“Connecticut Magazine” says Staples High School statistically is the “number one” school in the state. However, coming from a top high school is not always enough to get into college. Competition for college acceptance has increased among students at Staples and across the country. Newfound technology has boosted the quantity of applications that colleges and universities are receiving.
According to Elaine Schwartz, the director of guidance at Staples, public and state schools are flooded with student applications, while private universities are unsure of how many submissions will be sent in.
Despite the economy’s decline, however, students’ interests in attending more difficult schools have yet to subside.
Schwartz further explained how even though rejection rates exceeded 90 percent at a number of schools (such as Harvard), the number only seems to be large because more people are applying to larger schools, rather than ones that can only hold small capacities.
In addition, National Public Radio (NPR) reported that, “A $50,000 per year private school tuition… is a harder sell this year to students who may also have the option of paying less than half that to go to a state school.” Even so, Harvard had a 5 percent increase in applicants from the previous year. In addition, 78 percent are now seeking financial aid compared to 73 percent recorded in 2008-2009.
The economic recession is a sure cause of private universities having trouble filling seats. As stated by the college statistic website, In Like Me, “Wait lists are long at many schools… enrollment yield predictions are unusually uncertain.”
Schwartz simply recommends applying to a school that works for you. “You must be able to make connections with the school; the best fit doesn’t have to be the one with the best reputation,” said Schwartz.
She further explained how sometimes smaller schools provide more one-on-one contact via internships, jobs, and connections.
Principal John Dodig advocates the fact that out of 3,700 four-year colleges in America, students are having trouble being accepted because they continue to apply to the same 80 schools year after year.
“You get out of college what you put into it,” said Dodig, “going to a top school does not always mean you will succeed more than anyone else.”
