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[quote=Anonymous]Yes, it is hard.

There's a lot going on. Colleges are interested in brand-building, protecting their yield, and being at the forefront of social change (and in many cases redressing the injustices of the past). The more competitive / elite / recognized the college, the more they are doing this. So they will prioritize URM, first-generation students, increasingly men (because there are so many women), athletes and other "hooked" students. They'll do this because they can, and they want to build their brand and appear more elite.

Covid led to a lot of uncertainty (a wide range of teaching and grading experiences), many school went test-optional (our DD's SAT was cancelled twice because of outbreaks) and the common application means that there are massive numbers of applications to the name-brand schools, and the schools are finding it harder to figure out who's who in terms of qualifications and more importantly who is likely to come (yield protection). And, because a low acceptance rate is perceived as "elite" and brand-building, they tend to pump up applications by marketing to kids they know they have no intention of ever admitting.

But these schools don't necessarily offer a better fit or a better education. It's hype. If you look at true ratings for things that are tied to education (like grad school admissions, student/teacher ratios, etc.) the elite schools suddenly don't look that desirable. And, if the ones you remember from 20-40 years ago as being elite are social engineering, so be it, but your demographic and your kid's simply won't be attractive. We are in a high-achievement area (lots of great kids) and most here aren't URM, aren't first-generation college kids, and are comparatively over-represented in the elite schools. So the odds are challenging.

Fit matters more than ever, and quality of the education. If there's one thing I've learned it's that the Peter pressure in this area and the degree to which the branding hype is bought into is deeply unhealthy. Cast a wide net, and make no assumptions. There's a good school out there for your kid. But it probably won't be the ones you went to, or your peers went to. Your kid isn't all that attractive to them, and they care only about their brand.[/quote]

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