According to this article in The New York Times, colleges are being inundated by applications from those seeking a coveted spot in the Class of 2012.
The big bulge of baby-boomers’ kids, coupled with increases in the percentage of high school seniors who are heading to college, means most universities are seeing unprecedented numbers of applications.
But there’s another element that is contributing to the application flood. You see, it used to be common for students to apply to a couple of top choices, a couple of not-quite-top choices, and a safety. Now, due to the escalating fear about chances of getting in and the competition for financial aid (and need to compare packages to find the best deal) it’s not uncommon for high school seniors to apply to a dozen universities or more.
The Common Application online makes this possible–you’re basically filling in the info and typing in the schools to which you’re applying, so it’s not like the olden days when you had to mail separate essays/letters/transcripts/applications to each school. Of course, students (er, parents) are paying $50 or so for each application but the process is scalable—it’s not that much more work to apply to ten schools instead of five. The result? Lots of headaches for admissions people.
So, is there some way to turn this frenzy into an advantage? Yes, and it’s this: step away from the deeply-rutted road caused by those marching along to the beat of the college rankings. Skip the name brands. Consider applying to schools that are NOT tops on everyone’s list.
In the college application process, there’s a lot of me-tooism. “Oh, you’re applying there? It sounds like a good school? You liked your visit there? Oh, well I guess I will apply there, too. ”
It’s part competition, part ignorance, and part gee-let’s-all-go-to-the-same-college-so-we-can-just-continue-high-school.
It’s not terribly creative, but hey, that’s what we humans do when we’re afraid: we get mindless. When fear grips us, we look around and do whatever everyone else is doing. We don’t pause and say, hmmm, is there another possibility here? Is there a different approach that would work better for me?
Here’s an obvious way to take advantage of the college applications frenzy: pay attention to the schools that don’t roll off the tongue of every 17-year-old. A school with a little less buzz might be just what you’re looking for.
It’s kind of like dating for dummies. Oh, sure, everyone wants to go out with the ooh-lah-lah sister–but that’s the problem. Your chances of getting rejected are high and well, you don’t know that much about her except that everyone wants her. And so, you end up ignoring her slightly-less-ooh-lah-lah sister who might be smarter, funnier, and just your type. Fear leads to mindless behavior and a lack of creativity.
And so, you’ve got to release the fear. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–the BEST thing you can do to reduce application anxiety and increase the likelihood that you’ll find a great fit is to LIGHTEN UP on your own expectations for yourself (or your child). Honestly, if schools are getting 20,000 applications for 2,000 slots, maybe you want to play on a different field. The good news: there are plenty of great schools out there that will offer the college experience you’re looking for, and if you’ve figured out the new way to get noticed (by NOT looking like every other applicant chasing their tail) you’ll be snatched up by admissions folks elated to read about someone who might actually engage in independent thinking.
Don’t let the news get you down. There is always room for creativity in the application process–really. Find ways to get creatively strategic and you’ll get noticed–and get in.
