How many colleges to apply to this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like last year, kids were (on average) applying to more schools than in past years (because of covid unknowns and other things like waived application fees).
How many will your child apply to this year?
What does his/her high school recommend?
Thanks.

Last year's uncertainty and increase in apps was in part due to test optional policies. Most colleges are still test optional, so this year will be similar.

Sure. But last year colleges didn’t know whether kids without scores had bad scores or couldn’t get scores. This was, they absolutely could get scores. If they choose not to submit them, then they are low. It’s a lot less uncertainty.

Agree that if they choose not to submit, then the scores are low. But, colleges may have enjoyed the extra freedom to choose whoever they want without having to worry about an otherwise desirable applicant's low score. My suspicion is that this year will be very much like last - I guess we'll see.

Sure. If by desirable, you mean hooked. Colleges love getting 1st Gen, URMs, Athletes and kids from rural ND without having to count their scores. Now, if your kid is like mine, and a white or Asian kid from the DMV with strong grades, 10 APs and impressive ECs, why would they take the kid with no score (read low score) over the 34/1500? The 34/1500 is more of a sure thing academically and has tes scores that raise the school average.

Your LAX captain, piano and flute playing, 10 AP, 4.xxx GPA, impressively summer enriched kid is just not that special in the DMV.

Didn't work out well for my full pay URM 1510 with meh grades. From flyover country.

Well yes. Tests scores are a substitute for crappy grades. The question wasn’t grade optional. It was test optional.

Honestly, if SATs can be optional, why can't grades? We've given these schools and this "system" such overarching control, it's just nuts. If one kid can ditch the 1300 SAT, why can't another ditch the C he or she got from a hard-ass teacher?
[/quote

Because one predicts success in college and one does not. Do you people ever read up on these topics or just spout opinions (that favor your kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is down to 6. Only one reach. Will add more in January if things are looking grim. Frankly, would rather sit it out a year than go to some of the schools on original list.

The US has thousands of colleges and hundreds of those are very strong.

It is too bad that you are teaching your child that his/her best is not good enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprised that most posters are applying to fewer than 10. Is it only high stats kids apply to 10+?

It is only neurotic parents who care more about prestige than what is in the best interest of their kid's mental health.

[Anonymous]

10 over my mild objections but she is very organized and wanted to put the work in.

5 match
2 reach
3 safety

1500 SAT, 4.4 GPA. DC private. Not a big 3. Girl. No special ECs or volunteer. 4 year sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised that most posters are applying to fewer than 10. Is it only high stats kids apply to 10+?

It is only neurotic parents who care more about prestige than what is in the best interest of their kid's mental health.

When the admissions rate range for your list is 50% - 90%, you don’t have to work odds quite as much. My kid’s safety school is pretty safe despite them not being an all-star academic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised that most posters are applying to fewer than 10. Is it only high stats kids apply to 10+?

My understanding is that many private schools (at least the Independent Schools) have a limit of 10 (and that was increased from 7 for some of them). For non-private school families, more than 10 would be expensive (and the advice we are getting from our public school is 3 safeties, 3-4 target/matches, 1-3 reaches), which gets you in the 7-10 range.

Not true. Our high stat child. 4.56 GPA Act 35( science 36, math 36), good EC applting to only 7 after got into Upitt. No ivy on the list, 2 reach other targets.

Why are you saying "not true"? ibt sounds like you are confirming what the previous poster said--your kid is applying to 7 schools. That poster was explaining (to the prior poster) why many in the area are applying to fewer than 10....

[Anonymous]

Why do only public school families care about application fees? Who cares about application fees on dcum when applying to 70k a year colleges? Either you qualify for a fee waiver or will benefit from comparing more aid packages and it’s worth the small investment or you’re filthy rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like last year, kids were (on average) applying to more schools than in past years (because of covid unknowns and other things like waived application fees).
How many will your child apply to this year?
What does his/her high school recommend?
Thanks.

Last year's uncertainty and increase in apps was in part due to test optional policies. Most colleges are still test optional, so this year will be similar.

Sure. But last year colleges didn’t know whether kids without scores had bad scores or couldn’t get scores. This was, they absolutely could get scores. If they choose not to submit them, then they are low. It’s a lot less uncertainty.

Agree that if they choose not to submit, then the scores are low. But, colleges may have enjoyed the extra freedom to choose whoever they want without having to worry about an otherwise desirable applicant's low score. My suspicion is that this year will be very much like last - I guess we'll see.

Sure. If by desirable, you mean hooked. Colleges love getting 1st Gen, URMs, Athletes and kids from rural ND without having to count their scores. Now, if your kid is like mine, and a white or Asian kid from the DMV with strong grades, 10 APs and impressive ECs, why would they take the kid with no score (read low score) over the 34/1500? The 34/1500 is more of a sure thing academically and has tes scores that raise the school average.

Your LAX captain, piano and flute playing, 10 AP, 4.xxx GPA, impressively summer enriched kid is just not that special in the DMV.

Is this true? Can someone explain as I am not quite understanding what the PP is saying in bold

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is down to 6. Only one reach. Will add more in January if things are looking grim. Frankly, would rather sit it out a year than go to some of the schools on original list.

PP, and this is our situation too. How would that ever work? Could DS feasibly not get into a desirable college, sit out a year and go to a community college and then re-apply next year to a desirable school?

Sure, but once he’s gone to a community college, he’d be applying as a transfer instead of gap year.

Nothing wrong with that! Unless the school is limited in the number of transfers they will take

[Anonymous]

Looks like my kid is going to get 6 submitted by November 1. Only one of them I'd consider a reach in general. A second isn't a reach for the school itself, but getting into the specific program very well could be. None of them are exactly "safeties," but all of the rest are reasonably likely.

[Anonymous]

Started with 11 but DS got in to a safety (not Pitt) he'd be happy attending so he dropped 2 from the original list. He has one to turn in this weekend and one more by November 15th and he's done. Not submitting scores

1- reach
1- med reach
4- match
5- safety

[Anonymous]

Started with 11 but DS got in to a safety (not Pitt) he'd be happy attending so he dropped 2 from the original list. He has one to turn in this weekend and one more by November 15th and he's done. Not submitting scores

1- reach
1- med reach
3- match
4- safety


Glad I don't have to do much math day to day.

[Anonymous]

Mine is applying to 11 but 3 of them are for spring admissions

[Anonymous]

All of these 35/36 ACT kids applying to Pitt as their safety are mucking it up for kids who actually want to go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of these 35/36 ACT kids applying to Pitt as their safety are mucking it up for kids who actually want to go there.

Amen.