Anonymous wrote:As much as I hate the current college admissions machine, where no one really seems to be able to predict who might get in where and as much I think yield protection sucks, I’m start to see why it might happen and might matter. And not just for dorm space.
We have now visited a decent number of T30 or so schools and they seem remarkably…. similar. It makes me wonder if schools are losing any identity they ever had because more students are just selecting the “best” school they get into or maybe the one that gives them the most money (or both). That’s understandable. But it may also lead to changes to students who are less enthusiastic about the school they attend and therefore changes to the campus communities and “vibe.”
This admissions may be a pressure, but I think the homogenizing effect is more due to social media/hyper connectedness than anything else--the idea of a somewhat cloistered community is just not there--students are in touch so easily and see from so many friends at different colleges/universities that they don't develop as distinctive a community identity.