March Madness Can Make Colleges More Rejective

I am almost certain that after winning the NCAA men's football championship last year, the University of Georgia will have its largest applicant pool ever. Many schools reap the benefits of more applicants when their men's sports teams do well. Within our company we have seen a spike in applications to Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, UVA and Northwestern. Why? Because, as one student told me, “that’s where the smart jocks go.”

Beware of Rejective Colleges 

Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Duke, Brown, Northwestern, Vanderbilt……

These names are the most familiar in our culture about being the best and for many of us, the places where we want our kids to go. 

Why?

Because they have tons of money, lots of resources and wealthy, well-connected alumni for our children to network with. We want to pave the road of success for our kids and wear a badge of honor for all the sacrifices we have made for them. 

How do I know this?

I’ve been working with parents and students for 25 years and many have told me as such. The truth is, overwhelmingly, most students who apply will probably not get in. These schools are not selecting students, they’re rejecting them. This helps them to look more exclusive and makes us as a society want them even more. It’s a sad cycle that I see every year. 

So what can we do about it?
Your child needs a better college list. They need reasonable reach schools, trustworthy target schools and sure-fire safety schools.  The College List Builder can give them what they need. If you or your child are convinced that they must go to an Ivy League school, both of you have a long year ahead of you. There are other places where your child can thrive. Let me help you and show you where.