Anonymous wrote:DP. So you don’t agree that a student with a 28 ACT who was admitted test optional to a school that has a 35 average for admittees would not have attended a less selective school before not submitting scores was an option? Because that is what you are calling “a tinfoil hat theory.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More unique applicants are applying to selective schools, schools they would not have applied to under a tests-required scenario. And some portion of those will get admitted (presumably the ones with discordance in the direction of higher gpa/lower scores).

But they can only take up one seat, so there is a corresponding opening somewhere else.

The test optional applicant who wouldn't have applied two years ago would have otherwise attended less selective school.

Sigh.... you think Adcoms are stupid? You think they can't tell who they want?

You know that the top schools have said for years that they could throw out their first class, admit a second, then do it again with a third and there would be no noticeable distinction between them?

You think top kids who otherwise have gone to an Ivy will now be banished to state directional because of test optional?

You have no idea, it is complete speculation, and you are helping no one with your tinfoil hat theories. Please stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in your exact same shoes this time last year. My son was deferred by almost every school, with the exception of one straight-up rejection, that he applied EA to. I think he applied to 8 in that round. Two of the deferrals were what he--and his college counselor--considered safeties. He added 4 additional applications to the 6 he was already planning for RD, by January 1. In the end, he applied to about 18 schools. Rejected by 2, waitlisted at 2 (both of which are ranked well below schools he did get into), and accepted into all the rest. While we had a lot of stress around this time, by Christmas, he just convinced himself that something would work out and just moved forward. It's hard to believe, but it does work out. I would pick a true rolling decision safety and get one acceptance under his belt in January or so, if he can. Good luck!

This. The volume of applications has surged, but because each kid (on average) is applying to more schools than before, not because there are more kids applying. So, in the musical chairs game, the number of chairs hasn't changed and the number of butts hasn't changed, there's just a lot more confusion before the music stops (which happens to be where we are right now). I'd advise getting an application or two out to quick rolling decision schools that have clear, modest admission standards and that would be fun to attend (e.g., Arizona, ASU, Kansas, Iowa, Iowa State) to serve as a pressure-release, but then just try to relax and let the process play out: Things almost certainly will end better than they look right now!

I agree with this, to a point. There ARE more applicants this year -- the Class of 20 deferrals, the Class of 21 students who were unhappy with their decisions reapplying, the international students who are now applying to the US schools again.

International applications are below pre-pandemic levels, '20 deferrals = ~0, and '21 deferrals are at rounding-error levels. The number of applicants is basically the same as it has been for years.

Anonymous wrote:OP, did your child submit SAT/ACT scores to all his schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in your exact same shoes this time last year. My son was deferred by almost every school, with the exception of one straight-up rejection, that he applied EA to. I think he applied to 8 in that round. Two of the deferrals were what he--and his college counselor--considered safeties. He added 4 additional applications to the 6 he was already planning for RD, by January 1. In the end, he applied to about 18 schools. Rejected by 2, waitlisted at 2 (both of which are ranked well below schools he did get into), and accepted into all the rest. While we had a lot of stress around this time, by Christmas, he just convinced himself that something would work out and just moved forward. It's hard to believe, but it does work out. I would pick a true rolling decision safety and get one acceptance under his belt in January or so, if he can. Good luck!

This. The volume of applications has surged, but because each kid (on average) is applying to more schools than before, not because there are more kids applying. So, in the musical chairs game, the number of chairs hasn't changed and the number of butts hasn't changed, there's just a lot more confusion before the music stops (which happens to be where we are right now). I'd advise getting an application or two out to quick rolling decision schools that have clear, modest admission standards and that would be fun to attend (e.g., Arizona, ASU, Kansas, Iowa, Iowa State) to serve as a pressure-release, but then just try to relax and let the process play out: Things almost certainly will end better than they look right now!

More unique applicants are applying to selective schools, schools they would not have applied to under a tests-required scenario. And some portion of those will get admitted (presumably the ones with discordance in the direction of higher gpa/lower scores).

That's probably true to some extent at tippity-top schools, but it's not a meaningful mover at Auburn (where less than 7% of early admits were test-optional) and its ilk, which is OP's focus. It's also probably offset to some extent even in the very top tiers by kids with borderline GPAs who would have had max-ish scores but either didn't/couldn't take the tests or didn't put the same effort into them as they would have in a before-times environment and so are not applying (or at least are less serious competitors for seats).

Anonymous wrote:Side question to this thread; Aren't Early Decision applications supposed to be binding upon admission?

What would happen if you got accepted into all 10 universities?

Anonymous wrote:Side question to this thread; Aren't Early Decision applications supposed to be binding upon admission?

What would happen if you got accepted into all 10 universities?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in your exact same shoes this time last year. My son was deferred by almost every school, with the exception of one straight-up rejection, that he applied EA to. I think he applied to 8 in that round. Two of the deferrals were what he--and his college counselor--considered safeties. He added 4 additional applications to the 6 he was already planning for RD, by January 1. In the end, he applied to about 18 schools. Rejected by 2, waitlisted at 2 (both of which are ranked well below schools he did get into), and accepted into all the rest. While we had a lot of stress around this time, by Christmas, he just convinced himself that something would work out and just moved forward. It's hard to believe, but it does work out. I would pick a true rolling decision safety and get one acceptance under his belt in January or so, if he can. Good luck!

This. The volume of applications has surged, but because each kid (on average) is applying to more schools than before, not because there are more kids applying. So, in the musical chairs game, the number of chairs hasn't changed and the number of butts hasn't changed, there's just a lot more confusion before the music stops (which happens to be where we are right now). I'd advise getting an application or two out to quick rolling decision schools that have clear, modest admission standards and that would be fun to attend (e.g., Arizona, ASU, Kansas, Iowa, Iowa State) to serve as a pressure-release, but then just try to relax and let the process play out: Things almost certainly will end better than they look right now!

More unique applicants are applying to selective schools, schools they would not have applied to under a tests-required scenario. And some portion of those will get admitted (presumably the ones with discordance in the direction of higher gpa/lower scores).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More unique applicants are applying to selective schools, schools they would not have applied to under a tests-required scenario. And some portion of those will get admitted (presumably the ones with discordance in the direction of higher gpa/lower scores).

But they can only take up one seat, so there is a corresponding opening somewhere else.

The test optional applicant who wouldn't have applied two years ago would have otherwise attended less selective school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More unique applicants are applying to selective schools, schools they would not have applied to under a tests-required scenario. And some portion of those will get admitted (presumably the ones with discordance in the direction of higher gpa/lower scores).

But they can only take up one seat, so there is a corresponding opening somewhere else.

Anonymous wrote:More unique applicants are applying to selective schools, schools they would not have applied to under a tests-required scenario. And some portion of those will get admitted (presumably the ones with discordance in the direction of higher gpa/lower scores).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in your exact same shoes this time last year. My son was deferred by almost every school, with the exception of one straight-up rejection, that he applied EA to. I think he applied to 8 in that round. Two of the deferrals were what he--and his college counselor--considered safeties. He added 4 additional applications to the 6 he was already planning for RD, by January 1. In the end, he applied to about 18 schools. Rejected by 2, waitlisted at 2 (both of which are ranked well below schools he did get into), and accepted into all the rest. While we had a lot of stress around this time, by Christmas, he just convinced himself that something would work out and just moved forward. It's hard to believe, but it does work out. I would pick a true rolling decision safety and get one acceptance under his belt in January or so, if he can. Good luck!

This. The volume of applications has surged, but because each kid (on average) is applying to more schools than before, not because there are more kids applying. So, in the musical chairs game, the number of chairs hasn't changed and the number of butts hasn't changed, there's just a lot more confusion before the music stops (which happens to be where we are right now). I'd advise getting an application or two out to quick rolling decision schools that have clear, modest admission standards and that would be fun to attend (e.g., Arizona, ASU, Kansas, Iowa, Iowa State) to serve as a pressure-release, but then just try to relax and let the process play out: Things almost certainly will end better than they look right now!