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College applications back in the old days
I've been following Girlie's AGD College Search thread and was going to leave a comment, but thought it might be an interesting separate discussion.
The application numbers at colleges just boggles my mind. And the costs and loan amounts. Applying to 10-14 colleges? Hard to fathom. I graduated from HS in the mid 80's and anyone who applied to more than 4 or 5 schools was considered weird. I applied to one school that I had pretty much decided on in the fall of my senior year and was quickly accepted. (I had a 4.0 GPA and 30 ACT. Didn't bother taking SAT and it wasn't required for most schools back then.) During spring break of my senior year I changed my mind and applied to Michigan State. Got my acceptance letter to the Honors College a couple weeks later. My how times have changed... And I find the financial numbers being discussed simply mind boggling. After Tri Delta and MSU scholarships, my degree cost me and my parents around $6500 out of pocket - for five years. I changed my major twice and was in no hurry to graduate. I loved college and there was a lot I wanted to do on campus and with Tri Delta. Any other old folks want to share their stories? ;) |
University Numbers and Costs
While some small liberal arts colleges have closed in the past few years major highly selective universities have dropped their admit rates.
Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford had admit rates below 10% for the class that entered last fall. Some other admit rates from across the country for the class of 2015 were: Julliard 8% Carnegie-Mellon 30.4 % Univ. of Virginia 32.3% Univ. of Southern California 23% Georgia Tech 47.5% Notre Dame 24.2% UCLA 25.3% Boston College 27.9% For the class that has just applied some universities have already announced application numbers and estimated admit rates. Again, Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford all had admit rates below 10%. USC, Vanderbilt and Northwestern will have admit rates in the high teens. USC is using the common application for the first time and has had 45,000 applications for the freshmen class. Private colleges now have "Cost of Attendance" numbers that are rising each year, with some exceptions. It is not unusual for certain colleges to have COA at $55,000 per year. Due to generous merit scholarships or financial aid policies it may cost a family less to send a student to a private university than to a flagship state university. Certain ivies provide huge financial aid packages for students who have very low family incomes and few or no financial assets. Some colleges now post a financial aid calculator on their websites. A parent can use this tool to receive a rough estimate of the aid package. I have seen posted on a college admissions/information website students who applied to 19 colleges. The most I have seen was 22 colleges! Some high schools now refuse to send out more than a limited number of transcripts. There are stories of high schools where the students have a bulletin board where they post letters of regret from selective colleges. Despite all this application worry, most students do not apply to 15 colleges and the vast majority of U.S. students attend college within 250 miles of their hometown. The NYTimes has a weekly article called "The Choice". It has many statistics and lists the applicant numbers from last year for about 100 colleges/universities. The articles follow a few students through the application process and posts their final choices. |
I only applied to the University of Michigan. Found out early in the fall, and that was that.
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I know I'll probably be in the minority in this, but the entire higher education situation is just ridiculous. And I fully realize how much I've benefited from higher education.
Higher ed is hopefully the next big bubble to pop. Young kids today are being saddle with ridiculous amounts of college debt that stay with them to the grave. It isn't acceptable and it can't continue on this trajectory indefinitely. My daughter is in kindergarten so we are a long way off from these decisions. But there is no way things can continue at the same pace for the next ten plus years. What will happen... I have no idea. I know people are playing the game because they feel they have to and I don't mean this post as a criticism of anyone. I just see it as an entire aspect of life today that is completely ridiculous. |
In 1992/1993, I applied to 5. I applied to UVA, Michigan, William and Mary, Wesleyan, and Penn. I had an application to Howard, but had no intention of going there (sister was a student there, and it was 2 miles from home); I sat on it until the last minute, and I got accepted somewhere else and put it in the trash.
My (expensive private) high school had an incredible college advising team with these very elaborate relationships with colleges, so I had very skilled people helping me target a reasonable number of schools, choose a safety school, choose a reach school, find schools where I was very likely to get in, etc. There were very few surprises in the results. The results: Wait listed but didn't pursue it at Wesleyan. Got a letter from Penn telling me they couldn't find my application check, and then a rejection letter a day later (I probably got rejected for being too dumb to staple the check to the form, which, fair enough). Got into W&M but it was too far from civilization; I never even visited. It came down to UVA and UM and I picked UM, which probably was my first choice all along. |
In 2007, I applied to eight colleges. I believe two or three used the common application so I got away with a couple easy apps. I went to a college prep school and many of the others in my class applied to more. My college advisor didn't really know what to do with me because I was looking for dance programs and I was the first person in my high school to every want to only major in dance. The others had dance as a second major and wanted to concentrate more on their first so they looked for programs that were strong in their first major.
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Being someone in their first year of grad school, I fully agree with you. I feel like everyone feels as though they need to go to college. There are just some people who are not made out for it and practically kill themselves trying to get through. I'm not saying they are unintelligent, they are just not made out for what is expected in college. There is too much pressure to go to college and graduate. It seems like anymore all jobs require you to have at least a bachelors degree. I wish it wasn't so. |
In 1973 I applied to Carnegie Mellon and no other. I want to say UMass was my backup, but I don't recall actually applying. Perhaps the deadline was later.
No one in our family had ever gone to college, and had it not been for scholarships and loans, I wouldn't either. I want to say tuition and room and board were around $7500 per year, but then, our house only cost $12000. I think my chapter dues were around $10-$15/month; our dorm floor was school-owned housing. |
I was a high school senior during the 1992-93 school year. My parents and I did the "college tour" in August 1992 (they would not let me miss even one day of school for campus visits). We visited a mixed bag - MIT, Hahvahd, Cornell, Princeton, Williams, Amherst, Trinity, Caltech.
For some reason, my guidance counselor was pushing Case Western Reserve University, even though I was class valedictorian and knew I could get into Ivy+ schools. (Class standing was based on freshman-through-junior grades, so I could have blown off my whole senior year and still been valedictorian.) His idea was that I could easily make a 4.0 at CWRU and then go to MIT or Caltech for grad school. (I think he was getting kickbacks.) I did visit CWRU, but I had my heart set on going to MIT as an undergrad. I was instructed to hand-write or type my applications. At the time, typewriters were becoming obsolete - my dad had a typewriter, but the alignment was screwy - so I hand-wrote everything, including my essays. I applied early action to MIT and got in. I sent in the applications I (read: my dad) had already paid for: Hahvahd, Princeton, and Cornell. But my decision was made. This was back in the day when banks sent you your actual physical cancelled checks with your statements. My dad still has the $50 check he wrote to MIT for my application fee. Caltech begged me to apply. They sent me a letter to tell me that my application deadline was being extended from Jan. 1 to Jan. 15 because I am female. I never did apply. My first semester's tuition at MIT (not including room and board) was $9500. The next semester, tuition hit $10000. This prompted a hack. A dorm room ran about $3000/semester. We had a declining-balance system for food - you put money in your account and then swiped your student ID when you bought food. I kept a small balance in my account so I could grab hot tea and a bagel in the mornings, and otherwise cooked for myself or hit the food trucks. |
This isn't really an issue of being "old" or what have you. Most of the application frenzy is related to getting into about 30 different colleges, if even that many. Kids who don't have those schools on their radar are still applying to only 2-3 schools.
I think the major exception to this is the Northeast Corridor, where there are just so many students, coupled with the higher interest in those 30 colleges, that you really have to hedge your bets. I was the only kid in my class who applied to my first choice--meanwhile, my best friend from college grew up in NYC, where 100 kids from her school applied. The odds are wonky up here. Some states have auto-admit programs for students at the top of their classes or who have taken a certain number of college credits. So, those kids may end up applying to only one school, or maybe two if they are comparing scholarship offers. So, the "frenzy" is really a limited phenomenon and doesn't reflect reality for the vast majority of high schoolers today. |
The only reason kids are applying to so many schools is because there is so much competition...because schools are getting so many applications. It's a catch 22 these kids - and their parents - have created for themselves. It reeks of indecision to me. Also, thinking parents are pushing kids to apply to schools that the kids have no interest in applying to, in addition to the schools the kids actually do want to attend. If this decision was left up to the kids, as it should be, I have a feeling there wouldn't be so many applications. This is in part why I think parents shouldn't be on the hook for paying for their kids' college educations - kids applying to schools that they know their parents can't afford, and that they're unwilling to take out loans to fund. What is the point in that? Very few private schools give out MERIT scholarships, and let's be real...those are the schools that prompt this kind of frenzy. Meanwhile, schools get so many applications that they can take their pick of the litter...and I imagine many of them are picking the same kids.
In 1995-1996 I applied to six schools: Pepperdine, Univ. of Washington, Boston U, USC, Univ. of Puget Sound and Western Wash. Univ. I got into all six, and you know why? Because I had heavily researched them, visited all of them with the exception of Boston U, and knew that my desires and qualifications were a good fit for them. I also worked hard on my applications and knew that I had to be comfortable with my choices because I was going to be the one footing almost all of the bill. I keep hearing about all these kids who don't visit the schools they're applying to, decide to apply the night before the deadline, and don't give applying much of a second thought because they assume their parents will just pay whatever it takes to send them to whichever school they want. Now, that is reality for some, but I don't really think it should be. I think a lot of kids take their college careers for granted when they're completely paid for by their parents. And when this discussion doesn't happen prior to application period, kids can apply to countless schools just because they can. It's a waste of time and money for all! No one should be applying to schools that they know they either can't get into nor afford. |
In the "old" days, I applied to three and got into two of them.
One was a given, as they sent me a pre-printed application for me to sign and return. I was pre-admitted, based on my SAT scores, I think. This was a large state school in a neighboring state, and both of my parents are alums. I did not attend there. The "easiness" of getting in turned me off. |
It's mind-boggling when I hear freshmen talk to each other around campus. They'll say things like, "Yeah, this was only my 5th choice school." You mean you wrote up to 5 admissions essays, filled out up to 5 forms asking for identical information, and paid 5 application fees?! Why not save yourself the time and money, and instead figure out where you would fit in well (academically, socially, AND financially) instead of trying to force yourself into the most highly acclaimed (insert major here) program in the nation?
I applied to only one college for undergrad and just one college for graduate school. My little sister applied to one college. We were accepted to them, and we're happy with our choices. |
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Fast forward to now. The state college I went to is one of the cheapest and it's now $246/credit hour. Cost of living has skyrocketed. I make less than my dad made at this point in life. My house payment is five times what his was (and I live in a house that is almost identical to the one I grew up in!). I am so stuck in this middle class space where we aren't qualifying for much in the way of grants or needs based scholarships but I don't make enough to pay the tuition outright and still live. We joked yesterday that we could get her a single and I could live in her dorm room with her! Start saving for your daughter NOW. Don't put it off. Quote:
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My daughter's criteria in choosing schools were about a) being around students with passion for learning, b) in locations or with enough "clout" to get really good, interesting internships, c) politically active and aware campuses, and d) enough flexibility in their curriculum that she can try to tailor her courses to her areas of interest and figure out how to combine those into a career someday (english-writing & lit, political science, public policy, communications). Oh yes, and get the hell out of Michigan, a huge priority of hers. She may have accepted that she might have to wait for grad school to accomplish the latter. She and her friends are all overwhelmed right now. I will be more involved in my son's decisions, but he is also asking me for more guidance already. I will approach things differently and encourage more "safety" schools which will give him merit scholarships. It's crazy out there. |
I applied to a lot of schools.
I got into about 2/3. 1/3 were schools I would not consider but gave generous financial aid: Denison, St. John's in Minnesota, Washington College in MD, etc. Another 1/3 were a very diverse group of schools which also gave generous financial aid: Georgetown, George Washington, Hampshire College I did not get into any Ivies or any college in the state of New York: Columbia, NYU, Vassar, wait-listed at Sarah Lawrence, etc. I did not know what kind of college would be best for me and in the end it was between Georgetown and Hampshire College. The aid was better at Georgetown. I also had a phenomenal time at the open house weekend. I wish I could remember the complete list of schools I got into. |
When I applied, I had to trudge uphill in the snow to get my applications in to the post office.
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Talking about the cost of schools, here in Dubai the cost for 1 year of school, even kindergarten, costs more than my 4 years of college combined. Seriously. It's about $25,000 per child per year. And I'm not THAT old. Of course, those kids can attend the college of their choice once they graduate. It's quite impressive the list of colleges these kids attend. And the good news is most people's employers pay it, so the parents just have to worry about college. Which brings us back to the above...
I WANTED to apply to George Washington but my parents wouldn't let me. They couldn't afford it, and not having gone to college themselves, they didn't know about the financial aid options we had. And at the time they were buhroke. I probably could have gone to a school like that for virtually free. I got a variety of pre-approvals to a bunch of schools. One was Northwestern. Woo hoo! Pre-approved to Northwestern! Oh, Northwestern IOWA. Never heard of it, and no thank you. |
If you want to read a book that spells out the whole frenzy, try, "What Colleges Don't Tell You and Other Parents Don't Want You to Know" by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross. She's a for-hire college counselor who will help "package" your kid throughout middle/high school for thousands of dollars a year. I read it when my daughter was about 13 and it scared the pants off me! It was a real eye-opener. However, it also had extremely helpful information for helping kids get into elite schools, which I would never have learned otherwise.
Michigan used to be a state where you could get a good-paying, life-long job with one of the Big 3 or one of their suppliers, and have a nice middle class life without a college education. No more. Those benefits are going away and it doesn't look like they're coming back...hence the increased push toward college. A couple years ago I met a woman in Denmark who was extoling the virtues of their "birth to grave" system. They pay high taxes, but her health care, retirement, children's university educations, etc. are all paid for. No one's getting rich, but no one's poor either. She said she appreciates having the stress removed from her life. There seem to be a lot of Americans who are trying to realize the American Dream, but in reality they're swamped in debt, college loans, etc. |
A major difference from my high school era vs the current time is the importance of "fit" and "demonstrated interest". Fit is discussed on CC extensively whether or not the applicant sees him/herself at the campus. Prospective families start doing college visits during sophomore year, some even during freshman year. Although my peers DID apply to 5 or 6 schools, few made college visits before the notifications occurred. But even in my era, kids were panicking about SATs and achievement tests, which teacher had been tapped out in terms of college recs, and whose parent worked for which college (a definite legup)
Legacy mattered. If your family had a long record of alumni/ae graduates, that was definitely a factor. It is not as important anymore. In fact, it is more beneficial to be a first-generation college attendee than to have multiple legacies on the family tree. Of course if there is a building on the grounds that bears your surname due to an ancestor's generosity, that's a different story. One major difference I see (and I believe this is geographical difference as opposed to generational) is that going to a state school is not considered a choice of last resort. Of course my state flagship was UMass otherwise known as ZooMass the party school and my kids' are UVa and William and Mary. The only legacy benefit for UVA is for OOS applicants who then are considered instate applicants (although they will pay OOS tuition). VA resident legacy applicants don't get extra points for alumni family. A boy in my son's class has been admitted to Harvard and REJECTED from UVa, and he is instate, great stats, ECs, etc. |
I think a major difference is the way college costs are marketed now. An ultra expensive school presents parents with packages on exactly how the expenses can be covered. They didn't do things this way back in my day, essentially the family was on its own to figure out what combination of scholarships, grants, loans etc. could be qualified for and used to cover costs. I think there was less of a tendency to apply to stretch schools, especially when the costs were going to be high. Families generally tried to keep budgets in mind and applications were made to realistic schools, both in terms of costs and admissions. Now it seems it's more along the lines of "let's figure out the very best schools you can get admitted to THEN worry about the finances.
I am seeing a lot of young people and their parents with crippling education debt. People are making reckless financial decisions that will follow them for the rest of their lives all for the sake of attending a school they perceive as more prestigious. |
I grew up in a working-class family in a rural, low-income area, and went to public school my whole life. I moved to a more suburban, middle-class area for high school -- but still, an area where maybe 70% of the students go on to attend college, and a large percentage of those live at home and attend the nearby community college. I applied to more colleges than anyone else I knew -- Harvard (reach), Miami Ohio, Butler and UVA (matches) and Dayton and Ball State (safeties).
I knew from the get-go that I was on my own paying for college, so I knew it was very likely that I would end up at Miami, since it was the only in-state state school I applied to. I applied to Harvard just for kicks and was rejected. I was accepted at UVA but liked Miami just as much, if not better, and Miami was cheaper. I basically applied to the rest of the schools just to see what they'd give in financial aid. I had almost all of my tuition covered by scholarships and took out a loan to cover living expenses when I lived on campus. I moved off campus junior year and worked full-time to pay rent and living expenses. I graduated owing very little, and I know I got a comparable education to what I would have had at UVA for significantly cheaper. I think if more kids had to pay for their own education, they'd be a lot more practical in the college search. |
I actually went to two high schools. I did freshman and sophomore year at Collar County High, which was very mixed-income, and where I was the undisputed #1 in the class for the two years I was there. I did junior and senior year at Wealthy Suburban High, about forty minutes away.
There was a vast, vast difference between the two schools. At CCH, probably only about half the class, if that, was college-bound. I remember students in the top 10 going to Northwestern, Wash U., etc., but it was still considered pretty awesome if you were headed to Illinois or Depaul, and I don't remember anyone even applying to the ivies. At WSH, everyone was applying to the ivies, and they were doing so early admission, which I'd never heard of before. I think the stat was something like 98% went on to education after high school. Two kids from my graduating class went to Harvard, probably a dozen or more went to Northwestern, and people had an absolute aversion to going to Illinois. I had friends ask me not to apply to certain places because it would hurt their chances. So, I think the craziness has a lot to do with being from affluent area. Not only is it much harder to stand out from your peers, but there is far, far, far more social pressure. I'm sure the internet compounds that, which we didn't have in my day, and need-blind admissions is causing it to spread to less wealthy areas, as well. |
I went to a private prep school (graduated 2001) where getting into a lot of colleges was a BIG DEAL. They even printed the list of where everyone was accepted in the graduation program. I was sort of an oddity. My parents would only pay for in-state. There were only 2 in-state colleges that had my major. One I was missing a credit for, and besides was only 45 minutes from home - too close. The other had a one-page application with no fee and I was already guaranteed acceptance into their honors college because of my ACT score. I had ZERO stress college hunting. I don't remember the particulars, but I believe tuition & fees were around $7500/semester and then $1500-2000 for dorms.
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New-timer chiming in.
I knew I wanted USC or UCLA. Which one of the two I wanted always flip-flopped. Before my sophomore year of HS, I went to camp at UCLA, and at the beginning of the camp, I was obsessed with UCLA. After a week, I was pretty disenchanted. Then, the following summer, I did another program at UCLA and decided that UCLA was it. After that, I started researching colleges more seriously, and decided to tour USC. After the tour, I was...not sold. I happened to inadvertently pick the day of the involvement fair and it was unusually hot. Not very pleasant, and I left feeling like, "UCLA it is!" But then I went to another event at SC on a cooler day and an event at UCLA a few days later, and I realized that USC was the better fit. Nonetheless, I still applied to both. Being me, I finished my applications crazy-early. I only applied to four schools: UCLA, USC, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach (safeties). My plan was to apply to UCLA and USC only, because I really only wanted those two, but I was (mistakenly) told that the Cal States would process my applications really fast and I'd get a response in about a week. Lies! I finished my applications over Veteran's Day weekend and went to Disneyland to celebrate. No Common App for me, just 3 different essays. I heard from USC in January, during the scholarship admit period. I saw my acceptance packet in the mail and screamed for my mom. We jumped up and down, and then I ran into the house to call my dad (an SC alum) and began crying tears of joy. I have never worked harder or longer for one result, so it felt amazing to know that I not only got in, but that I got in so early (and the week before finals. Who am I kidding?). When I got into UCLA, I just didn't have the same feeling. For everyone I've heard saying that the switch to email-only admissions is the way to go, I have to strongly disagree. There is nothing like the feeling of getting the "big envelope" and knowing that you're in. I (obviously) ultimately chose USC. In the end, the main reason was that I was sick of being in a public school and having to struggle to keep programs alive. At basically the same time that I got my acceptance, the Dornsifes made their (very generous) mega-donation to SC and the College became Dornsife. I had the privilege of hearing Dana Dornsife speak in one of my classes last semester, and it reinforced a huge part of why I chose USC: Trojans seem to really care and want to come back and help later on. They just care so much about keeping the school excellent. Back on track here: I am very fortunate to have a scholarship. Ironically, even though I come from a very name-recognizable public high school, I got the 5th best admissions offer. Not to look down on my offer, but I would expect more Ivies out of my high school class! It's just really, really hard in the modern application game to know whether you're right or wrong. The things that people told me I shouldn't do (I remember sending one of my essays to someone to read and getting the response of, "it sounds like you're so into [what you do] that you don't really want to be a college student, so you shouldn't send this essay") are the things that made me successful at applying. Instead of trying to buy into the "colleges want athletes/community activists/Nobel Prize Winners" dilemma, I picked activities that interested me and ran with them and had an amazing time. I made it so the colleges had to want me--my stats, my activities, my essays. It worked. I did not get one rejection. My sister is currently a junior in high school and researching her options. She has a longer list than I do, with a distinct "top choice," several "I would be happy there" choices, and a few "I want to learn more, but I think this is a good place for me" schools. It's hard to explain safety/reach/match (and I hate those terms, because they are so ridiculous in the end), because she's applying to very specialized programs. Either way, it's so different now, and I know I got a lot of flack for only applying to four schools (not to mention, I probably would not have gone to the other two for a variety of reasons) and applying on what I thought was right, not what the admissions machine tells you is right. |
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I think my masters was done via e-mail, but I don't really remember. I went somewhere fairly non-selective, though, so there was no suspense. For my doctorate, I was offered a fellowship from the graduate college that arrived (via e-mail) before the acceptance from my department (via snail mail). Maybe I'll have to apply for a fourth degree so I can get an envelope :-) |
First generation college here.
My parents were Depression-era kids so they knew how to make Abe scream for mercy. They encouraged me to go to college, but I knew they were worried about the cost. I was a good student, but just average, so no scholarships for me. My first dream was to go to the University of Tennessee (one of the few colleges I had laid eyes on), but with out of state tuition being double (then), that was out of the question. I applied to both Alabama and Auburn and was accepted to both, but I really only wanted Alabama. I could have gone to another smaller state university an hour away, and even gotten a scholarship to a Methodist-affiliated small college 20 minutes way, but my goal was to be close enough for my parents to drive down and back on a Sunday, but far away enough that it would not be an every-Sunday trip! In the early 1970s, tuition was $350 a semester. $350!:eek: There was a $50 per semester student activity fee...I don't remember food costs. Living in the sorority house was cheaper than living in the dorm, and the food was infinitely better. A few years before she died, my mom commented on how economical it was for me to go to college. She even said it was cheaper than me living at home! No essays....I do remember it was $50 for the Alabama application and $75 for the Auburn one. |
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I applied to two colleges -- the one I wanted to go to and the one that I was nominated by my high school faculty for a full ride to (but didn't get). When it came time for law school, I applied to five. |
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I entered college way back in 1983 and applied to 15 schools. It was my father's idea, and needless to say I was notorious in my HS's guidance department. Fortunately most of them took the common application (is that still around?) so it wasn't incredibly time-consuming. I'm just amazed that my parents agreed to pay all of those application fees which even back then weren't cheap.
I got into 11 of the 15 schools to which I applied, but narrowed my choices down pretty easily. Duke wasn't even on my radar when I first started the process; I had my heart set on Northwestern until I stepped foot on Duke's campus. |
I remember that my acceptance letter from Cal started off saying something like "This is it, you got the big envelope. The one with the acceptance letter."
Of course, I had already checked the website, so I already knew. Oh, and it was a spring semester admission. I understand that's somewhat unique among universities. I know the other UCs don't do it. |
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I know for Berkeley, the spring admit students have the option to attend a fall freshman program on campus through UC Berkeley Extension. This gives them the opportunity to go through fraternity and sorority recruitment with the rest of the freshmen, take classes toward your degree, and participate in most of the campus activities available to the rest of the students. I think the primary difference is that you're not guaranteed housing on campus. I'm curious if the spring kids have a bias against them during recruitment, though. At least they don't have to wait until sophomore year to rush. |
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When I got my acceptance letter from MIT, it came in a thin envelope. Apparently it's their practice to send out the "big envelopes" to both early and regular admits at the same time, in the spring, but I didn't know this. I'd given my parents strict orders not to open any letters from MIT because I wanted to be the one to open the letter. The day my letter arrived, my mom had arranged to pick me up at school after track practice. She handed me the thin envelope without a word. My heart SANK. I opened the envelope, opened the letter, got as far as "Congratulations! You are admitted to MIT." - and ran back into the school building screaming to my coach and teammates and anyone else in earshot, "I GOT INTO MIT! I GOT INTO MIT!" The letter explained that I would get my packet in the spring, along with the regular admits, but dammit, I wish they sent big envelopes early to the early-action admits. How many other early-action admits felt that "rejection" feeling on seeing the thin envelope? :( </threadjack> |
Most in my class either went to A&M or UT. Rarely, did anyone apply to more than one college. Same for vet school. If you lived in Texas -you applied to Texas A&M. Now, college students are applying to numerous vet schools at once and if they don't get into a state side school they apply to schools in England, Australia or the Carribean. The amount of loans they are taking out are astronomical-some up to 300,000$-committing financial suicide IMO. They will never be able to pay that back unless they marry rich or hit the lottery. I have tried to talk with students about the amount of debt they will soon be taking on but they have thick rose colored glasses and only see unicorns and rainbows:(.
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Regarding the fancy packaging, I know I'm unnecessarily practical, but that stuff is EXPENSIVE. With the costs as they are, I think I'd be pretty annoyed to get some $10 packet that says "Yeah! We waste money and we're going to take an insane amount of it from you over the next 4 years!"
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I graduated from high school in 1990. I still remember handwriting my essay for my Ithaca College application over Christmas break.
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In the 2006-2007 admissions cycle, I applied to 4 schools: Purdue, Miami of Ohio, IU, and Yale. I got in to 3 of the 4 and made an easy decision to go to IU. The Yale admissions decision was months after my other one, so I waited to commit until I heard from them
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I've really enjoyed the discussion!
I agree with the points made that the solidly middle class will struggle the most. I grew up in a GM family as did my husband. None of our parents graduated from college and my grandmothers didn't even finish high school. My husband and I are both college graduates and own our own business after working in the marketplace for quite awhile. I don't think we will achieve what either of our sets of parents did. I look at where we are now and where they were at our age and just don't see it happening. My approach with my daughter will be to do my best to prepare her for college AND for owning her own business. As certain skills and gifts begin to show up consistently in her development, I want to help her understand how to develop those abilities to make them marketable. I do not want her to think of only college, but that college is just one small part of preparing for life. I think those who have a diverse set of marketable skills that cannot be outsourced are those who will stand the best chance of making it. So we will do whatever we can reasonably do to prepare her for higher education and keep her debt free. But I would rather invest more time and money helping her develop marketable skills and business savvy, than invest a lot of time into trying to get her into a top tier university as opposed to a solid school. Just my two cents. Your mileage may vary. :) |
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