What rejections surprised you the most this cycle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This is where stupid people who think they are intelligent start talking about "yield protection".

Yield protection is not a thing at state schools but is at some private ones. Typically these are ones that value "demonstrated interest". This is a clue that they might take a slightly less "qualified" (however this is defined) kid over a more qualified one if they think the kid will attend. Only a clue, college admissions is not a transparent process so one can never know can we.

Why every applicant does not "demonstrate interest" at every school they apply to is beyond me. If you want to attend, you must make them think "you are my #1 school and I would love to attend, I've been dreaming bout it"

Now post covid, with all the virtual visits, it is extremely simple to "demonstrate interest"

So as a parent who’s new to this process—how exactly do you demonstrate interest beyond a glowing, enthusiastic essay?

According to our CCO - visit, follow on instagram and interact with posts, do online info sessions and click through links in the emails they send.

This is such a bunch of horse sh--. Is it a popularity contest? Are they not capable of making decision as to who they want based on qualifications (whatever those are)? "Do you like me enough" has no role in this process where these kids are already stretched thin with APs, sports, ECs, work, etc. etc. They expect too much.

It's not a popularity contest - they want to admit students who want to attend - and this is how they figure out if that is true or not.

[Anonymous]

Number of kids applying ED to Lehigh and Tulane getting deferred from DC’s private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is where stupid people who think they are intelligent start talking about "yield protection".

Yield protection is not a thing at state schools but is at some private ones. Typically these are ones that value "demonstrated interest". This is a clue that they might take a slightly less "qualified" (however this is defined) kid over a more qualified one if they think the kid will attend. Only a clue, college admissions is not a transparent process so one can never know can we.

Why every applicant does not "demonstrate interest" at every school they apply to is beyond me. If you want to attend, you must make them think "you are my #1 school and I would love to attend, I've been dreaming bout it"

Now post covid, with all the virtual visits, it is extremely simple to "demonstrate interest"

So as a parent who’s new to this process—how exactly do you demonstrate interest beyond a glowing, enthusiastic essay?

According to our CCO - visit, follow on instagram and interact with posts, do online info sessions and click through links in the emails they send.

This is such a bunch of horse sh--. Is it a popularity contest? Are they not capable of making decision as to who they want based on qualifications (whatever those are)? "Do you like me enough" has no role in this process where these kids are already stretched thin with APs, sports, ECs, work, etc. etc. They expect too much.

It's not a popularity contest - they want to admit students who want to attend - and this is how they figure out if that is true or not.

I can’t believe with 50K+ plus applications they’re actually checking who followed posts on Instagram. That’s nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is where stupid people who think they are intelligent start talking about "yield protection".

Yield protection is not a thing at state schools but is at some private ones. Typically these are ones that value "demonstrated interest". This is a clue that they might take a slightly less "qualified" (however this is defined) kid over a more qualified one if they think the kid will attend. Only a clue, college admissions is not a transparent process so one can never know can we.

Why every applicant does not "demonstrate interest" at every school they apply to is beyond me. If you want to attend, you must make them think "you are my #1 school and I would love to attend, I've been dreaming bout it"

Now post covid, with all the virtual visits, it is extremely simple to "demonstrate interest"

So as a parent who’s new to this process—how exactly do you demonstrate interest beyond a glowing, enthusiastic essay?

According to our CCO - visit, follow on instagram and interact with posts, do online info sessions and click through links in the emails they send.

This is such a bunch of horse sh--. Is it a popularity contest? Are they not capable of making decision as to who they want based on qualifications (whatever those are)? "Do you like me enough" has no role in this process where these kids are already stretched thin with APs, sports, ECs, work, etc. etc. They expect too much.

It's not a popularity contest - they want to admit students who want to attend - and this is how they figure out if that is true or not.

Which T25 track Instagram??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is where stupid people who think they are intelligent start talking about "yield protection".

Yield protection is not a thing at state schools but is at some private ones. Typically these are ones that value "demonstrated interest". This is a clue that they might take a slightly less "qualified" (however this is defined) kid over a more qualified one if they think the kid will attend. Only a clue, college admissions is not a transparent process so one can never know can we.

Why every applicant does not "demonstrate interest" at every school they apply to is beyond me. If you want to attend, you must make them think "you are my #1 school and I would love to attend, I've been dreaming bout it"

Now post covid, with all the virtual visits, it is extremely simple to "demonstrate interest"

So as a parent who’s new to this process—how exactly do you demonstrate interest beyond a glowing, enthusiastic essay?

According to our CCO - visit, follow on instagram and interact with posts, do online info sessions and click through links in the emails they send.

This is such a bunch of horse sh--. Is it a popularity contest? Are they not capable of making decision as to who they want based on qualifications (whatever those are)? "Do you like me enough" has no role in this process where these kids are already stretched thin with APs, sports, ECs, work, etc. etc. They expect too much.

It's not a popularity contest - they want to admit students who want to attend - and this is how they figure out if that is true or not.

I can’t believe with 50K+ plus applications they’re actually checking who followed posts on Instagram. That’s nuts.

I think the insane number of applications is the root of the problem. They need to predict how many will accept their offers; otherwise they might admit far more students than they have room for. Or they might get a yield of far too few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that DS was rejected from Texas A&M given that he was accepted to Virginia Tech and UMD.

Congratulations to your kid for getting into Va Tech and UMD! Both Texas A&M and UT Austin are difficult admits for out of state students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tulane! Surprised my kid was rejected from Tulane EA. Surprised that she was not even deferred. She was deferred ED from a T10 that rejects rather than defers most ED students. Every school is way harder to get into than we thought, and I am obviously working off old impressions. She did not express interest other than to apply and we need financial aid.

Tulane really needs to feel the love. If they don't think you are coming, they won't accept you. It's not news---a small amount of research would have told you you must "show demonstrated interest" for Tulane.

Btw, which T10? NU?

Duke

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Number of kids applying ED to Lehigh and Tulane getting deferred from DC’s private.

Tulane’s new admissions director has made it really clear the past two years that they are shifting the % they take ED. It was way down last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Number of kids applying ED to Lehigh and Tulane getting deferred from DC’s private.

Tulane’s new admissions director has made it really clear the past two years that they are shifting the % they take ED. It was way down last year.

It went down from 66% to like 63%. Not sure about the current year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, which is nothing. I'm from one of the southern states where all of these kids want to enroll in the state supported institutions, and I'm glad these schools are being so selective. It's not the U of ....'s job to entertain your out of state kids because they want a "fun school" in a warm climate. That is not their mission. If the school wants your kid because your kid is awesome or they want your tuition $$, great, but stop complaining about selectivity. There are thousands of in state kids who also have great stats and a bright future, AND are residents of the state that supports the institution.

+1. I could not agree more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fwiw, which is nothing. I'm from one of the southern states where all of these kids want to enroll in the state supported institutions, and I'm glad these schools are being so selective. It's not the U of ....'s job to entertain your out of state kids because they want a "fun school" in a warm climate. That is not their mission. If the school wants your kid because your kid is awesome or they want your tuition $$, great, but stop complaining about selectivity. There are thousands of in state kids who also have great stats and a bright future, AND are residents of the state that supports the institution.

+1. I could not agree more.

This is true. And I wish MD did the same for all those kids in-state who have the stats. I love the idea of guaranteed admission for top 5%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that DS was rejected from Texas A&M given that he was accepted to Virginia Tech and UMD.

Congratulations to your kid for getting into Va Tech and UMD! Both Texas A&M and UT Austin are difficult admits for out of state students.

Thank you! We are very proud. Just surprised at Texas A&M (he was also rejected at Clemson and UF, not very / not at all surprised by those).

[Anonymous]

I don’t think any rejections to top schools are surprising. It depends on so many factors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think any rejections to top schools are surprising. It depends on so many factors

I agree - rejections at especially the top 20 (maybe top 30) schools shouldn't be a surprise. But many rejections at much lower ranked schools are a surprise. University of Tennessee had an acceptance rate of 75% in 2021, and this cycle only a 35%. I wonder if Alabama & Kentucky will become the new Tennessee (in terms of admissions) next year - where all these kids apply there thinking that it is their "safety" based on data from prior years only to find that it is not. Luckily, we have not had any rejections yet, and the only ones we are waiting on are top 20 schools (where the rejections will probably begin for us).

[Anonymous]

I was extremely surprised when Depauw waitlisted my DC. All stats in or beyond top 75 percentile.