^ full disclosure - I am also the parent of a current senior. Is it the worst year? All I know is that the US college admission process, when you want selective schools, is very stressful compared to those in other countries.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone knows.
Test optional policies have increased the pool of qualified applicants to the top schools by many fold.

Also, the class applying this year had Covid-era grading for 2 years of the 3 that are considered for applications. In DCPS (for instance) the lowest grade a kid could get was a B if he/she did any work. MCPS bumped all final grades up by one letter grade. Lots of stuff like this happened all around the country in giant school districts (so hundreds of thousands of students impacted).

The class of 2025 will be the first that will have all 4 years back in a classroom with normal grading scales.

Not the case with my kid! Graded as normal.

More people apply to higher numbers of schools. Rejections increase as data analytics gets better at predicting who will accept.

I don’t see what is sad.

OP,

here is the formula:

1. Parents of recent high school graduates: "YES, admissions have become more competitive in recent years, due to Common App, Covid and test-optional."

2. Parents of current seniors: "OMG THIS IS THE WORST YEAR!"

3. Parents of future or past grads, not in the loop: "NO, it's the same every year, whiny parents complain when it's their turn, that's all."

Of course, there will always be exceptions that prove the rules.

And here is my answer: the USA, contrary to other countries, selects with "holistic" criteria, meaning it's the least transparent system ever, that allows colleges to do what they please and pick the students they want without the slightest accountability. Whereas most other countries select purely on academic scores. Narrower criteria, sure, but at least kids know where they stand early on. They know where to apply because their grades and test scores speak for themselves. There is way less stress!!! Even in Asian countries with incredibly difficult university entrance exams, at least it's one big prep and stress the day of the test, and then you're done.

- foreigner who has spent years comparing college admissions around the world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should recenter the sat to bring the scores down again so a 1500 or 1600 is more meaningful. There’s too much compression at the top. Grades are so random, even within a school. My kid has a math teacher where only one kid in class got an A but the other teacher for same class gave mostly As.

This is why standardized testing is better than looking at GPAs.

Grading is subjective; test scores are not.

My kid got a 1580, 4.0 uwgpa, but got deferred/rejected from top schools, even though on paper, they were target schools.

They got into the in state school for a very competitive program. I was happy with it, but DC was not. I think even kids don't realize what a crapshoot college admissions is these days.

Some kids are smart kids but don't test well. It needs to be a combination of things.

The other thing to factor in is each college will only take in so many kids from each high school. If you are at a "better" high school where the majority of kids are similar to yours, your odds of getting in lessen.

I agree and I wonder if the colleges will eventually catch on or just go along with it because it suits their needs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Fake inflated grades make school districts a joke.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should recenter the sat to bring the scores down again so a 1500 or 1600 is more meaningful. There’s too much compression at the top. Grades are so random, even within a school. My kid has a math teacher where only one kid in class got an A but the other teacher for same class gave mostly As.

This is why standardized testing is better than looking at GPAs.

Grading is subjective; test scores are not.

My kid got a 1580, 4.0 uwgpa, but got deferred/rejected from top schools, even though on paper, they were target schools.

They got into the in state school for a very competitive program. I was happy with it, but DC was not. I think even kids don't realize what a crapshoot college admissions is these days.

It doesn't matter who you are, there is no such thing as a "top" school also being a "target" school. When admission rates are below 10%, it is a crapshoot for every unhooked applicant.

You are arguing besides the point. Yes, we have to deal with today's reality by having a balanced list that is appropriate for today's application landscape. You can't be dumb and make a 1990 college list and expect that to work out. But today's application landscape is much, more complicated than yesterday's. It's annoying and fake to pretend otherwise just because "People say this EVERY year." Yes, people do say this every year, because every year it is getting more complex!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EVERY YEAR IT'S GETTING WORSE! That's why the acceptance rates are dropping down so far. Yes, there is a college out there for almost every student and you need a realistic list, but it absolutely has gotten harder, year after year. It's been especially bad since 2020, pandemic grading and widespread TO. Saying otherwise makes you seem naive or out of touch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Parents say that every year.. this year is especially bad?? No its been like this

This. Seriously, search back.

People say this EVERY year (even pre-COVID).

It is all about your list.

Applying to a broad range of ELITE schools is not making a balanced list.

98% of the kids who are shut out are to blame (though maybe their parents played a heavy role in the debacle).

But they face the same playing field as others in their cohort.

It is not the same as that of their parents. Hasn't that always been the case?

Why go back and see if Abraham Lincoln had it easier?

This is the reality for kids applying to college in 2023.

They have to plan accordingly (i.e. make balanced lists), not lament why it is not like it used to be.

Seriously. it is called coping.

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Fake inflated grades make school districts a joke.

Anonymous wrote:EVERY YEAR IT'S GETTING WORSE! That's why the acceptance rates are dropping down so far. Yes, there is a college out there for almost every student and you need a realistic list, but it absolutely has gotten harder, year after year. It's been especially bad since 2020, pandemic grading and widespread TO. Saying otherwise makes you seem naive or out of touch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Parents say that every year.. this year is especially bad?? No its been like this

This. Seriously, search back.

People say this EVERY year (even pre-COVID).

It is all about your list.

Applying to a broad range of ELITE schools is not making a balanced list.

98% of the kids who are shut out are to blame (though maybe their parents played a heavy role in the debacle).

+1

Anonymous wrote:They should recenter the sat to bring the scores down again so a 1500 or 1600 is more meaningful. There’s too much compression at the top. Grades are so random, even within a school. My kid has a math teacher where only one kid in class got an A but the other teacher for same class gave mostly As.

This is why standardized testing is better than looking at GPAs.

Grading is subjective; test scores are not.

My kid got a 1580, 4.0 uwgpa, but got deferred/rejected from top schools, even though on paper, they were target schools.

They got into the in state school for a very competitive program. I was happy with it, but DC was not. I think even kids don't realize what a crapshoot college admissions is these days.

Anonymous wrote:EVERY YEAR IT'S GETTING WORSE! That's why the acceptance rates are dropping down so far. Yes, there is a college out there for almost every student and you need a realistic list, but it absolutely has gotten harder, year after year. It's been especially bad since 2020, pandemic grading and widespread TO. Saying otherwise makes you seem naive or out of touch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Parents say that every year.. this year is especially bad?? No its been like this

This. Seriously, search back.

People say this EVERY year (even pre-COVID).

It is all about your list.

Applying to a broad range of ELITE schools is not making a balanced list.

98% of the kids who are shut out are to blame (though maybe their parents played a heavy role in the debacle).

But they face the same playing field as others in their cohort.

It is not the same as that of their parents. Hasn't that always been the case?

Why go back and see if Abraham Lincoln had it easier?

This is the reality for kids applying to college in 2023.

They have to plan accordingly (i.e. make balanced lists), not lament why it is not like it used to be.

Seriously. it is called coping.

Anonymous wrote:

This. Seriously, search back.

People say this EVERY year (even pre-COVID).

It is all about your list.

Applying to a broad range of ELITE schools is not making a balanced list.

98% of the kids who are shut out are to blame (though maybe their parents played a heavy role in the debacle).

NP - seems like part of what is contributing to this angst is the real change in admissions for VA Tech which was a solid option for most strong NOVA applicants until the last few years. If VT becomes a lottery admit it starts to fell pretty crappy (after already accepting that UVA and W&M are beyond reach). This is especially hard to take when other nearby states prioritize their in-state candidates (NC, FL, GA). Not sure if UMD is marching in the same direction for MD students but sounds like that might be the case. I realize that VA doesn't fund State U's to the same extent as others and therefore they have more freedom on admissions criteria but it is a real shift.

The VT thread is exactly what got me down his rabbit hole.

EVERY YEAR IT'S GETTING WORSE! That's why the acceptance rates are dropping down so far. Yes, there is a college out there for almost every student and you need a realistic list, but it absolutely has gotten harder, year after year. It's been especially bad since 2020, pandemic grading and widespread TO. Saying otherwise makes you seem naive or out of touch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been lurking on this board and College Confidential since DC started freshman year in the fall and I am so shocked and sad for so many of what seem to be stellar students on paper getting deferred or even outright rejected from what used to be deemed "safety' schools. I know we're in a bit of a bubble in the DC area and it can be more competitive trying to get into certain schools from certain school systems (or at least that's what I'm told) but it seems to be especially bad this year? Do you think some of it is a result of COVID with '21 and '22 students taking gap years, and will normalize over time or do you think it will only get worse?

Parents say that every year.. this year is especially bad?? No its been like this

This. Seriously, search back.

People say this EVERY year (even pre-COVID).

It is all about your list.

Applying to a broad range of ELITE schools is not making a balanced list.

98% of the kids who are shut out are to blame (though maybe their parents played a heavy role in the debacle).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're thinking about it all wrong. There are many more great schools, students, and professors than there were when we were kids. That's cause for celebration, not despair. It's only if you refuse to broaden your view to acknowledge that improvement beyond the traditional elites that things look grim. Adjust your thinking to fit reality for the sake of your own mental health--and especially for your kid's.

OP, you should stop posting now. People are not allowed to be upset about the schools their kids don't get into. People are not allowed to be upset for how much you'll have to spend or how little aid you'll receive.

You need to be happy with the scraps you get. And if you're not, this group of harpies will just go full on flamethrower on you.

So do yourself a favor, and stop checking this Board and asking these questions/expressing your opinions and feelings. I largely have and just check for giggles mostly, no. And it doesn't disappoint.

OP here. Lol, you are so right. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. Yes, I know how to use google and how to conduct a search int he forum but isn't the whole point of these forums to ask questions, engage and commiserate? I've learned to just scroll past the "someone posts this every year" or "get over it, OP" comments to get to the actual insightful ones that many people take time to post.