one is saying you could stop applying RD after Case acceptance unless Case is the true first choice.

[Anonymous]

Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

[Anonymous]

Don't believe when people predict applications will be down this cycle from last.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Some good videos on the AO review process - read the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoflMbC1IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfb4od5j57I

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1) Don't ED to a school that no one at your HS matriculates to.

2) Don't ED to a very small SLAC if a significant number of ED admissions are essentially pre-admitted through pre-reads for recruited athletes. The ED admission rate is very misleading but when you take out athletes (who are essentially pre-admitted at 100% by pre-reads and full coach support) and leave some spaces for institutional priorities (First Gen, Low-income, rural, legacy, donor), there is actually very little space left!

3) If you must ED to a reach, emphasize that it is a very long shot, and DC should keep working on applications with the expectation they will NOT get into ED. That will help them bounceback from a deferral or decline.

4) Do NOT panic and ED2 to a lesser choice just because DC is feeling panic/fear/worry about not getting in admitted to their true 1st choice ED1. Let them work through their disappointment, focus on the colleges in the RD pool and while they are writing essays they will fall back in love with their other options.

5) Your DC is still growing/developing through senior year. Over holiday break, DC thinks they may want a bigger, more urban campus (the opposite of their ED1) and also is rethinking major! While they may have been happy with getting into ED1 and being "done" with the process over holiday break (a true bonus), I suspect in the long run not getting in and having more options to consider over the course of the year will be better for them.

Just know, you won't be getting in Rd, where there's 10-12x the amount of competition and not that many more seats available.

Just stop. You keep saying that on every thread.

My own kid got into 2 Ivies, Hopkins and Pomona RD after getting deferred from Georgetown. Friends similarly did better RD, or were WL and got off WLs RD in May.

Quit trying to scare everyone.

Dp, but Last year’s wait list experience will not be replicated. It was due to Trump’s policies regarding international students. That’s already baked in this cycle.

Most kids get only a few RD acceptances and few are reaches. Your kid was an outlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Some good videos on the AO review process - read the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoflMbC1IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfb4od5j57I

Everyone who wonders about committee review/AO reading processes should watch both of these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Some good videos on the AO review process - read the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoflMbC1IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfb4od5j57I

Everyone who wonders about committee review/AO reading processes should watch both of these.

Interestingly, the male with the highest test scores wasn't an admit (though I imagine in RD in the class shaping, when they need more boys, he would be). The URM girl and the $$$ girl were both admits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This college forum is the best free entertainment known to man. It is great to read during early morning and late night bathroom trips. The level of insanity, insecurity, hang ringing, anxiety, and trolling is un matched anywhere. The fact so many people are knee shit deep invested in names, places, statistics, results, comparisons, and display two year old melt downs makes it as addictive as nicotine. Keep it coming. Now that David Lynch is gone this forum is a great place to come and peek into the surreal world on man’s insanity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Here's info on institutional priorities:
https://ingeniusprep.com/blog/athlete-legacy-admissions-advantage/

A Simplified Example: How a Class of 100 Might Be Allocated

Priority Category Approximate % of Seats

Recruited Athletes 10%
Legacy / Donor / Faculty Kids 12–15%
Full-Pay International 10%
First-Gen / Low-Income 10–15%
Underrepresented Majors 10%
Mission-Aligned Profiles 10%
Academic Standouts 25–30%

I do think one of the reasons my kid got into a T10 RD (legacy) last cycle was because DC hit 4 IPs (donor; legacy; underrepresented major; mission-aligned priorities).

[Anonymous]

If you can ED somewhere realistic, just do it and be done.

It has not been bad at all for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Here's info on institutional priorities:
https://ingeniusprep.com/blog/athlete-legacy-admissions-advantage/

A Simplified Example: How a Class of 100 Might Be Allocated

Priority Category Approximate % of Seats

Recruited Athletes 10%
Legacy / Donor / Faculty Kids 12–15%
Full-Pay International 10%
First-Gen / Low-Income 10–15%
Underrepresented Majors 10%
Mission-Aligned Profiles 10%
Academic Standouts 25–30%

I do think one of the reasons my kid got into a T10 RD (legacy) last cycle was because DC hit 4 IPs (donor; legacy; underrepresented major; mission-aligned priorities).

Don’t quite understand the international full-pay bit when there’re plenty of domestic full-pay parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Some good videos on the AO review process - read the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoflMbC1IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfb4od5j57I

Do you think ED admits are mostly unanimous in voting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Understand the role of institutional priorities and how few slots outside of that actually remain in regular decision. Lots of old links on here.

If you are early in the process, think about how you can hit a double or trifecta with some of these priorities: (legacy/donor/undersubscribed major/geo diversity/demo diversity/qualities to directly match new university programming/centers)

Some good videos on the AO review process - read the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muoflMbC1IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfb4od5j57I

Everyone who wonders about committee review/AO reading processes should watch both of these.

Interestingly, the male with the highest test scores wasn't an admit (though I imagine in RD in the class shaping, when they need more boys, he would be). The URM girl and the $$$ girl were both admits.

They seemed to already form an opinion about each applicant and each was finding an excuse for why she should be admitted and why he should be rejected.

They lost me on the bit about her being able to handle the STEM major with her “high”(670) SAT math score. She already took AP precalc and was taking DE calc and still scored below 700?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This college forum is the best free entertainment known to man. It is great to read during early morning and late night bathroom trips. The level of insanity, insecurity, hang ringing, anxiety, and trolling is un matched anywhere. The fact so many people are knee shit deep invested in names, places, statistics, results, comparisons, and display two year old melt downs makes it as addictive as nicotine. Keep it coming. Now that David Lynch is gone this forum is a great place to come and peek into the surreal world on man’s insanity.

nah, not stylish enough to compare with Lynch. But yes, it reflects the horribleness of this country. I wonder if parents in central Wisconsin behave the same way? Or just here?