Part 7
Sometimes even the colleges make things worse!
The statements of some college admissions offices suggest that, along with the applicants, they too are victims of this incredible application surge. This is, at least in part, disingenuous. By the way, “disingenuous” is a very polite way of suggesting that they aren’t telling the truth or at least they aren’t telling “the whole truth and nothing but the truth”! Admissions offices across the country have gone to considerable effort to encourage applications, even unnecessary applications.
Why would a college seek out an application from a student they know is not likely to be admitted? Applications are time consuming, they’re not a profit center, and every rejection carries at least some subtle and undesired repercussion. So why would a college make the effort? The answer is published at the end of each August; it’s known as the US News & World Report annual college rankings. Derided as meaningless by nearly every industry expert, including this author, the rankings have captured the attention of applicants and their families. One of the easiest mechanisms for any college to improve its rank is to increase its selectivity. And the simplest way to increase selectivity is, you guessed it, to increase the number of applications that come through your door. This isn’t to say that colleges set out to encourage applications from unqualified students. Admissions officers are still generally reasonable, honorable and very hard working. But if in the process of aggressively attracting qualified applicants, some less qualified applications develop, well, it won’t hurt next year’s ranking.
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