Deconstructing College Admissions By Michael Rosenhaus ’80, Director of Senior Guidance
M
uch has changed since I applied to college as a Delbarton senior in 1979. Today, I lead the team that guides our students to find the right collegiate fit and the task is more daunting than ever. The good news is that Delbarton does an excellent job of finding the right fit for each member of the senior class. As we move into another cycle of the college admissions process, many students and their families confront a more competitive, more confusing and more costly journey. This reality leads to higher expectations and more anxiety so I oer these observations in an attempt to add clarity to the process. The Changing College Admissions Landscape
Increased competition among colleges to attract qualified students and more applications is fueled by the annual US News rankings that created a pecking order that most find hard to ignore. Colleges and universities began aggressive marketing campaigns that increased both the number of applications and selectivity, two factors that weigh heavily in the ranking algorithm. So too, electronic submission of applications made it easier for students to apply to multiple colleges, substantially increasing the total number of applications submitted to highly ranked colleges.
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DELBARTON TODAY
