"10 College Admissions Trends"

Ivy League acceptances went out yesterday bringing--I would suppose--another admissions season almost to a close. ("Almost" because of the students who are in Wait List Hell.) This piece lists some interesting information about the season, including "2011 Was the Hardest Year to Get into College—Ever".

“A few years ago, kids were applying to four or five schools,” says Greg Roberts, dean of admission at the University of Virginia. “But now it’s not uncommon to apply to 10 or 12 or in the extreme even 20 or 30.”

Yep, if you lower the cost of something, people will do more of it.

Also interesting is "College Applicants Are More Interested in Southern Schools".

Vanderbilt, William & Mary, Emory, and Wake Forest, among other schools, are garnering more attention than usual for their pleasant climates. “Kids want sun and are looking for better weather,” says David Montesano, an admissions strategist with College Match Inc., a college consulting service. “Stanford and USC are among the most popular schools in the country for my kids.” 

This is advice Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy, has given frequently.

Comments

[Ted Craig]

I'm sure it wasn't difficult at all to get into college if you were realistic and admitted the "right school" has very little long-term benefit. I learned that as a teen, when a Yale grad paid more for some work with a rubber check.