Why is the University of Chicago so desperate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Their ROI sucks, on a par with state unis.

Source?

Google. It’s widely known. And it’s pretty consistent among a wide variety of sources

Nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

PP here -- my point was the idea it drives revenue is ridiculous. It just is, not matter how you think of it. Call a college and ask them. Ask someone in college marketing. This is a made up tinfoil hat theory that does no applicant any good.

Colleges don't get your kid's exact score when they buy a list. They get a range and a bunch of names in that range. They have no way of knowing if your kid is at the top or the bottom of the range, nor if they will improve on a retake or superscore, or if your ACT is better, or if you choose to apply test-optional.

This theory also discounts the applicant's ability and responsibility to know if their stats are worth a shot. It is not insidious, no matter how you look at it. Sorry. You're just wrong.

[Anonymous]

U Chicago has good reason to market to otherwise excellent students who did not test well: their test-optional route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

They probably let a software do the work so adcom is seeing only scores above a certain level. Kind of like a televangelist segregating all the prayer request letters in one pile (donation checks in another) and saying a generic prayer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

They probably let a software do the work so adcom is seeing only scores above a certain level. Kind of like a televangelist segregating all the prayer request letters in one pile (donation checks in another) and saying a generic prayer.

U Chicago’s website says every application goes through the same holistic review process. Also if they did what you suggest they would not be able to on the test optional submissions, so that would be self-defeating.

You can call their admissions office and ask how much time and how many reads each application gets. At most elite schools, every app gets a minimum 2 reads at about 20 minutes each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

They probably let a software do the work so adcom is seeing only scores above a certain level. Kind of like a televangelist segregating all the prayer request letters in one pile (donation checks in another) and saying a generic prayer.

U Chicago’s website says every application goes through the same holistic review process. Also if they did what you suggest they would not be able to on the test optional submissions, so that would be self-defeating.

You can call their admissions office and ask how much time and how many reads each application gets. At most elite schools, every app gets a minimum 2 reads at about 20 minutes each.

I have no interest in these people. There’s always some angle to what they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I have no interest in these people. There’s always some angle to what they do.

It must feel weird to loathe an entire field/job, but want the approval of the people in it. Y

[Anonymous]

They trump up appl8cations and then claim they are more selective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

They probably let a software do the work so adcom is seeing only scores above a certain level. Kind of like a televangelist segregating all the prayer request letters in one pile (donation checks in another) and saying a generic prayer.

U Chicago’s website says every application goes through the same holistic review process. Also if they did what you suggest they would not be able to on the test optional submissions, so that would be self-defeating.

You can call their admissions office and ask how much time and how many reads each application gets. At most elite schools, every app gets a minimum 2 reads at about 20 minutes each.

I have no interest in these people. There’s always some angle to what they do.

Yes, they are all devious monsters who execute their highly profitable plots on the backs of the broken dreams of the cannon fodder of high school students.

So silly.

Almost to a man they are hardworking, principled, underpaid people trying to build the best class that meets the needs of their institutions.

If you actually knew any, you’d know that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a business. Every app gives them money. Marketing LOL

Yes, but it's not about the application fee -- it's about getting the largest application pool, which benefits the school in numerous other ways.

At an average of $65, when you think the of the time and effort that goes into every application and the costly systems behind them, minus the cost of the marketing it would take to drive those numbers, and discount fee waivers etc... it's easy to see that "generating application fees" is one of the worst and most unprofitable business ideas ever. It's not why they do it.

Partially disagree, PP. the fees are not completely irrelevant to the marketing effort. A school at Chicago’s level simply isn’t going to look at applicants below the mid-1300s unless they are serious jocks or otherwise distinguishable from the regular pool. Each application that falls in the sort below the mid-1300s will get exactly five seconds of actual attention and will then be routinely rejected. In other words, it appears that they are soliciting applications that they have exactly zero intention of ever considering.

Check their ROI. Real lame for what they charge. Go to UVA.

They probably let a software do the work so adcom is seeing only scores above a certain level. Kind of like a televangelist segregating all the prayer request letters in one pile (donation checks in another) and saying a generic prayer.

U Chicago’s website says every application goes through the same holistic review process. Also if they did what you suggest they would not be able to on the test optional submissions, so that would be self-defeating.

You can call their admissions office and ask how much time and how many reads each application gets. At most elite schools, every app gets a minimum 2 reads at about 20 minutes each.

I have no interest in these people. There’s always some angle to what they do.

Yes, they are all devious monsters who execute their highly profitable plots on the backs of the broken dreams of the cannon fodder of high school students.

So silly.

Almost to a man they are hardworking, principled, underpaid people trying to build the best class that meets the needs of their institutions.

If you actually knew any, you’d know that.

[Anonymous]

Check their ROI. Real lame for what they charge.

[Anonymous]

Nonsense again.

[Anonymous]

ROI - Happy, well-educated kid, extensive friends group and earning more than college costs first year out. I'm okay with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense again.

What, exactly?