OT: Question for parents of college kids & teachers

[HuskyNan]

So, you guys probably know more than you want about my oldest son's college search (sorry). Anywho, I've got a question for those who've been through this process before. My son went online and requested info from several schools that interest him - WPI, RPI, UConn, MIT, to be exact. We did get info from those schools. But it seems like after what was a small flurry of emails from other schools we've never contacted, we're now getting a blizzard.

Does the College Board, the organization that administers the SATs, release names of the kids to certain universities? I can't find out that info on its web site. I"m asking because after receiving contact from schools that my son would never consider (mostly liberal arts schools) we've all of a sudden been getting contact from schools that I would think don't need to court students, like Pitt, RIT, Kentucky (like my boy is going to an SEC school) and Cal Tech. Pitt's been very persistent, too. I'm just wondering where all this comes from.

As for Cal Tech, my kid that said he wants to stay within a few hours of home is all of a sudden thinking of California. Good grief.

 

[Vowelguy]

I'm old, but I remembering getting info mailed to me from tons of different schools -- some that I had never even heard of. I assume they had gotten my name from the SATs, since I don't know where else it would've come from (it was the stone ages; I mean, pre-Web).

 

[UConnChapette]

Oh, yes. The college marketing blitz has begun. Both my kids received an onslaught of mail from all kinds of colleges. I kept a spreadsheet for kicks and i think one of them heard from over 150 colleges countrywide. It does come from the college board. Starts about 3 months after they take the SAT or ACT for the first time. If I remember correctly there is a bubble or checkbox that the kids can check to allow the College Board to release scores and demographics to member institutions. My kids ignored most of them, but some were very creative. Understand this is not necessarily an indication that they really want your student at this point. Just a way to increase their applicant pool. Still, it is a good way to hear about schools you might otherwise not have heard from od considered. Thst is how my son ended up at Georgia Tech. It wouldn't have been one we would have thought of if we didn't receive their propaganda.

 

[pinotbear]

absolutely taking the Boards triggers a flood of mail. I went through it with both daughters (my younger one, Ursusminor, took the PSAT a year early, blew it away, and was getting all of this stuff while still a sophmore). If your son scored reasonably well, which he did, lots of schools come a-callin'. Some of these schools are trying to build the diversity of their applicant pool (an admissions dept. at, say KY, may not get too many applicants in certain disciplines from the Northeast, so they target that applicant pool), and some of 'em are just trying to build their "selectivity score" in the US News & World Report rankings by attracting as many applications as possible, so they can reject a higher percentage of their total pool, and, thereby be "more selective". Washington University in St. Louis did that very succcessfully not too many years ago.

Admissions depts are rated by selectivity and yield. Selectivity is as described above: attract 10,000 applications, only admit 2500, so "we're selective"! Yield is, of that 2500 admits, how many do you need to actually enroll to make your target class size? If you're target class size is 2,000, then you're expecting an 80% yield, which is tremendous. If you have to admit 2500 for a target class size of 500, then you're "yield" is pretty poor. Years of doing this tells an admissions dept. roughly what they can expect for a yield. The "wait list" gives them the back-up they need if their class comes in 35 kids short, when acceptances actually arrive by May 1 (or whatever date the school uses). Then there's "summer melt", which is the difference between the number of kids who say they're coming in May, and the number who actually mail tuition checks in by Aug. 1. Judicious use of transfers from other schools can help smooth out unpleasant variations in class size from year-to-year.

So, in short (I know, I know: too late), good board scores prompt lots of schools. Some of these schools actually want your kid because they like his scores and they don't have too many kids from CT in his area of interest. Some of these schools just want you to apply, even if you probably don't meet their usual criteria, because their selectivity looks better when they turn down a higher percentage of their applicant pool. And, in this day and age of kids applying to multiple schools, some schools just have to cast a very wide net to meet their target class size for the fall of '13.

 

[UConnChapette]

Oh yeah Pinot. Kids are applying to far more schools than they did in the past. One of my youngest sons friends scored really well on the SATs and applied to 15 schools "just to see" how many he would get accepted to. Outright accepted to 13, wait listed at the other two. And not your lower tiered schools - Ivies, MIT, CalTech, other highly ranked, "very selective" schools. What this means is he took a spot at in the accepted pool at probably 10 schools he had no interest in going to. This means other kids have to apply to more schools to make sure they land "somewhere". Crazy. Just glad I am past it.

 

[ursusminor]

Yeah, if I recall my spreadsheet of being way too organized about all this, it was about 300 schools in total before the end. I don't know if I ever filled anything out asking for information from a school that didn't send me something first.

My favorites were the schools that got me on their list twice, once with my name misspelled, and the desperate ones. From a couple of schools, I was getting two pieces of mail at the same time; one to "Ursusminor", and one to "Vrsusminor". They never figured that one out.
Then there were the ones that were sending me mail in July: "Why didn't you apply to us? We're extending the deadline just for you! Please apply!". Then August: "You didn't apply, but we accepted you anyways!" University of New Haven did this to me and to my husband, who lived in Maryland. Go figure.

 

[LesMis89]

My daughter got mail that ranged from West Point to the San Francisco School of Art (and she can barely draw a circle). Since she was a year ahead in school she also ended up getting some mail the following year as well.

My advice, FWIW, is that if your son really does have a preference then go for Early Decision in November/December. If he gets in your search is done unless the financials can't be worked out. If he doesn't he goes into the other pool of applicants that go Regular Decision. But Early Decision does appear to improve the chances of getting in.

 

[Sargassoc]

Yes, absolutely.

But it gets worse. . .

When your son took PSATs, actually, was when it all started in someone's database (though junior year PSATs/NMSQTs are the real cash-cow). The directions are geared toward having students fill-in all sorts of demographic information. Of course, that information is absolutely voluntary, but as one administers the test (i.e. reads aloud the required directions, no deviations), one mentions that as an afterthought, almost. The directions are 100% geared towards gathering as much information as possible.

Given all that data, the College Board then sells (or uses for its own purposes) the goldmine to bidders. I always tell my kids DO NOT BE FOOLED by the interest expressed in you by colleges that you have not personally asked for information. Sad, but true. You are just a piece of data, and worse-- if it's a highly prestigious college or university, they want you to apply (which is why they might even send a personal email asking you to), but, statistically-speaking, they have no intention of accepting 90% of all such applicants. WHAT!? WHY? One reason is because US News and World Report uses the application and rejection data as a positive indicator of a college's "success." But there are many other factors, as well.

I would recommend reading this article (LINK), from the Chronicle of Higher Ed (it was also in the NY Times, as I recall) before anyone starts to help a child through the process. Then, you might be able to better help your kid choose a school that seems like a good, personal fit, without all the ugly hype that has been gathering speed.

 

[HuskyNan]

Then there were the ones that were sending me mail in July: "Why didn't you apply to us? We're extending the deadline just for you! Please apply!". Then August: "You didn't apply, but we accepted you anyways!" University of New Haven did this to me and to my husband, who lived in Maryland. Go figure.

Yes, the Univ. of New Haven has contacted us probably a dozen times in the last month. We get the parents' newsletter, freshman newspaper and a whole slew of tree-killing literature, too.

 

[Samanthabrown3]

We get the parents' newsletter, freshman newspaper and a whole slew of tree-killing literature, too.

Thank heaven for the recycling bin.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Just imagine what would happen if your kid were the next Taurasi!

 

[UConnChapette]

Be on the lookout for mailings from Harvey Mudd...far and away the most creative and amusing literature we received.

I may be mistaken, but I believe on the College Board website - which your son probably used to register for the SAT? - there is an option you can select to opt out of providing his information to colleges. I have long ago forgotten my kids login ids and passwords so I can't check, but might be worth your while to take a look. It won't stop what mailing lists he is already on, but might help for the next time he takes the SATs.

The other advise I would give you is for any school he is seriously considering, have him call and talk directly to an admissions counselor or visit one on one when you do your college visits. The counselors sit in on all application reviews and decisions. If they can place a name with a face, and have come to "know" your son, they are far more likely to fight for his acceptance.

There was a really interesting book I read during our "adventure". It is called "The Gatekeepers". It is an inside the admissions office look, and specifically inside the admissions process at Wesleyan University in Middletown. In ways it is very discouraging, but it is also enlightening. I only wish I had read it before my kids started high school as by the time I read it, it was too late to take advantage of some of the insights into what gets "bonus points". Some bonus points my kids would have never received since they are Caucasian males. It is dated now, written in 2002, and since it is focused on Wesleyan may not accurately reflect all college admissions offices. But a worthwhile read.