Comments on: Taking credit, assigning blame for the record number of college applications nationwide http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/ all the exciting parts, none of the heavy debt burden Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:44:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Friends of Dave http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-31324 Friends of Dave Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:00:28 +0000 http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-31324 <strong>Carnival of Education...</strong> ... Carnival of Education…

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]]> By: Sam Jackson http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30791 Sam Jackson Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:59:43 +0000 http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30791 I guess this is another place (like financial aid) where it is hard to organize things from a school-side because of anti-trust issues? But definitely they could work with counseling associations and high schools, as well as with direct outreach organized somehow, to try to help with the problem. It's too easy to sit back with smiles watching the numbers go up, making for nice newspaper fodder. I don't know how 'innocent' whatever schools are in this free-for-all; I see a fair number of articles with small college deans ecstatic that they're getting all this trickle-down. Who gets victimized? The schools that don't make it easy to apply? Easy applications through the internet means access to a greater pool of students. I think it is sad when this pressure hurts good systems, like UChicago's Uncommon Application... but there are a lot of times when a failure to change seems less loaded and with fewer risks. It feeds on itself because people get caught up in the bubble here. Admissions officers tell us students how sad they are that they can't admit more, and I tend to believe them--but that seems to be where it stops, sometimes. Mixed blessing, sure. Glad I'm not applying to college anymore... but my sister will be in two years. I guess this is another place (like financial aid) where it is hard to organize things from a school-side because of anti-trust issues? But definitely they could work with counseling associations and high schools, as well as with direct outreach organized somehow, to try to help with the problem. It’s too easy to sit back with smiles watching the numbers go up, making for nice newspaper fodder.

I don’t know how ‘innocent’ whatever schools are in this free-for-all; I see a fair number of articles with small college deans ecstatic that they’re getting all this trickle-down. Who gets victimized? The schools that don’t make it easy to apply? Easy applications through the internet means access to a greater pool of students. I think it is sad when this pressure hurts good systems, like UChicago’s Uncommon Application… but there are a lot of times when a failure to change seems less loaded and with fewer risks. It feeds on itself because people get caught up in the bubble here. Admissions officers tell us students how sad they are that they can’t admit more, and I tend to believe them–but that seems to be where it stops, sometimes. Mixed blessing, sure. Glad I’m not applying to college anymore… but my sister will be in two years.

]]> By: Rob Westervelt http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30783 Rob Westervelt Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:56:40 +0000 http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30783 Sam, thanks for the post. I agree that it's a "collective action dilemma," and I'm hesitant to make the student the only victim in all this. After all, the overload of applications is largely due to students spamming their applications to dozens of schools. One article said this was particularly true among disadvantaged minority students who were encouraged by their school counselors to do so. On the other hand, it was foolish for some schools to use universal apps, waive app fees, etc. There really is no one victim. Many innocent schools will suffer from the app bubble even though they didn't partake in the universal app system or push online apps with no fees. And, as you said, many innocent students will suffer because of the application bubble. What does bother me is when admissions personnel take credit for something they didn't do without really understanding the situation. This seems to be the case with the application bubble. Sam, thanks for the post. I agree that it’s a “collective action dilemma,” and I’m hesitant to make the student the only victim in all this. After all, the overload of applications is largely due to students spamming their applications to dozens of schools. One article said this was particularly true among disadvantaged minority students who were encouraged by their school counselors to do so. On the other hand, it was foolish for some schools to use universal apps, waive app fees, etc. There really is no one victim. Many innocent schools will suffer from the app bubble even though they didn’t partake in the universal app system or push online apps with no fees. And, as you said, many innocent students will suffer because of the application bubble. What does bother me is when admissions personnel take credit for something they didn’t do without really understanding the situation. This seems to be the case with the application bubble.

]]> By: Sam Jackson http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30682 Sam Jackson Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:22:13 +0000 http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30682 Hey Susan! Thanks so much for reading and commenting, really appreciate it. On the numbers: It's very much a collective action dilemma, but it's one that is in a lot of ways attributable to colleges and marketers working to influence students in a particular way. Hey Susan! Thanks so much for reading and commenting, really appreciate it. On the numbers: It’s very much a collective action dilemma, but it’s one that is in a lot of ways attributable to colleges and marketers working to influence students in a particular way.

]]> By: Susan http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30660 Susan Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:17:44 +0000 http://www.samjackson.org/college/2008/02/18/taking-credit-assigning-blame-for-the-record-number-of-college-applications-nationwide/#comment-30660 My daughter tried to help the numbers by only applying to ONE college. She got in, thank goodness, but it was nervewracking. I think it helped that it wasn't a "reach" school, not a "safety" school but just one that was a good fit overall. My daughter tried to help the numbers by only applying to ONE college. She got in, thank goodness, but it was nervewracking. I think it helped that it wasn’t a “reach” school, not a “safety” school but just one that was a good fit overall.

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