Anonymous wrote:The problem is a combination of entitlement, anxiety and FOMO.

Kids/parents eagerly await the newest Top 20 list of colleges and universities and, instead of researching which ones might be a good fit, they just apply to them all and sort through any acceptances.

This leads to lower acceptance rates because every "top" kid is applying to every top school, making these schools look even more desirable. And the vicious circle continues, round and round.

The belief that you can't be a success unless you go to one of these top schools also fuels anxiety and the desire to apply to more and more schools, for fear of missing out.

Do some research and use common sense.

+1000

Basically sums up this entire thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS has excellent college admissions so it seems that they know what they are doing.

If you look at their admit list, it's not much different from good public high schools....

LOL no. The bottom half of any GDS graduating class is getting into the types of schools where you'd have to be at least in the top half or better at "good public high schools" to have a chance.

I don't understand how letting kids apply to unlimited schools would help anyone but the top 10-20 kids in a class.

Schools limit the applications to ensure that the desirable (say, top 50) admissions are dispersed among a larger set of kids.

The problem is a combination of entitlement, anxiety and FOMO.

Kids/parents eagerly await the newest Top 20 list of colleges and universities and, instead of researching which ones might be a good fit, they just apply to them all and sort through any acceptances.

This leads to lower acceptance rates because every "top" kid is applying to every top school, making these schools look even more desirable. And the vicious circle continues, round and round.

The belief that you can't be a success unless you go to one of these top schools also fuels anxiety and the desire to apply to more and more schools, for fear of missing out.

Do some research and use common sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The general recommendation by private college counselors is to apply to 6-9 universities/colleges. 2-3 reaches, 2-3 matches, 2-3 safeties.

So a max of 10 seems eminently reasonable, OP. The essays have to be really well written. Counselors seek to avoid students overextending themselves and sabotaging themselves with poor personal statements and supplemental essays.

Not anymore, 10 to 15 is the new recommendation.

From whom? My kid’s college counselor said 10-12 this year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The general recommendation by private college counselors is to apply to 6-9 universities/colleges. 2-3 reaches, 2-3 matches, 2-3 safeties.

So a max of 10 seems eminently reasonable, OP. The essays have to be really well written. Counselors seek to avoid students overextending themselves and sabotaging themselves with poor personal statements and supplemental essays.

Not anymore, 10 to 15 is the new recommendation.

Then what will it be in a few years? 20 to 25?

How long before every school is on the Common App and kids can just apply to all of them?

How ridiculous.

Anonymous wrote:
The general recommendation by private college counselors is to apply to 6-9 universities/colleges. 2-3 reaches, 2-3 matches, 2-3 safeties.

So a max of 10 seems eminently reasonable, OP. The essays have to be really well written. Counselors seek to avoid students overextending themselves and sabotaging themselves with poor personal statements and supplemental essays.

Not anymore, 10 to 15 is the new recommendation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the official GDS policy - I think they actually *can* enforce this by refusing to send grades and letters to more than 10 schools.

Students may apply to up to 10 schools. We communicate this policy to each college. This policy is well received because each GDS application is known to be thoughtful and well-considered.

The College Counseling Office will submit:
The School Report.
The GDS School Profile.
The Official Transcript.
Quarter/Semester grades for senior year.
Counselor Letter of recommendation.
Teacher Letters of recommendation.

The bolded is not true. Are they being lazy? cap at 10 schools is absolutely unreasonable in the current landscape.

How do you know the bolded isn’t true? GDS is implying the policy is well received by colleges not parents, lol. The outplacement results seem low evidence that colleges look favorably on GDS kids. I have a kid at STA, and STA doesn’t have a hard cap but they highly encourage 10-12 schools, which feels like a lot when you start actually making a list. They have also produced data which shows kids have no better results dropping a ton fi applications than 10-12.

If a kid is really in a bind at GDs (got in no where) I am assuming GDS would allow an exception. The office seems pretty thoughtful. Also curious as to how candid the office is with families. We hear that the STA office will get pretty candid down the line. They have already told the boys that, while they won’t limit applications, long shot applications don’t work anymore. Most boys aren’t interested in wasting time on a rejection.

Hmm. I have kids at Sidwell and have sometimes wondered if the Sidwell kids might be better served with a cap. It’s such an inhumane process. Works out generally by spring for most, but it’s a slog.

Our school doesn't limit but DOES recommend 10 schools also...with a looser 10-12 also mentioned sometimes.

Anonymous wrote:GDS has excellent college admissions so it seems that they know what they are doing.

If you look at their admit list, it's not much different from good public high schools....

Anonymous wrote:Why would they cap it? They sound lazy.

+1 Public schools don't do that. I would be pissed if I paid $40k/year and the school didn't support that. Students are applying to many more colleges these days than before because admit rates are all over the place.

Anonymous wrote:Back in the stone ages I dated a guy who went to Exeter and at the time he told me Exeter only allowed students to apply to two Ivies (there may have been other limits too). Maybe GDS should increase their limit to 12 but in general I think a limit is helpful. I assume GDS is transparent about this rule and you could have picked another school or switch to public if it really bothers you.

Parents aren’t told about this cap until the mid junior year meeting w counselors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back in the stone ages I dated a guy who went to Exeter and at the time he told me Exeter only allowed students to apply to two Ivies (there may have been other limits too). Maybe GDS should increase their limit to 12 but in general I think a limit is helpful. I assume GDS is transparent about this rule and you could have picked another school or switch to public if it really bothers you.

Not true. Either you made up or the guy you dated lied to you.

I swear I didn't make this up, but it is possible he lied to me to make himself look better for ending up at a less prestigious Ivy than me. (It was a summer fling). This was in the 90s.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Application numbers are restricted so the top students don’t get all of the acceptances. They need to spots open at top colleges for the next tier of students.

This is it.
Do you guys not get it or are all your kids in the top 10%?

I have a straight A student at GDS. Do you really want him applying to all the top 20 schools? your B student is not going to get admitted if both our kids apply.

I thought we are in a free country... How could a school restrict kids how many schools they can apply?