Lessons learned: 2025-2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid is now wishing that they applied to fewer safeties and more targets/mid-reaches.

Kid had a bunch of far reaches and is now feeling like they won't get into any reaches and will be stuck with limited (perfectly fine) options.

Can you name specifics?

Per the school counselor’s recommendation, kid had 3 safeties, 3 targets, and 4-5 reaches.

Kid now thinks 1 safety would have been fine and wished they spent the time on more targets on the higher side. So maybe 1 true safety, 3 easier targets, 3 harder targets, 4 reaches.

Kid has gotten into all safeties and targets so far and has some nice merit options. The reaches all look tough though, based on SCOIR scattergram.

Kid will be fine wherever but wishes they took a different approach.

I have a high stats DC. DC had one safety (Indiana Kelley). DC was prepared to add additional safeties in RD if he wasn’t admitted. Admitted to IU, so no need to add more schools. DC has some great EA admits and waiting to hear from 7 reaches in the next 2 weeks. One safety worked out for DC, but he got a lot of push back from his college counselor who finally agreed to DC’s strategy to add schools in RD if needed.

That would have been a good approach.

Kid did all safeties as EA so a lot of time/energy wasted up front.

Not much to do now but for second kid we will rethink it.

I thought kids were supposed as many as possible as EA?

[Anonymous]

Don't listen to conventional wisdom that says you "must apply ED" to certain schools or you won't get in. Feel free to do so if you have only one very clear favorite, but we had good luck in the RD round at schools DC loved but e didn't want to ED anywhere. Many tried to tell him not to bother applying to Tufts, UChicago or WashU in RD only, but he did and got into 2 out of 3.

No need to play these games. Be authentic and apply where you want, when you want and don't feel pushed into a binding commitment when you want or need more time to consider all options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I could make a good guide of safeties for different majors.

This is the main thing for me. Find one great safety. Apps take too long. You need to spend so much time on them. Don't waste your time on a zillion.

Many safeties don’t require supplements. Very easy applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid is now wishing that they applied to fewer safeties and more targets/mid-reaches.

Kid had a bunch of far reaches and is now feeling like they won't get into any reaches and will be stuck with limited (perfectly fine) options.

Can you name specifics?

Per the school counselor’s recommendation, kid had 3 safeties, 3 targets, and 4-5 reaches.

Kid now thinks 1 safety would have been fine and wished they spent the time on more targets on the higher side. So maybe 1 true safety, 3 easier targets, 3 harder targets, 4 reaches.

Kid has gotten into all safeties and targets so far and has some nice merit options. The reaches all look tough though, based on SCOIR scattergram.

Kid will be fine wherever but wishes they took a different approach.

I have a high stats DC. DC had one safety (Indiana Kelley). DC was prepared to add additional safeties in RD if he wasn’t admitted. Admitted to IU, so no need to add more schools. DC has some great EA admits and waiting to hear from 7 reaches in the next 2 weeks. One safety worked out for DC, but he got a lot of push back from his college counselor who finally agreed to DC’s strategy to add schools in RD if needed.

That would have been a good approach.

Kid did all safeties as EA so a lot of time/energy wasted up front.

Not much to do now but for second kid we will rethink it.

I thought kids were supposed as many as possible as EA?

Yeah, they’re rejecting that advice. Idk, applying EA everywhere worked for my kid, and we have no regrets. But every kid is different. Work with the kid you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to your private school counselor's advice. That's the biggest lesson I have learned this year. Do your own research.

Even your public school.one. Those counselors are lazy and useless.

My son goes to a decent private high school. Their college counselors are not that informed. But we don’t blame them, as these jobs are not well paid. We’ve just been picking up info online along the way. There’re parents and kids in his school who don’t seem very informed. We’re thinking about writing a guide on the basic stuff (perhaps combining the efforts of other more informed parents/kids who have gone through the process) to benefit the next generations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to your private school counselor's advice. That's the biggest lesson I have learned this year. Do your own research.

Even your public school.one. Those counselors are lazy and useless.

Can you elaborate on "don't listen to your private school counselor's advice"? What was your experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I could make a good guide of safeties for different majors.

This is the main thing for me. Find one great safety. Apps take too long. You need to spend so much time on them. Don't waste your time on a zillion.

Many safeties don’t require supplements. Very easy applications.

This is an odd way of thinking about safeties. Safeties are not always easy apps. It depends on your kid. Georgetown may be a safety from your high school (it is from ours if you have a certain gpa). Tossing in easy apps during free week at SUNY Binghamton would be just added noise. Your kid has to want the safety. Just a list of schools you'll be admitted to is not helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to conventional wisdom that says you "must apply ED" to certain schools or you won't get in. Feel free to do so if you have only one very clear favorite, but we had good luck in the RD round at schools DC loved but e didn't want to ED anywhere. Many tried to tell him not to bother applying to Tufts, UChicago or WashU in RD only, but he did and got into 2 out of 3.

No need to play these games. Be authentic and apply where you want, when you want and don't feel pushed into a binding commitment when you want or need more time to consider all options.

+100

[Anonymous]

For a student with uneven academic performance, visit and get excited about less selective schools first. My dc is super smart but doesn't always follow through on work, so his grades are not always at the top. We weren't sure how his junior year would go, so we prioritized visiting less selective schools that would be reasonable admit odds for him even if his grades ended up on the lower end. After a strong start, he is losing focus now and grades are, indeed, dipping. He may rebound by the end of the year, but it's a relief that he has already visited and "seen himself" at several schools where he should be able to get in regardless. If he ends the year strong, we'll add some higher-ranked schools. If not, at least he hasn't seen his entire list evaporate because he had a rough spring. There are least two schools he should almost certainly get into that he would be happy to attend, and that takes the edge off the stress. And lest you think that his grades may be dipping because he's stopped caring and is happy to settle for inferior schools, that's not it. He does have a couple of top choice schools that are a harder admit, and he is trying to turn things around so that he might get in there. But, if that doesn't work out, he has some solid backup options he has already visited and liked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I could make a good guide of safeties for different majors.

This is the main thing for me. Find one great safety. Apps take too long. You need to spend so much time on them. Don't waste your time on a zillion.

Would you jot something down? That would be amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid is now wishing that they applied to fewer safeties and more targets/mid-reaches.

Kid had a bunch of far reaches and is now feeling like they won't get into any reaches and will be stuck with limited (perfectly fine) options.

Can you name specifics?

Per the school counselor’s recommendation, kid had 3 safeties, 3 targets, and 4-5 reaches.

Kid now thinks 1 safety would have been fine and wished they spent the time on more targets on the higher side. So maybe 1 true safety, 3 easier targets, 3 harder targets, 4 reaches.

Kid has gotten into all safeties and targets so far and has some nice merit options. The reaches all look tough though, based on SCOIR scattergram.

Kid will be fine wherever but wishes they took a different approach.

I have a high stats DC. DC had one safety (Indiana Kelley). DC was prepared to add additional safeties in RD if he wasn’t admitted. Admitted to IU, so no need to add more schools. DC has some great EA admits and waiting to hear from 7 reaches in the next 2 weeks. One safety worked out for DC, but he got a lot of push back from his college counselor who finally agreed to DC’s strategy to add schools in RD if needed.

That would have been a good approach.

Kid did all safeties as EA so a lot of time/energy wasted up front.

Not much to do now but for second kid we will rethink it.

I thought kids were supposed as many as possible as EA?

I think the PP's point is that the student might not have needed 6 target/safety schools and instead could have spent that time on more reaches. A lot of reaches do not have EA so if you don't ED there, you have to go regular decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting into college now is actually MUCH EASIER now than it was in 2010:

1) Don't focus on top logos and focus instead on what your kid wants to learn, location, vibe, program.

2) Look up which school offers merit aid. Don't pay full price for college when there are so many discounts on offer.

3) Don't do ED unless you're an athlete trying to get on a roster and your kid really wants to play their sport.

4) Don't be sheep following the crowd, make up your own ideas.

5) Do take standardized tests. They are mattering more due to inflated grades and unprepared students.

6) Take rigor that challenges your kid, but won't burn them out.

How of you look up which schools offer merit aid? Many list scholarships etc but not unclear how competitive they are.

[Anonymous]

Do not believe the fear that some colleges must be applied to during ED. RD is still a very viable round for schools where at least half or more of the spots are still open.

ED is primarily a time to lock in institutional priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't listen to your private school counselor's advice. That's the biggest lesson I have learned this year. Do your own research.

Even your public school.one. Those counselors are lazy and useless.

Can you elaborate on "don't listen to your private school counselor's advice"? What was your experience?

Yep. At a well-regarded MD public school. DD was choosing classes for 10th grade and wanted to see if there were recommendations to position herself for UMD (like how everyone says you need 4 years of language at UVA). Counselor said course selection isn't their job and sent DD on her way. Not expecting them to be an expert on each school but this is a big one in our state. And even if she doesn't know, maybe spend a minute showing DD where to search to learn more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid is now wishing that they applied to fewer safeties and more targets/mid-reaches.

Kid had a bunch of far reaches and is now feeling like they won't get into any reaches and will be stuck with limited (perfectly fine) options.

Can you name specifics?

Per the school counselor’s recommendation, kid had 3 safeties, 3 targets, and 4-5 reaches.

Kid now thinks 1 safety would have been fine and wished they spent the time on more targets on the higher side. So maybe 1 true safety, 3 easier targets, 3 harder targets, 4 reaches.

Kid has gotten into all safeties and targets so far and has some nice merit options. The reaches all look tough though, based on SCOIR scattergram.

Kid will be fine wherever but wishes they took a different approach.

I have a high stats DC. DC had one safety (Indiana Kelley). DC was prepared to add additional safeties in RD if he wasn’t admitted. Admitted to IU, so no need to add more schools. DC has some great EA admits and waiting to hear from 7 reaches in the next 2 weeks. One safety worked out for DC, but he got a lot of push back from his college counselor who finally agreed to DC’s strategy to add schools in RD if needed.

That would have been a good approach.

Kid did all safeties as EA so a lot of time/energy wasted up front.

Not much to do now but for second kid we will rethink it.

I thought kids were supposed as many as possible as EA?

Still good to EA, just don't apply EA or otherwise to so many safeties.