Elite Colleges Take More Students from Waiting Lists

This was a brutal year for admissions to top colleges. The applicant pool was larger than ever before. Harvard and Princeton did away with their early decision programs. Many elite colleges, including the Ivies, Lafayette, Bowdoin, and Stanford, announced generous new financial aid policies.
And many colleges increased the size of their waiting lists, in part because of the uncertainty these changes wrought in admissions offices at these schools.
The result is that many colleges are taking many more students from their waiting lists than in the past.
Here’s a snippet from a recent article about waiting lists from the Wall Street Journal:

The wait-list bonanza isn’t because colleges have more slots available for students — in fact, overall enrollment levels at many schools remained the same as last year.

Instead, colleges this year faced more uncertainty in the applications process. For one thing, there’s a growing population of high-school seniors — many of whom submit applications to multiple schools. But for highly selective schools, what really affected the process was the move by two Ivy League schools to end their early-admissions programs. Also at play were policy changes that made more financial aid available to middle- and upper-class students.

So while this is good news for some students on waiting lists, keep in mind that the numbers are still quite small. Here are the numbers that will pulled off the waiting list at some schools:

University of Wisconsin-Madison: This year: 800; Last year 6
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill: This year 300; Last year 226
Boston College: This year 250; Last year 117
Harvard University: This year 200: Last year 50
Princeton University: This year 90; Last yaer 47
Georgetown University: This year 80; Last year 29
Yale University: This year 46; Last year 50
Hamilton College: This year: 36; Last year: 24
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: This year 35; Last year: 20
Johns Hopkins University: This year: 30; Last year: 86
Swarthmore College: This year: 22; Last year: 42
Pomona College: This year: 16; Last year: 17
University of Chicago: This year: 10 to 15; Last year: 0
Stanford University: This year: 0; Last year: 0
University of Virginia: This year: 0; Last year: 150

 

Mark Montgomery
College Counselor

 

Numbers of College Applications WAY Up This Year

The New York Times reported in an article yesterday that the numbers of applications to Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, and many other colleges are way up this year. Part of this increase is due to demographics, part of it is due to the ease of electronic submissions, and part of it is due to the increased demand for a quality education.
Here is a short chart of the increases:
Harvard: 19%
University of Chicago: 18%
Amherst College 17%
Northwestern 14%
Dartmouth 10%
Cornell 8%
Princeton 6%
University of Virginia 4%
With the competition so stiff, can you afford not to have the help you need to find and apply to the college of your dreams?
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

Yale Follows Harvard in Beefing Up Financial Aid

An article in today’s New York Times reports that Yale University has followed the lead of Harvard in pumping $24 million into its financial aid budget. This will help reduce the squeeze on middle income families with incomes of less than $200,000. Financial aid packages for a large portion of current and future students will increase, making Yale more affordable.
While this is a huge boost to many families and kids aspiring for the Ivy League, I find that the hardest thing to convince parents is that private colleges really do have bundles of financial aid to give away to talented students.
Depending on the kid, and depending on the school, financial aid packages at private colleges can make the cost of attendance actually lower–or at least on par–with what the same family might pay at a state university.
I try hard to work with my clients to find the right college match. And one of the most important criteria is a good financial fit.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
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Why Go to Dartmouth? One Man’s Response

dartmouth college

As I explained in a previous post, I recently asked a group of friends about their experiences in selecting a college or university.
These words of wisdom come from a gentleman who attended Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, and who later went on to medical school. He is now a well-known plastic surgeon, and is an active member of the Dartmouth alumni association.

“My school search evolved over time. I started out thinking I’d go to a state school–Penn State or Pitt, both with good reputations–or one of the many smaller colleges in Pennsylvania. My uncle, a physician and my mentor, suggested that I look at Ivy League and more competitive schools, so I did.

When I really got going, I based my decisions on location (I wanted to be in the northeast), school size (I was leaning toward a smaller school, rather than a giant place like Penn State), and then I started in on individual factors. I wanted a coed institution, someplace with a good reputation, since I wanted to get into medical school, and I wanted a place that was a “liberal arts” institution.

I used one of the college books (Barron’s) to make a list, sent letters, and read brochures. Dartmouth stood out to me based on the above-mentioned factors, and then in particular, the quarter system, which seemed to allow some flexibility for someone who was pre-med, and the international opportunities. Which were readily available, even to someone who was pre-med, since only one quarter was tied up in overseas study.

I didn’t really know anyone who had gone there, and I had no connections to the place. I really loved it after I visited, and I applied early decision. Also looked at a few urban campuses (Harvard and Yale), and was much less excited with that option. Though the idea of living in the city had some appeal, as I was from a small town.

In the end, I was very happy with my choice, and remain so to this day. The four years I spent as an undergraduate were four of the most meaningful and influential to me as an individual. I wish I’d have taken more advantage of some programs outside of the sciences. But as a pre-med, I still had certain courses that I had to take, limiting time for some elective study.”

This man’s experience points to the importance of being somewhat systematic in the college search process. He developed a few criteria, and began to weigh different schools against each of them. However, he was not immune to new discoveries, and his visit to Dartmouth made all the difference.

Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting

Harvard– One Man's Explanation of Why He Attended

As I explained in a previous post, I recently asked a variety of friends and acquaintances how they selected the college they attended.
This respondent attended Harvard as an undergraduate in the mid-1980s. He is now a lawyer living in Michigan. His story is interesting because it demonstrates that serendipity can have an important role in selecting a college. It is also interesting for what it says about the value of a Harvard education: his conclusions are somewhat surprising for most folks (but not really for me, as I taught there and can attest to his comments on the quality of teaching at Harvard).
Here is his story in his own words:
“I didn’t think very critically about which college was the right “fit”. All I knew about college was gleaned from family trips to University of Notre Dame for football games. I knew I wanted to go away to college, and I had been to Washington DC so I applied to Georgetown. I applied to University of Michigan Ann Arbor as my “safety” school. And at the last minute, my Dad told me he had spoken with a friend whose daughter had gone to Harvard and enjoyed it. So I applied to Harvard.”
“When I got into Harvard, I was so overwhelmed with people’s responses to that fact that it seemed to me the right thing to do to go there. I had never been to Boston and had no idea what Harvard looked like and no real appreciation for its history. In fact I almost cried when I rode into Harvard Square because it didn’t look at all like “college” to me!”
“It turned out to be a wonderful experience for me, not because of the undergraduate academic offerings (three or four truly exceptional courses) or the career guidance (zero) but because of the terrific students and graduate students I met and became friends with. It is a part of my life I treasure. Looking back, I’m not at all sure that I couldn’t have gotten an equally wonderful (though of course different) experience at any number of other colleges. I will say though that the Harvard name has opened many doors for me, many of which I am probably not even aware.”
So my question for all you Harvard graduate wannabes: Is Harvard really what you are looking for in a college? What does this man find to have been the best aspects of his Harvard education? What was lacking at Harvard that might not be lacking at other institutions? What is most important to you?
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
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Ethics in Admissions: Using LinkedIn to Make Connections to Get Junior into College

A colleague recently asked a question about using LinkedIn as a way to make connections that will somehow raise kids’ changes of getting into college. I found the question thought provoking, so I took the time to craft a response.
Here’s the original question: Is it both poor judgment and unethical to request inside connections to university admission on LinkedIn?

I have now seen two questions on LinkedIn from parents trying to find connections to get their children into specific schools. Frankly this strikes me as a total lack of judgment.
It is unethical because it turns this forum into a market place for influence peddling on admissions processes that should be conducted on the basis of the applicant’s actual ability.
It is also shows a total lack of discretion given the public nature of this forum. Should the questioner’s child actually get into the school in question, there is the real possibility of someone finding out what the parent did.
I am certainly not naive about the value of influence on admissions processes, but frankly anyone who actually had the influence would be unlikely to use it for someone who completely lacks discretion.
I would like to know what other members of LInkedIn think. if you disagree with me, feel free to make mincemeat out of my position.

This is my response to the question.
1. There’s nothing unethical about asking for connections through LinkedIn. It’s more about the assumptions one has when fishing for these connections that raise red flags. Does the seeker want a fast track to admissions? Or does the seeker just want some good information about a particular college that an alumnus might be able to provide? I’m happy to provide information about Dartmouth, or Tufts, or any of the other universities that I know and love (or not) across the country. I make my living as an information broker.
2. I agree with Maxx that most people do not understand that such fishing expeditions can really backfire. Admissions people to not want to be pressured by some random alumnus or Senator Blowhard to accept a candidate. Actually, they react very negatively to such pressure. Let’s take this scenario: a worried parent seeks a “connection” through LinkedIn, and someone who seemingly has ties with the college in question responds, and even goes as far as to write a letter of support for the child of our worried parent. The admissions office will see that this letter does not reflect knowledge of the child’s record or acquaintance with the child’s accomplishments or personality. Do people really think admissions officers are so stupid? They tell me all the time that the letter from Senator Blowhard, while seemingly “impressive,” does NOTHING to help a kid’s chances of admissions–and may even harm those chances because it is so audacious. (Only excption: the letter of nomination for the service academies, which MUST come from a senator).
3. An alumnus or other person (you? me?) who is truly connected with a college would not be so dumb as to jeopardize that relationship on behalf of a LinkedIn acquaintance. Those of us with real professional connections to admissions offices will use whatever small amount of influence we possess quite sparingly, if only in the self-interested pursuit of maintaining that influence. I like to think that most of us in this business are more professional than that, however, because we believe that the admissions process should have some integrity (even as we know that it doesn’t always).
4. To take up Susan Etheridge’s point, it is true that a few souls will donate money to a college to get their progeny in. It happens, but probably not as often as urban legends might have us think. Those people with the resources to donate the required sums (in the millions of dollars), do not need to fish for connections on LinkedIn. The have plenty more useful connections on speed dial.
So when I see these pleas for connections that are veiled attempts to get Junior into the “right” college, I just chuckle. If I think about it too hard, I guess I could get indignant. But generally I think people who want to use LinkedIn to get Sissy into college are just silly.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
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Harvard Announces Tuition Break for Middle Class

Harvard University announced today that it is restructuring its financial aid packages to provide more assistance to middle class families. With the price of tuition at elite private colleges continuing to skyrocket, more and more middle income families are feeling the pain of hefty price tags. A college education today can cost more than many people paid for their house.
Harvard had noticed that the number of applications from middle-income families has begun to decline. Accepted students from lower income families earning less than $60,000 already receive full tuition scholarships. And the rich can find ways to pay the sticker price—however shocking it might be. But today’s middle income families are feeling the squeeze, and the prospect of liquidating assets and borrowing to finance their kids’ education has become too much of a burden for most people.
So Harvard responded. With the class entering in 2008, families earning less than $180,000 per year will have to pay no more than 10% of their income to finance a Harvard education. As a business, Harvard is trying to keep the pipeline of middle-income applicants as strong as ever by competing on price as well as quality.
Some analysis:
First, if Harvard is experiencing a decline in applicants that can be traced to the increasing price of tuition, you can be sure that other private colleges at every point on the selectivity curve are experiencing the same trend. As the economy cools, colleges need to be cognizant that tuition increases today could deter even more applicants tomorrow.
Second, Harvard’s move to alter its financial aid formula will put pressure on its competitors to do the same. But many lack the financial muscle of a multi-billion dollar endowment. Less well-endowed universities will have to find other ways to compete in the higher education market. If they cannot match Harvard’s “tuition bonanza” (as Inside Higher Education calls it), they will have to find other ways to both control costs and provide educational value.
Third, students considering where to apply in the next year or two should not overreact to this kind of information. There are still many colleges and universities that offer excellent educational value for middle-income students and their families. One should not assume that because the “sticker price” of tuition is high that the actual cost of attendance will be anywhere near that. Depending on your particular combination of talents and interests—coupled with the range of institutions to which you apply—you may not have to send the family into perpetual poverty and indefinite indebtedness.
So be armed with up-to-date information and expert, independent advice. This is the best way to map out your own educational journey.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
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Forget the Ivy League: Most Silicon Valley CEOs went Public

An article in today’s San Jose Mercury News (registration required) reports on a survey of CEOs in high tech industries in Silicon Valley. Two-hirds went to state colleges and regional schools, not the nation’s most elite schools.
Here’s a snippet from the article:

Two-thirds of the CEOs of the valley’s 150 largest public companies who earned their undergraduate degrees in the United States attended taxpayer-funded public universities, state colleges and regional schools, according to a Mercury News survey. About one out of six studied overseas. And two college dropouts – Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs – reinvented the Horatio Alger story for the computer age.”Silicon Valley is really about as close to a pure talent meritocracy as you can find anywhere in the world,” said Thomas J. Friel, who retired this year as chairman of Heidrick & Struggles, a leading executive search firm with offices in Menlo Park. “It’s a brutal meritocracy.”


Such findings might relieve stressed-out high school seniors in the midst of college-application season. Angst is running especially high as they race to beat the University of California’s application deadline at midnight Friday.
The lesson: parents and students who insist that the only ticket to the top is an Ivy League degree are largely mistaken. While a degree from an elite institution can give you a leg up right out of college, success in life is more a function of what you accomplish, not your pedigree.
All the worry and stress about getting into an elite college is misplaced. We do not have an aristocracy in this country, and the elite is completely permeable to those with the drive, diligence, and talent to rise to the top. Just because you don’t have the grades or scores to get into an Ivy League college today, does not doom you to mediocrity.
Muster you talents, your self-discipline, and your creativity, and anything is possible. No matter where you go to college.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
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Pomona: A "College of the New England Type" in Sunny California

Pomona College was the first of the Claremont College (see my post about the consortium here). It was established as a “college of the New England type,” and both physically and philosophically, Pomona is true to the New England model. Pomona is a traditional liberal arts college, offering a wide range of majors in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. However, just as at the other Claremonts, Pomona students may take up to 50% of their courses at the other 4 Cs. Class sizes, as everywhere else on the Claremont campus, are small. The largest is perhaps 35 students. All courses—even the science labs—are taught by professors, not by teaching assistants.
The student body tends to be less socially and politically engaged than at Pitzer. One student used the word “complacent” to describe her peers. However, students are very involved in athletics and in the 5C outdoor club. The outdoor club organizes trips to various places in California throughout the semester, and all gear and transportation costs are included in the bargain.
Physically, the campus also seems more traditional: grassy quads, tree-lined alley ways, and residential facilities that resemble “houses” found on many New England campuses. Some of the dorms on the north end of campus didn’t look all that great, and rumor has it that there is an “overflow” residence hall that is actually a mobile home of some sort (needless to say, that was not on our tour).
Academically, Pomona has more requirements than Pitzer, including a distributive requirement in five academic areas. Some majors require an oral examination, some require theses or presentations of research to faculty committees. Pomona is also a tad more competitive in admissions than the other Claremonts, and tends to have fewer California students as a percentage of its student body than the other Claremonts: Pomona is only 30% Californian.
I enjoyed Pomona, but frankly I found it the most difficult of the Claremonts to get a bead on its distinct personality. In part, this makes sense, because Pomona’s educational model is more akin to a small, liberal arts college in New England. It has a wider variety of programs, a wider variety of students, and it doesn’t aim (as Pitzer does) to find a tighter fit in constructing its incoming class. Academics count more here, perhaps, and the Pomona admissions staff wants to create a diverse, well-rounded student body. Therefore Pomona’s institutional character is less obvious to the outsider than that of the other Claremont colleges.
That said, I came away with a very positive impression of Pomona, and would recommend it highly to students seeking a “college of the New England type” in sunny, southern California.
Mark Montgomery
Montgomery Educational Consulting
Expert on the Colleges of Southern California
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