Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:29     Subject: Re:Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The way colleges conduct admissions adversely affects mental health and diminishes high school learning.

Their practices may or may not be legal. Their practices if revealed may hurt their brand. I don’t think these are good reasons to allow them to hide their practices from the public they serve.

Colleges are non profit not profit businesses. Colleges receive substantial state and or federal funding which comes from tax payers. They aren’t even self sustaining non profits. Colleges also market widely and collect sizable application fees.




Not our experience. Never heard a friend say this, and our book group talked about it all the time. We were friends from elementary school.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:27     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have a question for the OP. I can tell why this kid didn't get into the schools he/she wanted. Can you?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1jks4bh/the_college_admission_process_is_so_unfair/


How about this kid? This is the AI start up kid who was in the news for all his rejections. I too was surprised until I read his personal statement and then it totally made sense.

https://x.com/zach_yadegari/status/1906888487292559531?s=46&t=z1v7bHHAEs1ipTUHXBOyQA


My god, Georgia Tech should rescind its offer based on this tweet.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:25     Subject: Re:Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The way colleges conduct admissions adversely affects mental health and diminishes high school learning.

Their practices may or may not be legal. Their practices if revealed may hurt their brand. I don’t think these are good reasons to allow them to hide their practices from the public they serve.

Colleges are non profit not profit businesses. Colleges receive substantial state and or federal funding which comes from tax payers. They aren’t even self sustaining non profits. Colleges also market widely and collect sizable application fees.



May I recommend moving to China? College admissions there are dependent on the Gaokao exam, which is an objective alternative to holistic admissions. But you'll have to deal the extreme stress of a single make-or-break examination and a pedagogy that focuses solely on test preparation.

There a hundreds of excellent universities and colleges in America accessible to all students. Nobody has any right to admission to the 50 or so most selective ones. I happen to work for public R-1 university that has straight-forward admissions--if you graduate with a certain GPA, you're in. We're ranked in the top 200 and provide a great education for a good value. There are several other universities just like us. But the issue isn't simply getting a good education, it's that people feel entitled to go to the most selective schools. The crux of the problem is that they complain about the the very selectivity that they simultaneously crave.


You are on DCUM. Please, stop making sense.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:22     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
It's fine, the very people complaining about it are exactly the kind of people the world needs less of. By rejecting their offspring we're all on the path to a brighter future.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:22     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:Of course they should be more transparent. But they need to be more transparent BEFORE admissions, and admit based on national exams and courses taken in school. None of this extra-curricular stuff. That's too dependent on family wealth.


Maybe for public schools though likely not there either because of things like geographic representation, social mobility, etc. which are perfectly valid interests for a state govt.

For privates, absolutely not. They are private institutions, not public utilities and they can admit whomever they want in line with their priorities as long as they aren't breaking the law (which they aren't).
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:20     Subject: Re:Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The way colleges conduct admissions adversely affects mental health and diminishes high school learning.

Their practices may or may not be legal. Their practices if revealed may hurt their brand. I don’t think these are good reasons to allow them to hide their practices from the public they serve.

Colleges are non profit not profit businesses. Colleges receive substantial state and or federal funding which comes from tax payers. They aren’t even self sustaining non profits. Colleges also market widely and collect sizable application fees.



May I recommend moving to China? College admissions there are dependent on the Gaokao exam, which is an objective alternative to holistic admissions. But you'll have to deal the extreme stress of a single make-or-break examination and a pedagogy that focuses solely on test preparation.

There a hundreds of excellent universities and colleges in America accessible to all students. Nobody has any right to admission to the 50 or so most selective ones. I happen to work for public R-1 university that has straight-forward admissions--if you graduate with a certain GPA, you're in. We're ranked in the top 200 and provide a great education for a good value. There are several other universities just like us. But the issue isn't simply getting a good education, it's that people feel entitled to go to the most selective schools. The crux of the problem is that they complain about the the very selectivity that they simultaneously crave.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:18     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Yeah, OP. Let’s put all the applicants in a stadium with their data pinned to their chest before they fight for survival of the admissions process. Sounds brilliant. 🙄

Why are the least logical people hanging out in the college forum? There must be a correlation.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:16     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
First of all this kids parents are loaded, and he had personal tutoring from a world renowned programmer. And no doubt many other tutors. He was given 2 million dollars to use AI to create his app and it had some initial success. And now he just suddenly wants to go to college. Why? Why the tutoring and all the effort keeping his grades up over the years if he had no intention of going to college? Statement AI generated also.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:16     Subject: Re:Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:I disagree. The way colleges conduct admissions adversely affects mental health and diminishes high school learning.

Their practices may or may not be legal. Their practices if revealed may hurt their brand. I don’t think these are good reasons to allow them to hide their practices from the public they serve.

Colleges are non profit not profit businesses. Colleges receive substantial state and or federal funding which comes from tax payers. They aren’t even self sustaining non profits. Colleges also market widely and collect sizable application fees.




Give me a break.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:15     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:I don't see the point. It'd be like wanting to see all data from every interview for jobs you didn't get. I'd have no desire. Focus on the positives. You got in somewhere, hopefully somewhere you like!


+1000

Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:14     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
No. Nobody has a right to go to any school unless by law, like UT.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:12     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have a question for the OP. I can tell why this kid didn't get into the schools he/she wanted. Can you?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1jks4bh/the_college_admission_process_is_so_unfair/


How about this kid? This is the AI start up kid who was in the news for all his rejections. I too was surprised until I read his personal statement and then it totally made sense.

https://x.com/zach_yadegari/status/1906888487292559531?s=46&t=z1v7bHHAEs1ipTUHXBOyQA


Honest question what is wrong with his statement? He’s 17. He’s writing about why he changed his mind about wanting to go to college. He’s talking about self reflection, self learning and interacting with different types of people.

Rea the comments. There are some really insightful ones.

Patrick I. Emelife, M.D.
@IfesinachiMD
Apr 1

After reading your personal statement, I can understand one of the possible reasons why some top institutions may have passed on your application. You opened with a strong stance against college, and while your change of heart is compelling, the essay doesn’t quite answer the natural follow-up questions:

•Why do you now want to attend college?
•What do you hope to study, and how does that align with your long-term goals?
•What do you hope to gain from the college experience—beyond academics?
•And how would you contribute to the university community while you’re there?

Admissions officers are not just evaluating your past—they’re assessing how you’d fit into and enrich their campus. It’s not just about proving that you’re brilliant or capable (you clearly are), but also about showing intention, humility, curiosity, and a sense of mutual benefit.

That said, your story is powerful. With just a little more reflection on how college fits into your broader vision—and how you fit into theirs—it could’ve landed differently. The good news? You still have an incredible story, and this next chapter is yours to shape.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:11     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have a question for the OP. I can tell why this kid didn't get into the schools he/she wanted. Can you?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1jks4bh/the_college_admission_process_is_so_unfair/


How about this kid? This is the AI start up kid who was in the news for all his rejections. I too was surprised until I read his personal statement and then it totally made sense.

https://x.com/zach_yadegari/status/1906888487292559531?s=46&t=z1v7bHHAEs1ipTUHXBOyQA


Honest question what is wrong with his statement? He’s 17. He’s writing about why he changed his mind about wanting to go to college. He’s talking about self reflection, self learning and interacting with different types of people.


No college wants to be a brag bullet on the next Zuckerberg's profile. "Dropped out of XYZ to run their third VC funded startup"

No upside for the university. The whole world knows this kid was successful and the they didn't get anything out of being there. Better to give a seat to someone who actually needs college
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:04     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Of course they should be more transparent. But they need to be more transparent BEFORE admissions, and admit based on national exams and courses taken in school. None of this extra-curricular stuff. That's too dependent on family wealth.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2025 16:03     Subject: Should admissions be more transparent?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have a question for the OP. I can tell why this kid didn't get into the schools he/she wanted. Can you?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1jks4bh/the_college_admission_process_is_so_unfair/


How about this kid? This is the AI start up kid who was in the news for all his rejections. I too was surprised until I read his personal statement and then it totally made sense.

https://x.com/zach_yadegari/status/1906888487292559531?s=46&t=z1v7bHHAEs1ipTUHXBOyQA


Honest question what is wrong with his statement? He’s 17. He’s writing about why he changed his mind about wanting to go to college. He’s talking about self reflection, self learning and interacting with different types of people.