Sober Advice from a Georgia Tech Admissions Officer on Admissions This Year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the "experts" are predicting massive use of WL (which may drag on into the summer).

Hang on for a wild ride, folks! Yield forecasting is a mess this year.

Why would it go into the summer? I figured a ton of WL movement through June 1 and then most kids won’t be switching around. I get the idea of a cascading WL (one person moving off a WL creates a spot at school they are declining), but don’t the kids have to decide in a few days if they are accepting the spot? Any thoughts?

I think the number of days varies by school - could even be up to a week, so they probably put out WL offers in batches. The additional issue is that most kids haven't visited many of their schools, which makes it that much more difficult to decide.

How long it drags out remains to be seen. This AO is telling us to expect it.

I have already told my DC that they need to think about how long they are willing to wait to make a final decision on a school. Getting off the WL in early May is a lot different than getting off in late June. In June, you have already found a roommate, committed mentally to a school, etc. It is hard to change paths in the summer! I feel for these kids.

Fwiw and to the point about last minute decisions, I got off the wait list at an Ivy League law school in August many years ago. I already had paid my deposit to attend a solid, state law school and was looking for apartments in that town when I got the call. We literally turned around, packed and headed across the country. It was a hassle, sure, but I think attending that law school (and of course, doing well) made a ton of difference in the opportunities I've had over the years.

Same here, although it wasn’t quite that late. I think it’s important to keep an open mind — perhaps even more so this year since things are so off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

But it was academics at schools like yours that were begging for the spread of test optional and blind policies. You got what you wish for. Students didn't WANT to go to your school, they had to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

But it was academics at schools like yours that were begging for the spread of test optional and blind policies. You got what you wish for. Students didn't WANT to go to your school, they had to.

What a weird comment, apropos of nothing.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

But it was academics at schools like yours that were begging for the spread of test optional and blind policies. You got what you wish for. Students didn't WANT to go to your school, they had to.

NP. This is an interesting point. I have a feeling there will end up being a lot of "you got what you wish for" going around with test optional. The road being paved with good intentions and all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

But it was academics at schools like yours that were begging for the spread of test optional and blind policies. You got what you wish for. Students didn't WANT to go to your school, they had to.

What a weird comment, apropos of nothing.
DP

Other PP. I think the comment should not have been directed at the PP, but it is interesting nonetheless that apps are up so much at more selective schools and yet down at less selective ones. There is no question that app increases at more selective schools are a result of test optional policies. Does it follow that apps are down at less selective schools for related reasons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

But it was academics at schools like yours that were begging for the spread of test optional and blind policies. You got what you wish for. Students didn't WANT to go to your school, they had to.

What a weird comment, apropos of nothing.
DP

The truths hurts PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this? Why the big WL?

Because schools can not depend on their historic data that guides their yield predictions- all that is out this window this year with record increases in applications. Kids, on average, applied to many more schools than ever before, but can only enroll at one. To protect their yield and make sure they do not over enroll, or offer too many spots to kids who choose to go elsewhere and damage their yield %, they will slowly admit into the class of '25 and use the WL. At least that is what all the higher ed talking heads are predicting.

The author hints at this by saying not to expect financial aid off the wait list, but many (most?) “need blind” colleges don’t apply that policy to admissions off the wait list. In a year where colleges are missing residential, sports revenue and full-pay international students, most universities need more full-pay students, and the wait list is one way to get them.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2017/06/04/how-college-waitlists-work-against-low-income-students/?sh=38710a8a2277

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

Obviously I don't know your school but these are the colleges that I am rooting for. The uber selective ones wiill always have students and most of these students would do great no matter where they attend due to family advantage. The less selective schools are more important to our society to provide post secondary education to our future workforce.

Not sure which one you teach at but many will fold. There are few people who have 50-80k a year to spend on a non elite university!

You vastly overestimate the cost of college, especially for people who don’t have a ton of money. Many/most of these schools discount very heavily. My non-elite student got acceptances from schools in the 50-80 LAC range with tuition discounts dropping total cost below $30k. I get the donut hole problem but if you aren’t getting a tuition discount you aren’t applying to the right colleges.

This was our experience a few years ago. My DC, with a 4.0 weighted GPA and 30 ACT was accepted at Clark, Kalamazoo, Wooster, Denison, Lawrence, Earlham, Eckerd, and Trinity (in TX), and was offered merit aid at all of them, so that the total COA ranged from $26k-$34k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

Obviously I don't know your school but these are the colleges that I am rooting for. The uber selective ones wiill always have students and most of these students would do great no matter where they attend due to family advantage. The less selective schools are more important to our society to provide post secondary education to our future workforce.

Not sure which one you teach at but many will fold. There are few people who have 50-80k a year to spend on a non elite university!

You vastly overestimate the cost of college, especially for people who don’t have a ton of money. Many/most of these schools discount very heavily. My non-elite student got acceptances from schools in the 50-80 LAC range with tuition discounts dropping total cost below $30k. I get the donut hole problem but if you aren’t getting a tuition discount you aren’t applying to the right colleges.

This was our experience a few years ago. My DC, with a 4.0 weighted GPA and 30 ACT was accepted at Clark, Kalamazoo, Wooster, Denison, Lawrence, Earlham, Eckerd, and Trinity (in TX), and was offered merit aid at all of them, so that the total COA ranged from $26k-$34k.

This is an insane list. Your kid can't figure out whether they want TX or FL weather vs. Michigan weather. I've told my kid to decide what kind of weather they want and stick to that part of the country. I'm not spaying apples just to apply to widely disparate schools and see if they get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

Obviously I don't know your school but these are the colleges that I am rooting for. The uber selective ones wiill always have students and most of these students would do great no matter where they attend due to family advantage. The less selective schools are more important to our society to provide post secondary education to our future workforce.

Not sure which one you teach at but many will fold. There are few people who have 50-80k a year to spend on a non elite university!

You vastly overestimate the cost of college, especially for people who don’t have a ton of money. Many/most of these schools discount very heavily. My non-elite student got acceptances from schools in the 50-80 LAC range with tuition discounts dropping total cost below $30k. I get the donut hole problem but if you aren’t getting a tuition discount you aren’t applying to the right colleges.

This was our experience a few years ago. My DC, with a 4.0 weighted GPA and 30 ACT was accepted at Clark, Kalamazoo, Wooster, Denison, Lawrence, Earlham, Eckerd, and Trinity (in TX), and was offered merit aid at all of them, so that the total COA ranged from $26k-$34k.

This is an insane list. Your kid can't figure out whether they want TX or FL weather vs. Michigan weather. I've told my kid to decide what kind of weather they want and stick to that part of the country. I'm not spaying apples just to apply to widely disparate schools and see if they get in.

Some people can enjoy different kinds of weather. This doesn't seem so crazy, all small mostly CTCL colleges. You can decide on the weather once you know the price. I find lists that are in the same region/weather but vastly different sizes/types of schools more perplexing but that's probably because my kids both had very strong opinions about size (one certain he wanted the "big state U" vibe and the other firmly in the LAC camp).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach at a not very selective private college and applications are down by a staggering number. It is alarming. I hope that we see more students when they aren't admitted where they thought they would be, but not counting on it.

Obviously I don't know your school but these are the colleges that I am rooting for. The uber selective ones wiill always have students and most of these students would do great no matter where they attend due to family advantage. The less selective schools are more important to our society to provide post secondary education to our future workforce.

Not sure which one you teach at but many will fold. There are few people who have 50-80k a year to spend on a non elite university!

You vastly overestimate the cost of college, especially for people who don’t have a ton of money. Many/most of these schools discount very heavily. My non-elite student got acceptances from schools in the 50-80 LAC range with tuition discounts dropping total cost below $30k. I get the donut hole problem but if you aren’t getting a tuition discount you aren’t applying to the right colleges.

This was our experience a few years ago. My DC, with a 4.0 weighted GPA and 30 ACT was accepted at Clark, Kalamazoo, Wooster, Denison, Lawrence, Earlham, Eckerd, and Trinity (in TX), and was offered merit aid at all of them, so that the total COA ranged from $26k-$34k.

This is an insane list. Your kid can't figure out whether they want TX or FL weather vs. Michigan weather. I've told my kid to decide what kind of weather they want and stick to that part of the country. I'm not spaying apples just to apply to widely disparate schools and see if they get in.

This is a really bizarre comment. I would guess that, while weather is a factor in creating many students' lists, it's hardly the deciding factor for most. More likely the strength of the program the student is interested in, the size of the school, rural v. urban, research opportunities, distance from home, . . . . My guess these other factors are way more important to most students than weather. I definitely see more similarities in the PPs list than differences. I think they did a good job in putting together a solid list, and congratulations on the merit!