According to a study done by the Princeton Review the stress related to college admissions is higher this year than in past years.
I don’t doubt that that this is true. I am getting more phone calls from the parents of students in 9th grade this year than in the last few years. Almost all of them are worried about how competitive college has become.
And they are right. College admissions is more difficult than ever before. Well, sort of. If you are looking at the most selective colleges, yes, the admission rates are at record lows. But please don’t forget that there are literally thousands of great colleges in this country that are much easier to get admitted to. In fact, the vast majority of colleges admit most of the students that apply.
Despite the record low admit rates, my students had a great year for admissions to BS/MD programs as well as to regular colleges. I will talk about that next week. Until then, don’t freak out if you have a student facing college in the next few years.
With the right preparation, and selection of colleges, your student should have some great options. The college admission process is stressful by its very nature, but it doesn’t have to be that bad.
I would have to agree that stress and college hype are both up this year. It has been a difficult year for college acceptance at many of the top-tier schools, but I too have been pleased with the schools to which my students have been accepted. Obviously, with college admissions as competitive as it is, those who stand above the crowd are going to get the nod. Grades and tests scores as no longer enough.