Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 21:29     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Getting rid of the common app would solve more problems than introducing new wrinkles that complicate things even more.


Yes. Going back to the days when every application was a lot of work would solve many problems. People would only apply to the handful of schools they are genuinely interested in attending. The number of apps would go way down. And applying to the more selective schools would feel less like a lottery. As it is, the system encourages shotgunning.

But it won't change. Colleges like receiving a million apps. It makes them appear exclusive. And they like pocketing the fees. There is no incentive for them to change. Even Georgetown - the last holdout - has switched to the Common App.


I will get abused for this one but how about cutting back on fee waivers for apps. Don't eliminate them altogether, but reduce them. Let's say the common app only allows you to use 10 or 15 fee waivers.

I cannot stand when I see the postings of some inner city kid who got into 53 schools with millions in scholarships. Great. What did they accomplish.

Those stories almost always involve kids who used the HBCU common app, which allows anyone, regardless of income, to apply to dozens of HBCUs for $20. It doesn’t include the most prestigious HBCUs: Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, FAMU, NCAT, Tuskegee — they’re not on the HBCU common app. So limiting fee waivers on the (standard) common app wouldn’t change those stories much at all. Also, unless your kid is interested in less-prestigious HBCUs, this doesn’t affect you in any way.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 21:28     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Getting rid of the common app would solve more problems than introducing new wrinkles that complicate things even more.


Yes. Going back to the days when every application was a lot of work would solve many problems. People would only apply to the handful of schools they are genuinely interested in attending. The number of apps would go way down. And applying to the more selective schools would feel less like a lottery. As it is, the system encourages shotgunning.

But it won't change. Colleges like receiving a million apps. It makes them appear exclusive. And they like pocketing the fees. There is no incentive for them to change. Even Georgetown - the last holdout - has switched to the Common App.


I will get abused for this one but how about cutting back on fee waivers for apps. Don't eliminate them altogether, but reduce them. Let's say the common app only allows you to use 10 or 15 fee waivers.

I cannot stand when I see the postings of some inner city kid who got into 53 schools with millions in scholarships. Great. What did they accomplish.


The number of kids in this situation is vanishingly small and not what is causing applications to sky rocket.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 21:25     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
My DC has gotten surveys from most of the schools that accepted DC & one of the consistent questions is “where else did you apply & where were you accepted” — so they have plenty of data about who their rivals are.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 21:11     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Getting rid of the common app would solve more problems than introducing new wrinkles that complicate things even more.


Yes. Going back to the days when every application was a lot of work would solve many problems. People would only apply to the handful of schools they are genuinely interested in attending. The number of apps would go way down. And applying to the more selective schools would feel less like a lottery. As it is, the system encourages shotgunning.

But it won't change. Colleges like receiving a million apps. It makes them appear exclusive. And they like pocketing the fees. There is no incentive for them to change. Even Georgetown - the last holdout - has switched to the Common App.


I will get abused for this one but how about cutting back on fee waivers for apps. Don't eliminate them altogether, but reduce them. Let's say the common app only allows you to use 10 or 15 fee waivers.

I cannot stand when I see the postings of some inner city kid who got into 53 schools with millions in scholarships. Great. What did they accomplish.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 21:08     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:Getting rid of the common app would solve more problems than introducing new wrinkles that complicate things even more.


Yes. Going back to the days when every application was a lot of work would solve many problems. People would only apply to the handful of schools they are genuinely interested in attending. The number of apps would go way down. And applying to the more selective schools would feel less like a lottery. As it is, the system encourages shotgunning.

But it won't change. Colleges like receiving a million apps. It makes them appear exclusive. And they like pocketing the fees. There is no incentive for them to change. Even Georgetown - the last holdout - has switched to the Common App.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 20:45     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:Or what if schools just admitted the kids they thought would be the best fit and most successful at their school without worrying about yield?


Yup. Rather than revealing where you applied, schools should stop revealing their yields. Then they wouldn't have to worry about it and could accept the kids they want. The first year they might have to be careful and lean heavily on the wait list as they don't want to dramatically over-enroll. But once they do it for a few years they should have a decent sense of trends and can predict reasonably well what they yield will be based on the new paradigm. It would make the process so much better.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 20:41     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:They can see when you added a school to common app.



no
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 20:38     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Getting rid of the common app would solve more problems than introducing new wrinkles that complicate things even more.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 19:40     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:Or what if schools just admitted the kids they thought would be the best fit and most successful at their school without worrying about yield?


We would probably end up with even more kids on waitlists and more shuffling in the spring and early summer.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 19:23     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Or what if schools just admitted the kids they thought would be the best fit and most successful at their school without worrying about yield?
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 19:22     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
When we applied for elementary and high school with our kids, the schools flat out asked what others were in the mix.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 19:18     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Anonymous wrote:They can see when you added a school to common app.



Common App keep Colleges list private. Colleges do not share applicant lists or acceptances.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 19:09     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
A better system would be like residency (or the DC schools lottery) -- you rank your schools, schools rank their applicants, and you're offered a spot at the school that likes you that you ranked the highest.
Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 19:07     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
They can see when you added a school to common app.

Anonymous
Post 06/07/2026 18:59     Subject: What if colleges could see where else kid applied
Would this not help the yield if the universities could be more intelligent in knowing if they are OR are not being treated as a safety? Would it also not help the kids to have universities fight for them when they see direct competitors on the list?

P.S. I know this is not likely to happen - please look at this as a fun question to ponder