DEVELOPING A COLLEGE LIST (continued)
Final Final Thought (Really, We Promise) Length of College Lists
In the current, highly selective admission climate, and with the relative ease of application, there might be a strong temptation to apply to a large number of schools. “I’ve already completed my Common App and these schools don’t ask for a supplement, so why not?,” the reasoning goes. “Also,” the thinking continues, “if the most selective schools accept roughly one out of ten applicants, then I stand a good chance of at least one acceptance if I apply to ten of those schools.” The logic then spins into a spate of mixed metaphors: “It’s all a crap- shoot anyways”; “You never know when lightning might strike. What have I got to lose?”; “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Based on years of watching Milton students cope with college decisions in the spring, we would discourage this reasoning. First, the strategy of applying to ten colleges with a 1/10 chance of admission in order to get at least one admit is predicated on the wrong calculus. You need to think vertically, not horizontally. In other words, you will battle 1/10 chances at each of those schools; each school will make its decision independent of the other nine. Secondly, applying to a large number of colleges runs the risk of 1) diluting the energy and quality of each application (and, given the rates of selectivity, students need to bring their “A game” to each application) and 2) inflating the college process to a full-time job that can interfere with the quality of a student’s work in the classroom and with the student’s participation in and enjoyment of school life in general and senior year in particular. Couple these concerns with the significant expense of applying to a large number of schools and you can see why we think such a strategy is ill-advised. Finally, even if the calculus proved sound and you actually did get that one admit, you should not underestimate the impact of receiving nine denies along with that admit. What seems manageable January 1 can be devastating April 1. We have seen students fall apart academically. We have seen even more students discount the good news they did receive because all those No’s cast such a pall on the whole process. Suddenly, a really good option seems second-best; suddenly, the mind-set shifts from “I got into…” to “I didn’t get in anywhere.” That shift can sour all the good work the student might have done to get through the process. From a counseling perspective, the college process devolves from the process of self-discovery and self-affirmation that is so vital to students growing into adults to a win/lose enterprise, and senior year becomes something the student can fail.
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