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someone in my school got into all 17 schools that she applied to including 5 ivies + stanford, northwestern. who thinks that her being accepted at too many schools is unfair to those who were rejected but who had their hearts set on any one of those schools?

By Blueroses (Blueroses) on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 11:10 pm: Edit

i do...i think people shouldn't apply to schools that they KNOW they don't want to go to and won't go to...not like safeties where if they didn't have other higher-choice schools they would go, but where they don't want to go at all, but are just applying to say they got in.
every time someone gets in someone else gets rejected..

By Meowmeow (Meowmeow) on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 11:11 pm: Edit

I think it's great that she was accepted to all 17 schools. While I find the number a tad excessive, you can't blame her for taking initiative and covering all her bases. You should be proud of your classmate, and try to choke down the envy that would naturally come in knowing someone that successful.

By Valpal (Valpal) on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 11:35 pm: Edit

This may seem like a stupid question, but how do you KNOW she even applied to all those schools, much less that she was accepted to them? Did she show you all her acceptance letters? It does seem terribly against the odds that anyone (save someone who discovered the cure to the deadly Ebola virus), would get the nod from every one of the 17 schools (many of which are the most competitive schools in the country) to which she's applied.

But having said all that, if it is indeed true, I say, more power to her. Maybe she should consider playing the poweball lottery!

By Foreignboy (Foreignboy) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 01:24 pm: Edit

In the end, colleges still have to fill up the spaces in their classes, so people from the waitlist will get admitted. Ultimately, the 16 places that your friend does not choose to take will go to other people, so it's not all bad.
However, it is traumatizing for the people whose admission processes are dragged on until May.

By Deferreddude (Deferreddude) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 01:30 pm: Edit

Hey your friend played the game very well. I got accepted into Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Caltech, and Dartmouth. Waitlisted by COLUMBIA (wtf?!), University of Pennsylvania (OMG!), and University of Chicago (50% acceptance rate!). Rejected by Harvard and Yale. I think this shows the utter randomness of the college admissions process, and the importance of applying everywhere. What if I only chose to apply to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Penn, and Chicago? I would have missed out on Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Dartmouth, and Caltech.

By Ostrizr316 (Ostrizr316) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 01:41 pm: Edit

Forignboy is right, and most of the Ivys have less than a 50% enrollment rate, because they know there are kids like that.

By Clipper (Clipper) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:02 pm: Edit

That isn't true Foreign. Colleges factor in the numbers of acceptances vs. actual admits. For example, they may accept 2,000 but only expect 1300 to come. Waitlists are only used if the number dips below the 1300.

By Itempest (Itempest) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:19 pm: Edit

Clipper: so she is one of those 700 that don't come, then...

I agree, 17 is a little excessive...especially considering the high profile nature of many of them. I wish I had that much choice... :P

My campaign has unfortunately whittled down to just two schools...good schools, but nonetheless, fewer than I had hoped for.

By Coureur (Coureur) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:28 pm: Edit

>>It does seem terribly against the odds that anyone (save someone who discovered the cure to the deadly Ebola virus), would get the nod from every one of the 17 schools (many of which are the most competitive schools in the country) to which she's applied.<<

Against the odds maybe, but not impossible. We know a kid who applied to and got into 19 colleges last year, and the 19 included HYPS plus Dartmouth, Brown, and the top UCs. He swept them all. And we know this from his reliable parents, not the kid himself.

By Candi1657 (Candi1657) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:34 pm: Edit

You would have to wonder why someone is applying to all those schools...what is their motive?

By Aim78 (Aim78) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:49 pm: Edit

That's really impressive, but if her stats are so incredible, why did she apply to 17 schools?? That's a big waste of money. I'd like to know more about her stats and what makes her such a great catch, though.

By Diane11856 (Diane11856) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 08:31 pm: Edit

My daughter applied to 10 schools, was accepted to 9, and was waitlisted by 1. She applied to so many because 2 years ago, her brother applied to 8 and was turned down by 7 of those. She got accepted to Denison, Lafayette, Colgate, Dartmouth, Scripps, Pomona, Whitman, Bates, and Middlebury. She was waitlisted by Amherst. She was very lucky and appreciates that she has so many choices, when she was scared she wouldn't have many.

By Magoo (Magoo) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 10:33 pm: Edit

THATS RIDICULOUS WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT i know someone who applied to 22 schools although she can afford it, i thought that she over did it. 15 schools are more than enough.