Anonymous wrote:They already have two essays and three recommendation letters. At a certain point, they have enough information to know who will make it into the « could admit » pile. After that, they are building a class around their own priorities not about the specific kids. There is no real difference between the final group of kids that they admit or reject except that they already had too many kids from New York or not enough kids from public school, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

then you're being played. kids - and their coaches and GPT - write these why us essays based on what the internet tells them to do. some colleges want you to find a teacher you've never heard of and shout them out (It's been a dream of mine to take Dr Feelgood's class Adventures in Physics since I was a toddler). some colleges want rizz. go online and find out what they want and serve it to them. that's not a great system

Oy. I am not unaware of the strategies used to answer the question. I am saying that they move the needle. At large schools , students can choose different paths but at SLACs there are more limited options academically and culture-wise. Supplementals/Why Us essays are a way of ensuring that a student knows what she's getting into or that a student has done her homework. They are a way of neutralizing yield risks. A clear-cut example is Colorado College which has an unusual block system. You need to show that you understand/accept/desire the block system and the only way to do that is in the supplemental essay.

CC has one basic supp. And less than half submit test scores. And ED1 , ED2 etc They don't require more info than Williams which has an "optional" academic paper.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

OP, the vast majority of SLAC's have one or more supplementals. They care a lot about the fit. Of course, the ones that do not are trying to increase applications. Some of them even waive application fees. Colby is now one of the "most selective" colleges because of it.

Schools that have none: Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Two of those schools have typically ranked in the top 10 SLACs for the past 35-40 years. 3 others have been in the top 20 for that time period and the last in the top 25. The have all been considered among the very top schools of their type for the last among the very top schools for decades preceeding the rankings nonsense. I'm pretty confident that they know what they are doing.

Anonymous wrote:It is to help with admissions stats and drive applications. Same reason many also make the application free. Just a few button clicks to apply.

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm suprised by how many liberal arts schools are Common App only - no supplemental essays at all. Schools like Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Any idea why? Is it simply an attempt to boost the overall number of applications and therefore their selectivity rate?

DH and I both went to big universities. But we both assumed one of the upsides of small liberal arts schools is that they're tight-knit communities of highly engaged students.

To create that culture, wouldn't schools want more information from applicants than their GPA/test scores and their bare-bones list of ECs on the Common App?

At a minimum, why skip the short "Why College X?" essay? Or the "Tell us about your academic interests (or lessons learned from your community) and how you plan to pursue/apply them at College X?" like so many of the other schools out there? Even the big state schools like UMD, Wisconsin, Maryland etc. include supplementals.

OP, the vast majority of SLAC's have one or more supplementals. They care a lot about the fit. Of course, the ones that do not are trying to increase applications. Some of them even waive application fees. Colby is now one of the "most selective" colleges because of it.

Schools that have none: Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colby, and Bates.

Anonymous wrote:They are declining in popularity, especially amount the diverse pop they desperately want to attract.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

then you're being played. kids - and their coaches and GPT - write these why us essays based on what the internet tells them to do. some colleges want you to find a teacher you've never heard of and shout them out (It's been a dream of mine to take Dr Feelgood's class Adventures in Physics since I was a toddler). some colleges want rizz. go online and find out what they want and serve it to them. that's not a great system

Oy. I am not unaware of the strategies used to answer the question. I am saying that they move the needle. At large schools , students can choose different paths but at SLACs there are more limited options academically and culture-wise. Supplementals/Why Us essays are a way of ensuring that a student knows what she's getting into or that a student has done her homework. They are a way of neutralizing yield risks. A clear-cut example is Colorado College which has an unusual block system. You need to show that you understand/accept/desire the block system and the only way to do that is in the supplemental essay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

most SLACs require two teacher and one guidance counselor. that's three.

Guidance counselor letter is not considered a LOR

As a reader, it is 100% a LOR

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they have a common app essay, grades, test scores, 3 LORs. getting a recycled 'why us' essay shouldn't move the needle.

But this is not unique to LACs. There are a few that don't require them, that's true. It's also true that CWRU doesn't have them. Nor Northeastern. Nor UConn or UVM. Not Tulane. Not Clemson, Alabama, LSU. Not Indiana, Iowa or Minnesota. Not Bing. Not Ohio State.

I don't know about most of the others but UVM does have supplementals.

As for Northeastern, they set the example! Eliminate essays as a way to increase apps and decrease admissions rate, making yourself look more selective.

Also, most schools require 1 letter of recommendation. Or zero. Almost none require 2. Few even allow 3.

"Why us" essays absolutely move the needle at SLACs. I have worked in admissions.

most SLACs require two teacher and one guidance counselor. that's three.

Guidance counselor letter is not considered a LOR