Prestige, Money, Success and How to Play the College Admissions Game
Picture a competition: you’re on one side of the field and the college of your choice is on the other side. You’re both looking for the same things-prestige, money, success–but your motivations and desires don’t line up. As Jeffrey Selingo wrote in his article, “Inside the Craziest College-Admissions Season Ever: More applicants, New Rules, and Even Less Clarity from Schools,” for New York Magazine:
“Figuring out how to navigate this all can leave applicants and their families feeling like they need a Ph.D. in game theory just to get into college.”
Here are some of the reasons the game is so complicated:
ROUND 1: Prestige - the applicant
Whether you come from a long line of IVY leaguers, are a first-generation-to-college applicant, or are somewhere in between, getting into the “best” school possible is your goal. You’ve worked hard to attain a GPA and standardized test score you’re proud of, you’ve done exciting extracurriculars with tremendous dedication, and you’ve managed to put yourself in the best position possible. Game on!
ROUND 1: Prestige - the school
Admissions counselors have skimmed the enormous applicant pool for their desired GPA and test-score ranges. Next, factors including, but not limited to, socioeconomic, ethnic, and academic diversity are considered, toward constructing a well-rounded class. (Since the Supreme Court ruling abandoning affirmative action, schools can no longer use race in their algorithms, but they will still see this information on your application, particularly if you choose to talk about it in your essays). Akin to the arbitrary nature of, let’s say, high school sports, teams are selected not solely based on an individual player but on how that player will perform and interact with the rest of the team (this is where recommendations, essays, and extracurriculars come into play). Anyone who’s experienced the capriciousness of a high school coach’s decision knows how it feels to get the short end of the stick in that arena. Amplify that by infinity and there’s your paying field.
Much also depends on who else from your high school and geographic region is applying and the likelihood that you will attend, if accepted. This last point speaks to a school’s yield rate (the percentage of accepted students who decide to attend) which gives schools bragging rights and lends much prestige when the rate is high.
ROUND 1 RESULTS
Student wins when they get into their top-choice school(s)
Schools win when they achieve a high-achieving group that also provides a high yield rate.
ROUND 2: Money - the applicant
If money is not a factor, you can apply anywhere and can select any application strategy you want. This means that using the binding Early Decision option is a no-brainer, if you have a definite first choice. If money is not so free flowing and you hope to perhaps receive a merit scholarship and must wait to hear about financial aid, then the Early Decision option is likely not a prudent one. When a school knows you will be attending, no matter what, no enticement in the form of money is needed. For all applicants, Early Action is a great choice, but it is a shame that the less affluent applicant likely has to eschew the ED option and, therefore, the increased chance for admission.
ROUND 2 - Money - the school
Optimizing cash flow is the goal here, so if an applicant can pay full boat, that’s a positive. Ironically, some schools will offer merit scholarships even to those who don’t need the money in order to sway an applicant to attend. This is known as Enrollment Management and happens when an applicant has higher than the median GPA and test scores. The schools are looking to increase those measures to become more competitive, and again to increase their yield rates.
Public universities have the added layer of deciding what percentage of their classes will be from out-of-state, again optimizing the influx of cash, while also honoring their commitment to state residents.
ROUND 2 RESULTS
Students win when they receive their needed financial aid and desired merit scholarships
Schools win when they reach Financial Aid Optimization
ROUND 3 - Success - the applicant
Your teachers have been measuring your success ever since you stepped foot in school. Therefore, you understand your success based on grades. You’ve also prepped for the ACT or SAT, likely taking the exam several times, and have scored as high as you can. If you’re within the GPA and test-score range stated by a school, perhaps you feel like you should be rewarded in kind by admissions professionals.
ROUND 3 - Success - the school
For schools, your grades and test scores are used not just to see how you have done, but how you are likely to do in the future. Therefore, raw scores are not the end of this part of the game. How you have done over time and within particular subjects will be factored in. Part of this calculation also takes into consideration where you’ve gone to high school and which classes you have taken, in order to help predict how you will do on a campus.
ROUND 3 RESULTS
Students win when they are accepted to schools where they can thrive academically and socially
Schools win when their students can thrive academically and socially
Fortunately, though the game is rough and full of pitfalls, students largely end up at schools where they can indeed thrive and, as a result, colleges and universities also continue to thrive. Being prepared to play the game will allow applicants to strategize their game plans, within an ever-changing and increasingly complex playing field.
Tips to playing the game that will maximize outcomes and minimize stress:
Do your best for your own personal satisfaction, not just to get into a school
Think about how your academic, extracurricular, and personal endeavors coalesce around a unique story that speaks to who you are and present that in your application
Apply only to schools you would love (or like) to go to, including the ones you deem as targets and safeties
