Anonymous
11/20/2025 18:10
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Yale's sending alumni out to high schools to do "recruiting" from which applicants have had zero admits in the past decade.
A number of colleges are doing that, targeting rural schools in particular.
Anonymous
11/20/2025 17:57
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Yale's sending alumni out to high schools to do "recruiting" from which applicants have had zero admits in the past decade.
Anonymous
11/20/2025 17:10
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:U Chicago has been sending mail to my son urging him to apply. He would absolutely never get in. I can only think they're doing this to boost applications so they can remain super selective.
Maybe they have a higher opinion of your son than you do?
This entire thread makes me LOL. Do you all really think that admissions officers are doing some deep dive on your child BEFORE they send in an application, then gleefully rubbing their hands together and saying "haha, this kid will never get in, lets send lots of brochures so he'll be sure to apply!"
That's not how marketing works. If you're getting a lot of mail from a school it means they want more applications from your zip code or demographic. It's not specific to YOUR CHILD.
Anonymous
11/20/2025 16:55
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Yes, UChicago sends lots of material. But the application includes the uncommon/quirky essay that weeds out a lot of ppl. It’s a good way to assess fit.
Anonymous
11/20/2025 16:48
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:OP, are you the same person that posted the “Why public universities are trying to be elite” thread? You sound like the same person. Are you just trying to be a jerk?
You meant to write “ignorant” jerk
Anonymous
11/20/2025 14:50
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:U Chicago has been sending mail to my son urging him to apply. He would absolutely never get in. I can only think they're doing this to boost applications so they can remain super selective.
100 percent happening to my kid.
I told my kid they were good enough to get the postcard but not good enough to get in. THAT lit a fire and they got very, very serious. All of a sudden they were studying on the weekends and practicing for their AP, IB, and SAT exams. Worked out in the end!
That is some tough love right there. Glad it worked out!
Anonymous
11/20/2025 14:28
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:U Chicago has been sending mail to my son urging him to apply. He would absolutely never get in. I can only think they're doing this to boost applications so they can remain super selective.
100 percent happening to my kid.
I told my kid they were good enough to get the postcard but not good enough to get in. THAT lit a fire and they got very, very serious. All of a sudden they were studying on the weekends and practicing for their AP, IB, and SAT exams. Worked out in the end!
Anonymous
11/20/2025 14:25
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:U Chicago has been sending mail to my son urging him to apply. He would absolutely never get in. I can only think they're doing this to boost applications so they can remain super selective.
Maybe they have a higher opinion of your son than you do?
Anonymous
11/20/2025 13:54
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Chicago and Yale for sure for my DC. While DC got accepted or waitlisted at a few T20s, ended up not applying to Chicago. Rejected straightaway by Yale.
Anonymous
11/19/2025 22:33
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:1. Wesleyan dropped supplemental essays 10 years ago and they have no interviews/videos and don't track demonstrated interest. They now get 15,000 applications for 3000 spots.
2. Colby dropped supplemental essays, no interview, no optional video. Calls people on WL and asks them to verbally commit 100% before giving an offer.
3. University of Denver gives out waivers for free application, no supplementals.
4. Northeastern has no supplemental essays, no interviews/videos, has application fee waivers if you visit.
It’s pretty common to ask a Waitlisted applicant if they will attend before accepting them. A family member recently experienced this with Harvard Law School. They called him and asked him if he would attend if he were accepted and he said yes. They called back a few minutes later and said that he was in. I don’t see anything nefarious about Colby or any other school doing this.
Anonymous
11/19/2025 22:10
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:1. Wesleyan dropped supplemental essays 10 years ago and they have no interviews/videos and don't track demonstrated interest. They now get 15,000 applications for 3000 spots.
2. Colby dropped supplemental essays, no interview, no optional video. Calls people on WL and asks them to verbally commit 100% before giving an offer.
3. University of Denver gives out waivers for free application, no supplementals.
4. Northeastern has no supplemental essays, no interviews/videos, has application fee waivers if you visit.
Wesleyan has interviews. I do them. There are others w no supplements. I don’t think Middlebury does.
Middlebury does interviews, my kid had one last year.
Anonymous
11/19/2025 18:55
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
OP, are you the same person that posted the “Why public universities are trying to be elite” thread? You sound like the same person. Are you just trying to be a jerk?
Anonymous
11/19/2025 18:10
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt is obsessed about getting applications
not really, no
I think my NMSF kid got one mailer and one email from Vandy. Pretty much the same deal with all T-20s other than Chicago. For SLACs, swat was the one we heard from repeatedly (a bit annoying since they rarely accept anyone from DC’s magnet).
Anonymous
11/19/2025 18:05
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt is obsessed about getting applications
not really, no
Anonymous
11/19/2025 17:58
Subject: Which Colleges/LACs employ tactics aimed at artificially increasing applications & reducing admit rate vs assessing fit?
Anonymous wrote:The goal is to get as many applications as possible. Why is this a surprise to people?
Colleges should get 50,000 apps a year organically, it’s unfair for them to use marketing techniques like (checks notes) advertising and direct mail.
Shocked, shocked to find marketing in this holy tower of academia.