Admissions Academy Blog

Sobering news for California public college applicants

•  Posted by Sarah Ziegler on November 20th, 2008 in Admissions, Articles of Interest
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The San Francisco Chronicle reported today that, for the first time in its history, the California State University system will declare systemwide impaction, and reduce its enrollment to a cap of 450,000. CSU’s had previously reaffirmed their long-standing pledge to admit all eligible students, but given the challenging fiscal situation, both nationally and within California, CSU expects to turn away roughly 10,000 qualified applicants during this year’s admissions cycle.

Click here to read more about CSU and UC admissions news directly.

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Transparency in the Admissions Process

•  Posted by Kathy Chi on November 3rd, 2008 in Admissions
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Admissions is not a pure science.  This makes it both wondrous in the ways that individuals are recognized for their unique attributes, and terrifying in the ways that the process is cloaked in myths and misconceptions.  In today’s swirl of media hype, anecdotal conjectures, and plain old rumors, it can be challenging for even the most savvy of families to separate fact from fiction.  Why can’t colleges make admissions more transparent, offering real answers and helpful advice to anxious parents and students?

Indeed, they can, and several schools have already stepped up to the task.

For example, MIT, under the leadership of former Director of Communications Ben Jones (http://www.mitadmissions.org/Ben.shtml), has created an expansive website that provides a wealth of practical information and resources.  MIT also makes excellent use of blogs to provide families with a real, behind-the-scenes understanding of the admissions process and student life:

http://www.mitadmissions.org/blogs.shtml

Other colleges, like Yale, provide no-nonsense answers to applicants’ most commonly asked questions, giving advice on everything from supplemental applicant information to interview preparation:

http://www.yale.edu/admit/faq/index.html

Regardless of the method, the best source of information is always from the source itself – the college. Therefore, rather than relying on suppositions and stories, go straight to the school to seek advice and answers directly.

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