College applications back in the old days

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

In the early 1970s, tuition was $350 a semester. $350! There was a $50 per semester student activity fee...

I'm a decade or so later than you. but four years of college and three years of law school cost my parents around $6,000 tuition and fee-wise.

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.

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I threw out my admissions envelop because it wasn't some thick envelope or specially marked or anything. At that time, I was getting like ten letters/flyers/postcards every day from schools asking me to apply, and they all went straight in the trash.

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 :-)

SC sends the prettiest admissions package ever. You get a really gorgeous folder that says "Welcome to the Trojan Family," and inside the folder, there's a nicely arranged certificate, the letter, and all the other information. Really, really nice.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by melindawarren

SC sends the prettiest admissions package ever. You get a really gorgeous folder that says "Welcome to the Trojan Family," and inside the folder, there's a nicely arranged certificate, the letter, and all the other information. Really, really nice.

Pepperdine's is gorgeous, too. Everything those two schools send out is beautifully done.

[dukemama]

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.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by melindawarren

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.

Agreed.

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>

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

How many other early-action admits felt that "rejection" feeling on seeing the thin envelope?

</threadjack>

I did!

[TriDeltaSallie]

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.

[LAblondeGPhi]

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.

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

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.

We've got 'em, too. I actually think it's a decent concept. But I wonder how it is for PNMs.

[LAblondeGPhi]

Originally Posted by melindawarren

We've got 'em, too. I actually think it's a decent concept. But I wonder how it is for PNMs.

Oh, actually, I do recall that USC has spring admits.

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.

[DubaiSis]

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!"

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

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!"

I'm OK with my school spending it on nice mailers, because I know that's one way they reel in students/parents/alumni. But I dislike how much they spend on palm trees and landscaping, and stupid stuff like speakers in the planters around campus!

[chi-o_cat]

I graduated from high school in 1990. I still remember handwriting my essay for my Ithaca College application over Christmas break.

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

I'm OK with my school spending it on nice mailers, because I know that's one way they reel in students/parents/alumni. But I dislike how much they spend on palm trees and landscaping, and stupid stuff like speakers in the planters around campus!

Yeah. Mailers need to stand out. I saved every piece of correspondence I received from colleges--even schools that just sent me lookbooks and such--and I got rid of over 300 pieces of mail when I finished high school (not admissions packets or anything. Just "come check out Hole-in-the-Wall U!" stuff). There were only a few schools that sent truly nice-looking mailers. One looked like another and another after that for the most part (I could only tell schools apart if they had snow/sun/mountains). The more a school can do to make printed information stand out, the better. My favorite was CalArts. SOOO pretty!

My other favorite, in a humorous sense, was a school in a beachy climate. They sent out a packet that said "live at the beach!" Instead of showing a beautiful sunny day, they sent a photo of this little bungalow with rain clouds or something really gloomy in the sky. *facepalm*

ETA: Speakers in the planters, really? Now THAT'S a waste of money.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by melindawarren

My other favorite, in a humorous sense, was a school in a beachy climate. They sent out a packet that said "live at the beach!" Instead of showing a beautiful sunny day, they sent a photo of this little bungalow with rain clouds or something really gloomy in the sky. *facepalm*

ETA: Speakers in the planters, really? Now THAT'S a waste of money.

I think it was Harvey Mudd who used to send out fliers that said things like "Don't come to this school!" to attract attention.