Colleges and universities across the country have reported record-breaking numbers of applicants over the last few years. For example, the University of Vermont had a stunning 36.6 percent increase in applicants from 2005 to 2006, according to data from the National Center of Education Statistics. Applications to the school have more than doubled since 2001. At Boston College, the number of students applying early action rose 20 percent in 2006, and regular applications increased by 15 percent. Is this phenomenon the result of a sudden surge in the number of high school graduates? No, the main reason for the application increase is that high school seniors are applying to 20 or more colleges rather than the traditional five to eight. The fact is, however, that 20 is way too many.
Why the Surge?
Why are students applying to more schools than ever before? The reasons are varied, ranging from the ease of applying online to the use of the Common Application—now accepted by hundreds of schools—which enables students to apply to multiple colleges with just one standardized form. And because electronic applications are easier and less expensive to process, some schools waive their application fees for those who apply online—yet another incentive to apply to more and more schools.
The schools themselves are also responsible for the recent application surge. Despite the administrative headache of reviewing so many applications, numerous colleges continue to use aggressive marketing strategies to attract applicants. Students receive applications by mail and email (known as “snap” and “fast track” applications) that they haven’t even requested. Some schools provide incentives to sought-after applicants, such as waiving the essay, teacher recommendations, or the application fee. In some cases, schools will even start the application for a student. With such enticements, who wouldn’t want to apply?
Why Not to Overapply
As the parent of a student in the midst of the college search process, you are keenly aware of the overwhelming competition. It is therefore a natural reaction to want your child to widen his options, to allow for all potential opportunities. Perhaps you're thinking that by submitting many applications, at least he will get into some schools. This type of reasoning may not best serve your child, however. Do you really want him going to any old school—even one he hasn’t thoroughly researched—just because he was accepted there? What if the school doesn’t offer programs that interest your child? Or isn’t located in a place he likes? Or isn’t the right social scene for him? If it’s not a good match academically, geographically, and socially, then the likelihood that he will drop out increases.
The college search process is not an easy one. Researching schools that appeal to your child in terms of size, location, programs offered, and so on and then narrowing that list to include ones that range in admission competitiveness (reach, target, and safety schools) is a challenge. Suzanne Colligan, director of college counseling at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., advises her students to have good, well-researched reasons for every school on their list. To get to that point, she encourages students to complete a self-assessment to identify their top three or four criteria for a school. Each school on a student’s final list should meet those criteria. Colligan strongly advises students not to add schools to the list that they would never really consider attending.
In order for your child to end up at a college where he will be happy and productive and will grow academically, socially, and developmentally, the process of self-assessment and college research must happen before he applies to college, not after. It may seem tempting to simply cast the net far and wide and then make the decision later, after the acceptances are in, but that is not wise. Here are some reasons why:
- When application numbers are up, admission rates go down. Perhaps the greatest effect of the application surge is that colleges are becoming more selective and sending more rejection letters than ever before. A 2006 article on the ABC News website, "College Applications on the Rise, and So Are Rejections," reported that some schools such as the University of Michigan allowed for larger class sizes the first couple years that application numbers rose. In 2006, however, the school had to be much more selective to make up for the jump. Whereas your child previously may have gotten in there easily, he is now less likely to be accepted. Another example is Brown University. In 2005, applications were up 8 percent from the previous year, yet only 13.8 percent of the applicants were accepted—the lowest rate of acceptance in the school's history.
- Because of the surge in applications, colleges are working to improve methods of weeding out indifferent students. Admission officers want to focus exclusively on those who show a genuine interest in attending their school. One way some colleges are attempting to weed out insincere applicants is by making the writing portion of their application more challenging and thoughtful. If your child is applying to ten or more schools, he can’t possibly have a deep-rooted interest in all of them, and this will be clear to admission officers.
- Applying to numerous schools won't allow you to bargain for a better financial aid package. Jack Joyce, director of college-planning services at the College Board, explains that schools frown upon those who apply to many schools to see which will offer the best financial package and then use that to bargain with other schools. Colleges resent the idea of negotiating, and trying to do so may put a student in a difficult position. According to Joyce, negotiating is not effective because schools offer as much assistance as they can from the start according to a student's circumstances. Unless the student’s financial situation changes or an extraordinary event occurs in a student’s life, the offer will not be revised. Additionally, with the jump in applications, schools have no incentive or need to negotiate. Financial aid is understandably an important consideration for many college-bound students. When applying to colleges, however, Joyce advises making other factors, such as a student’s needs and interests, higher priorities.
Spring semester of senior year is traditionally a time when students can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the rest of high school with the security of knowing where they will be in the fall. Unfortunately, with the deluge of applications that colleges are receiving, students are often still on waiting lists come spring and still dealing with the accompanying anxiety of not knowing what the future has to offer. For those who have been accepted to a slew of schools, their last precious weeks of high school are often spent racing around the country, visiting schools and trying to figure out which is the best fit—something they should have done before they applied.
