What's behind the surge in applications to some schools?

[Anonymous]

I think social media really has an effect on why there are so many more applicants to certain scbools. Kids get tons of tiktoks from big flagships, but they never see anything from a St Olaf or Wabash College. All they see is how much fun kids are having schools like Tennessee, Ohio State and Michigan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Texas saw a massive increase, from 72,000 to 90,000. USC got more than 42,000 EA applications. UVA saw a huge spike. Northeastern went from 98,000 applications to over 107,000. Overall, applications in the Common App increased from 6.3 million to 6.7 million.

I thought that the demographic cliff would be kicking in, but it looks like it is harder than ever.

Two of those are a great educational value
Northeastern likely up from marketing and fee waivers

Northeastern is actually better performing school than the orter two

not according go USNWR: Northeastern is ranked well below Texas and UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Texas saw a massive increase, from 72,000 to 90,000. USC got more than 42,000 EA applications. UVA saw a huge spike. Northeastern went from 98,000 applications to over 107,000. Overall, applications in the Common App increased from 6.3 million to 6.7 million.

I thought that the demographic cliff would be kicking in, but it looks like it is harder than ever.

USC's app numbers actually fairly flat considering they're still test optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think you can write 22 strong applications.

Maybe there are schools that don't require essays or supps. Okay. But for those that do - every short answer, every quick take has to really be well crafted.

Our counselor says kids who apply to 7-8 schools usually have better options than kids who apply to 15+. I believe it

Most of the 20+ applications are split he’s ill btw EA and RD.

RD applications written 2 months after EA can often be stronger. Writing good essay packages is a learned skill. You get better the more you do.

22 applications is insane and unnecessary with a well curated list. 2-3 reaches, a handful or targets, and 2-3 safetys your child is actually willing to attend (not just easy to get in or rolling admissions).

Anything more is a waste of time and money.

[Anonymous]

Sports performance and recognition always plays a part

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so simple people. The year 2007 (year that most applicants this year were born) was the largest baby boom in history. So simple.

Most applicants are were born in 2006.

You have January - May of 2007. So, 5 months. June - August of 2007 most likely the kids are held back.

No most are 2007

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think you can write 22 strong applications.

Maybe there are schools that don't require essays or supps. Okay. But for those that do - every short answer, every quick take has to really be well crafted.

Our counselor says kids who apply to 7-8 schools usually have better options than kids who apply to 15+. I believe it

Most of the 20+ applications are split he’s ill btw EA and RD.

RD applications written 2 months after EA can often be stronger. Writing good essay packages is a learned skill. You get better the more you do.

22 applications is insane and unnecessary with a well curated list. 2-3 reaches, a handful or targets, and 2-3 safetys your child is actually willing to attend (not just easy to get in or rolling admissions).

Anything more is a waste of time and money.

This was decent advice when reaches had 30% admissions rates. Now the admissions rate is 3%. How can it possibly still be good advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:University of Texas saw a massive increase, from 72,000 to 90,000. USC got more than 42,000 EA applications. UVA saw a huge spike. Northeastern went from 98,000 applications to over 107,000. Overall, applications in the Common App increased from 6.3 million to 6.7 million.

I thought that the demographic cliff would be kicking in, but it looks like it is harder than ever.

Two of those are a great educational value
Northeastern likely up from marketing and fee waivers

Northeastern is actually better performing school than the orter two

not according go USNWR: Northeastern is ranked well below Texas and UVA.

Most people don't believe USNWR like the Bible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think you can write 22 strong applications.

Maybe there are schools that don't require essays or supps. Okay. But for those that do - every short answer, every quick take has to really be well crafted.

Our counselor says kids who apply to 7-8 schools usually have better options than kids who apply to 15+. I believe it

Most of the 20+ applications are split he’s ill btw EA and RD.

RD applications written 2 months after EA can often be stronger. Writing good essay packages is a learned skill. You get better the more you do.

22 applications is insane and unnecessary with a well curated list. 2-3 reaches, a handful or targets, and 2-3 safetys your child is actually willing to attend (not just easy to get in or rolling admissions).

Anything more is a waste of time and money.

This was decent advice when reaches had 30% admissions rates. Now the admissions rate is 3%. How can it possibly still be good advice?

New 20+ app poster, and in our situation trying for the reaches really drove up the app numbers.

[Anonymous]

Social media. Young ones believe what they see, despite it being fake.
I wish they’d ban m@ta too.
Good riddance, tick tock.

[Anonymous]

It's tiktok and Instagram glorifying a relatively limited number of universities causing high school students to think that there is only a limited subset of schools worthy of attending.

Also, international student applications have been rising every year except the covid year of 2020-2021, and with 3 billion Asians there is unlimited supply of top tier talent but only so much rooom at the top schools. Look at the forum on reddit about colleges, it's practically just international students looking for advice on colleges. The vast majority of whom only want to attend the "name" colleges, even though there are thousands of others that will supply the same education.

[Anonymous]

My kid did 11 btw EA and RD and can’t imagine doing many more, unless you’re talking applications w no supps.

But our school is hard focused on getting each app right. Teachers will even write a LOR, you submit the app, then teacher will edit for next school etc. So that app to Princeton or Rice or Williams is all about that kid and what they’ll bring to that specific school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did 11 btw EA and RD and can’t imagine doing many more, unless you’re talking applications w no supps.

But our school is hard focused on getting each app right. Teachers will even write a LOR, you submit the app, then teacher will edit for next school etc. So that app to Princeton or Rice or Williams is all about that kid and what they’ll bring to that specific school.

Wow. What kind of school is this? If private, what kind of private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think you can write 22 strong applications.

Maybe there are schools that don't require essays or supps. Okay. But for those that do - every short answer, every quick take has to really be well crafted.

Our counselor says kids who apply to 7-8 schools usually have better options than kids who apply to 15+. I believe it

Most of the 20+ applications are split he’s ill btw EA and RD.

RD applications written 2 months after EA can often be stronger. Writing good essay packages is a learned skill. You get better the more you do.

22 applications is insane and unnecessary with a well curated list. 2-3 reaches, a handful or targets, and 2-3 safetys your child is actually willing to attend (not just easy to get in or rolling admissions).

Anything more is a waste of time and money.

That's not true these days. The Regular Decision acceptance rate for schools like Northwestern, Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Chicago is sub-5 percent. And nearly every applicant is outstanding. Regular Decision acceptance to a T20 is very much a lottery. We've all seen an acceptance to Harvard but a rejection from Brown. Or an acceptance to MIT but a rejection from Rice. Or an acceptance to Stanford but a rejection from Penn. None of it is logical. It can't be planned for. Regular Decision at the T20 level feels random for the top students, which incentives applying broadly to numerous reach schools.

ED is different. You can strategize about that. But the RD round is mayhem for gifted students applying to T20 schools. So they tend to send quite a few apps these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think you can write 22 strong applications.

Maybe there are schools that don't require essays or supps. Okay. But for those that do - every short answer, every quick take has to really be well crafted.

Our counselor says kids who apply to 7-8 schools usually have better options than kids who apply to 15+. I believe it

Most of the 20+ applications are split he’s ill btw EA and RD.

RD applications written 2 months after EA can often be stronger. Writing good essay packages is a learned skill. You get better the more you do.

22 applications is insane and unnecessary with a well curated list. 2-3 reaches, a handful or targets, and 2-3 safetys your child is actually willing to attend (not just easy to get in or rolling admissions).

Anything more is a waste of time and money.

That's not true these days. The Regular Decision acceptance rate for schools like Northwestern, Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Chicago is sub-5 percent. And nearly every applicant is outstanding. Regular Decision acceptance to a T20 is very much a lottery. We've all seen an acceptance to Harvard but a rejection from Brown. Or an acceptance to MIT but a rejection from Rice. Or an acceptance to Stanford but a rejection from Penn. None of it is logical. It can't be planned for. Regular Decision at the T20 level feels random for the top students, which incentives applying broadly to numerous reach schools.

ED is different. You can strategize about that. But the RD round is mayhem for gifted students applying to T20 schools. So they tend to send quite a few apps these days.

+1

The number of RD applications for T20 schools with limited slots is staggering.

Sub 5% acceptance rates don't even sound right.