Anonymous wrote:Why this can't or should not happen:

1. Schools make way too much money from the application fees. They are not going to ask for applications be to be cut down.

2. Schools love to say they are "competitive" because 100,000 people applied for 3,000 spots or whatever. No matter if 90,000 did not have the stats in the first place! The school now looks competitive to anyone who loves highly rejective schools.

3. For those who need to merit shop, they need to apply to a wide range of schools. We were among those. Kids applied to Tuition Exchange schools, schools where kids would be eligible for merit, etc.

you can say it shouldn't happen, but it can happen. it's quite normal at the most selective private high schools to limit apps which is what this is about

The solution to this is to get one or more acceptance in EA schools, either safety or target. Then based on the EA results, adjust their RD list, applying to10-12 reach or high reach schools.

No one needs to apply to 4 safeties and 4 targets. Cut down the safety and target list will unclogg the pipeline. Focus on reach schools where it's truly a numbers game.

My kid is at private. Applied to 12 this year. Still too many. But like his sib, he’s uw4.0 with very high test scores and good ECs so bought the lottery tickets for some 3-5% Ivies/T10s.

My older one applied to 17 which was waaay too many, but people kept telling us nobody was getting in anywhere even with high stats.

Anonymous wrote:our high school limits it to 12 apps

everyone HATES this - until their kid is in it and then they totally get it, especially when you have super hooked kids in the pool

+100
That’s precisely when the lightbulb goes on. And the process works.

It also allows time to create a smaller number of tailored-to-succeed-at-each-school applications, as opposed to throwing a bunch out to see what sticks.

You can blame the colleges for this issue as well. With the mandate of 'holistic' review processes and yield protection, one can no longer make assumptions about safety and target schools. I have a friend whose kid was deferred from Clemson (safety) and then accepted to vanderbilt (super reach). With all the grade inflation, test optional, over-subscribed majors, institutional priorities (first gen, etc), and all the EC gaming-- there is no certainty and kids are encouraged to broaden their search. Our private used to limit apps but they no longer imposed strict cut off for apps due to recent unpredictable outcomes. My kid probably submitted 8 EA apps and 1 ED app by Nov 1. If ED hadn't worked out, they had the essays already done and ready to go for 8 more RD schools. The list was balanced and targetted, and the burden is on the kid if they want to write more essays (the recommendations are already done). Limiting apps also penalized families looking for merit. Offers vary widely from school to school. It's an inperfect system

Parent of public HS senior, and I am neutral on capping applications at 12. But I think 12 or fewer is best. My student had 20 schools on list and kind of tired of process and cut 5 out. Applied to 15, including 3 safety. Even then, it’s a lot for a student to manage. And when schools (looking at you Northeastern) offer free app but student hasn’t before expressed interest, no need to add/apply. Help students focus on the top 10 or 12 and not get distracted. And good luck to all seniors! Wherever you land make the most of it 🩷

My kid only applied to 6. They would have been happy at any of them.


I was surprised once we started researching college that kids applied to so many. In the previous century I only applied to one.

Anonymous wrote:I don't believe in forced limits but I do think there are some bad consequences to writing unlimited applications. It really fuels the frenzy and anxiety as each college gets to boast "record number of applications" but really they're just 1 application out of 25 and not 1 out of 8.

Students can only go to one school. So given the shotgunning anxious students do, it really affects yield, so schools retaliate by doing multiple rounds of binding decisions. The end resut is more anxiety, frenzied decision making, and less power for students who get stressed into making early binding commitments when in an ideal world they'd get to make a decision after hearing all of the results of the applications they filed and paid for.

I hate it all.

agree

part of why schools limit is the burden on the college guidance office to get that many transcripts and recommendations out to the colleges.

Anonymous wrote:GDS does this and it is stupid. The worst part is that it is not disclosed upfront until junior spring.

It's really 10 w/ 3 safeties or 12 with 5 safeties at GDS.

Could that explain the less than ideal outcomes this year?

Idiotic thinking, OP. Those who got 20 acceptances won’t attend all those 20 schools. They can only attend one! Take a wild guess whether the slots for those 19 schools are wasted or not.

GDS does this and it is stupid. The worst part is that it is not disclosed upfront until junior spring.

It's really 10 w/ 3 safeties or 12 with 5 safeties at GDS.

My kids' high school has a limit of 12. Even for older DC that was too many. Ended up with a list of 11 and then just added an easy application.

My daughter applied to 15 schools last year. Got into 7. Got significant merit from 3. She chose one of those 3 that NPC indicated was out of financial range for our family, and naviance indicated would be a stretch. If she had limited her applications to 12, that school may not have made the cut. She’s have a great freshman year.

I don't believe in forced limits but I do think there are some bad consequences to writing unlimited applications. It really fuels the frenzy and anxiety as each college gets to boast "record number of applications" but really they're just 1 application out of 25 and not 1 out of 8.

Students can only go to one school. So given the shotgunning anxious students do, it really affects yield, so schools retaliate by doing multiple rounds of binding decisions. The end resut is more anxiety, frenzied decision making, and less power for students who get stressed into making early binding commitments when in an ideal world they'd get to make a decision after hearing all of the results of the applications they filed and paid for.

I hate it all.