Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.

There's no data to support this. It may turn out to be true, but I suspect full pay and OOS kids at public schools will get the advantage.

I think this is important to note. The data for this year is far from available - we need to wait and see, to the extent that colleges actually release this data.

When we look beyond the top 10, when you get toward top 30-50, you see schools where half, or more than half, of the applicants and/or admitted students did not submit scores in the early round. Examples Villanova and BC. (One blog also claims that 46% of apps to WashU did not have scores, though one might wonder how they will fare at a school that explicitly values them.) On the one hand, that large fraction is a little shocking, but on the other, perhaps the applicants were simply following the prevailing wisdom not to submit scores if they were below the college's average, which by definition led to roughly half not submitting, plenty of whom would have been unhooked.

Among top 10, while few have released figures, something like a third of apps to Penn were without scores vs a quarter of admits. This is very different from a normal test-optional year where only 15% applied without scores to U Chicago.

However, it's also true that colleges are hoping to see an increase in their URM population due to test optional policies, and if that happens, that is data they are likely to be more vocal about, to the extent they release any information this spring.

There are lots of subsets of applicants who benefit, or not, from test optional policies. It will be interesting to see the data, though colleges may be cagey about it.

WashU is explicitly need aware, I'm guessing this year will be rough for anyone applying there who needs any aid at all

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.



Seriously, be quiet, your ridiculous comment is so off topic and projecting your obvious bias it is nauseating.



DP. This seems like a pretty accurate assessment of what is likely going on this application season. It may not be PC or "woke" to say it, but it can still be true.

There's no data to support this. It may turn out to be true, but I suspect full pay and OOS kids at public schools will get the advantage.

OOS spots are usually capped at good schools

I don't think the "test optional" data is relevant for ED. Those are people who were going to get in no matter their test scores and have traditionally had lower average scores than the RD students. More interesting will be the distribution of the RD candidates.

Anonymous wrote:

Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.

There's no data to support this. It may turn out to be true, but I suspect full pay and OOS kids at public schools will get the advantage.

I think this is important to note. The data for this year is far from available - we need to wait and see, to the extent that colleges actually release this data.

When we look beyond the top 10, when you get toward top 30-50, you see schools where half, or more than half, of the applicants and/or admitted students did not submit scores in the early round. Examples Villanova and BC. (One blog also claims that 46% of apps to WashU did not have scores, though one might wonder how they will fare at a school that explicitly values them.) On the one hand, that large fraction is a little shocking, but on the other, perhaps the applicants were simply following the prevailing wisdom not to submit scores if they were below the college's average, which by definition led to roughly half not submitting, plenty of whom would have been unhooked.

Among top 10, while few have released figures, something like a third of apps to Penn were without scores vs a quarter of admits. This is very different from a normal test-optional year where only 15% applied without scores to U Chicago.

However, it's also true that colleges are hoping to see an increase in their URM population due to test optional policies, and if that happens, that is data they are likely to be more vocal about, to the extent they release any information this spring.

There are lots of subsets of applicants who benefit, or not, from test optional policies. It will be interesting to see the data, though colleges may be cagey about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.



Seriously, be quiet, your ridiculous comment is so off topic and projecting your obvious bias it is nauseating.



DP. This seems like a pretty accurate assessment of what is likely going on this application season. It may not be PC or "woke" to say it, but it can still be true.

There's no data to support this. It may turn out to be true, but I suspect full pay and OOS kids at public schools will get the advantage.

For evidence, look at how selective schools used test optional policies before they became mainstream. For example, look at the University of Chicago. Also, look around you. This year, who is getting admitted to select schools with no scores?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.



Seriously, be quiet, your ridiculous comment is so off topic and projecting your obvious bias it is nauseating.



DP. This seems like a pretty accurate assessment of what is likely going on this application season. It may not be PC or "woke" to say it, but it can still be true.

There's no data to support this. It may turn out to be true, but I suspect full pay and OOS kids at public schools will get the advantage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stands to reason that if the top 100 saw sharp increases that they would decline elsewhere since everyone was shooting the moon?

Yep. If you're going to use test optional as a rationale to "shoot the moon," ED/EA is the time to do it. If you don't get in, then apply to safeties RD.

Sorry -- meant to say -- apply to safeties RD, and let those ride if you don't get in ED/EA.

Anonymous wrote:Stands to reason that if the top 100 saw sharp increases that they would decline elsewhere since everyone was shooting the moon?

Yep. If you're going to use test optional as a rationale to "shoot the moon," ED/EA is the time to do it. If you don't get in, then apply to safeties RD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.

Seriously, be quiet, your ridiculous comment is so off topic and projecting your obvious bias it is nauseating.

DP. This seems like a pretty accurate assessment of what is likely going on this application season. It may not be PC or "woke" to say it, but it can still be true.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.

Seriously, be quiet, your ridiculous comment is so off topic and projecting your obvious bias it is nauseating.

DP. This seems like a pretty accurate assessment of what is likely going on this application season. It may not be PC or "woke" to say it, but it can still be true.

Stands to reason that if the top 100 saw sharp increases that they would decline elsewhere since everyone was shooting the moon?

Anonymous wrote:Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.

Seriously, be quiet, your ridiculous comment is so off topic and projecting your obvious bias it is nauseating.

Total applications are up because more competitive students applied to more schools this year. Instead of 5-7 applications, they filed 8-12, or more. Also, applications are up at selective schools and down everywhere else because students used test optional policies to climb the food chain. What the better students didn’t realize is that schools would use test optional to admit more diverse students, so slots that above-average white kids with no test score hoped would be theirs instead went to URMs with no score. Now, those above-average white kids with no score are scrambling to find a seat before the admissions music stops. To get an admit, they may now have to apply to much less selective schools, because that is where the seats remain.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article says applications are up at he top 100 schools. My kid did not apply for any schools ranked below that. He’s already in at his safety. I guess he did well

Good for your son and your family, he did do well getting into where he wanted to go. The majority of these whack jobs on this site will not understand this, you are a great parent.

YES. This is the whole point of the post. That people here focus on a few schools when the situation is very different at the thousands of other colleges. The whole "this is a brutal year" thing only applies if you had a narrow view of the college options.

Anonymous wrote:The article says applications are up at he top 100 schools. My kid did not apply for any schools ranked below that. He’s already in at his safety. I guess he did well

Good for your son and your family, he did do well getting into where he wanted to go. The majority of these whack jobs on this site will not understand this, you are a great parent.