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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If it's all about playing the yield protection game, then how are kids sending out 20 apps?

They're customizing 20 different apps? Each with a different set of essays, interviews, etc.?[/quote]

Of course.  It is very easy to send out multiple applications with Common App and Coalition App.  The basic application is the same, letters are uploaded into the system and are sent with the application.  There may be some supplemental questions to be answered or an extra essay.

Yield protection is a thing.  Parents often don't realize that they are hurting their kids' chances by having everyone focus on a handful of schools based on US News rankings rather than a careful assessment of whether the school is actually a good fit for the kid.  In this pandemic year colleges have been swamped with applications, in part driven by a hope that everyone is at a similar disadvantage because of COVID based disruptions--so why not try for a reach-reach school--and partly from panic that their kid's chances at getting into college have been materially damaged by COVID so they are encouraging them to blanket schools with applications.  Some colleges (outside of the top 30) have seen a 300% increase in applications.  Think about it.  All of these kids cannot go to all of these colleges and colleges routinely admit more kids than they have slots for; estimates range from 5 to 10% overage.  Then an additional group of applicants are placed on the waitlist--these are generally kids who meet criteria (or almost) for admission, are felt to have the potential to add something to the student body but maybe the admissions committee has a few questions about grade trajectory, interest, etc.  Colleges always want to fill their slots so there is careful thought about the applicant and their likely fit and interest.  The problem for some students with good grades and high SAT/ACT scores, admissions committees may look at the kid and think--there is no way s/he will come to this school, we are likely just a safety/extra app, etc.  Without documented interest from the student (visits, calls, web conferences, interviews) the college has no way to gauge if this is a serious application, increasing the chance that the kid will be accepted and not attend (thus damaging the yield).  Waitlists are no guarantee to fill slots, either--colleges have no way to know if a waitlisted student really wants to attend or if they are hedging their bets by accepting a place on the waitlist.  If I offer you a slot from the waitlist and you are waitlisted at three other places that you like better than my school it is likely that you will turn down my offer (again, damaging the yield).  Colleges can't go on offering slots to waitlisted individuals until the lists are cleared; by then most students have accepted offers from elsewhere.  So the name of the game is to fill your admission slots as quickly as possible with those kids who are close to guaranteed to attend.  That is the essence of yield protection.

I hope that you and your son can use this event as an opportunity to build resilience and to think about what might be best for him.  If he wants to go to any of the three waitlist options, have him pick the one he wants most and focus on demonstrating that interest to the admissions office.  Please remember it needs to be him that takes the lead on this.  Not the admissions counselor from his high school.  Not you or his dad.  Him.  His interest needs to come through.  He needs to take this opportunity to build a relationship with his admissions representative and to send the clear message that if they admit him, he will attend. Otherwise, have him look at his admitted colleges options with an open mind.  He may be surprised that there is something there that he likes--after all, he chose to apply to the school.

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