I don't have a list, but I thought Williams was one and I just googled to confirm. I know a few different schools we toured in the NE mentioned it, but they all ran together after awhile, so I can't remember specifics!

There are tons. I've checked most of the schools my DS has applied to, and every one I've checked offers it as an option....some of the very selective schools with great endowments even offer free lessons for everyone.

True--good point! He didn't apply anywhere where you have to apply to a certain major, but I'm sure it's not lost on anyone reading his app that he's a boy who's into math 🙂

Thanks! He really does have great choices; I just wish someone would print out a list with all the rest of them that says either accepted, waitlisted, or denied by each one so he doesn't keep getting hit by them one by one. Rip off that bandaid!

Hamilton and Emory/Oxford today. Not feeling at all hopeful, as both have released their acceptance rates this year and it's 16% for Hamilton and 15/18% for Emory/Oxford (overall, which means RD is even lower). I'm having some regrets about his list at this point; there were some real long shots, we knew, but also places where he was easily in the top 25% stats-wise and where last year they had a 20 or 25% acceptance rate.... and this year it's dropped down to 10 or 15%. Although it's still too early to do a post mortem (but I can't help doing one in my head anyway).

My understanding is that money is the only acceptable reason to decline an ED offer. You're supposed to run NPCs and all that and have a good idea before applying as to whether the school would be affordable, but if something unexpected happens you could decline. I will say that, now that I've actually seen a couple of FA offers from needs met schools and found them to be reasonable and in line with what I expected, I'll be more inclined to let my younger kids ED if they really want to. But back in the fall when we had to decide, I didn't have anything to go on except for some numbers spit out by a computer program. Not to mention that my kid's list of favorites has changed quite a bit over the past several months; he didn't see Grinnell until after the ED deadline had passed (although he probably could have called them and switched it over).

I'm sorry. We're SO right there with you!

Some schools (Vassar and Grinnell) told us straight up that ED gives you a big advantage. When this is all over, we may regret not going that route, but we need substantial financial aid, and I was too nervous to give up the chance to compare offers. But when we left Grinnell, DS said, "I wish I'd applied ED." And I'm pretty sure he would have gotten in if he had. On the other hand, he'd probably be second guessing his decision right now if he'd had to take all his other options off the table so early.

That is tough! I'm already worried about the comparisons when my next kids apply to college (but that's mostly because I like to worry). Williams released data this morning that says their overall acceptance rate is 12.4% --about the same as last year. The 5% figure I gave is what they said in the rejection letter, but maybe that was just for regular decision? At any rate, just wanted to clarify for anyone thinking of applying for Williams--go for it, because there's actually a whole TWELVE PERCENT chance of getting in 😂

Yes, that's how I've been talking about it with my ds, too, "hey--you might not get any more acceptances, so let's get excited about some you already have"....and he'll get there eventually, but he's just super perfectionist and hard on himself and not dealing well with how completely out of his control it all is. He has plenty of great options already (two of them are Macalester and St. Olaf, which he hasn't visited yet.....we're going in early April, and I'm hoping he falls in love with one of them. I mean--Macalester offers free bagpipe lessons--what's not to love?!)

Not very well. I'm wavering between being super sympathetic because I know this is incredibly disappointing and frustrating for him and thinking maybe he needs to work on developing his sense of proportion about this whole thing just a tiny bit. I'm already trying to think of ways to set my younger kids up for rejection more often so they can learn to deal with it before they hit college application time. He'll be fine in the end....I'm just REALLY hoping for at least one or two more acceptances sprinkled in over the next two weeks to help us all get through it, but not feeling especially hopeful after the last few days.

It's a no from Williams 😞 Their acceptance rate this year was 5.3% (!), down from a whopping 12% last year. Maybe it will be down to 1% by the time my next kid is ready for college...

Kenyon was our one like that....they rate demonstrated interest as important; he interviewed but didn't visit (and didn't apply for a STEM scholarship they kept e-mailing him about). Good luck!

Williams tonight! I'd love for the waitlist streak to turn around, but not holding out much hope that Williams will be the one to do it (you know, unless it breaks the streak with his first outright rejection 😉 ). But fingers crossed anyway! Anyone else expecting any today?

Waitlists are so frustrating! Hope the last two bring better news!

huh. Interesting. And our lunch companion was a senior who had never joined a sorority and said it wasn't a big deal at all. So much seems to depend on which people you happen to meet on your visit day. That said, we were there just before their winter break started--finals week--so we didn't see as many people out and about as we might have otherwise. Knox is 25% Greek, which was DS's unofficial cutoff point for which schools he'd consider.

UGH. Waitlisted at Kenyon, too! He's getting super discouraged. Thank goodness he heard from Macalester before the wave of bad news hit. This is not a fun process.

I'd also observe that even liberal arts colleges that don't have a completely open curriculum often have only a few, very broad distribution requirements. DS has enough different interests--as long as he never has to take biology again, he'll be happy--that it wound up being a non-issue when he was deciding where to apply.

Amherst and Wesleyan ("open curriculum" was a prominent square on our imaginary college tour bingo game last summer 😂)

Just one....we thought Grinnell was going to be tonight instead of last night. It was Colby today, and it's another waitlist 😞 . This one doesn't sting nearly as much, though....he applied on a whim at the last minute because they kept e-mailing him about their amazing financial aid, and he wasn't especially excited about it. He also just found out about some additional scholarship money at Hendrix which makes it an official full ride, including room and board and even books there. But he has really serious concerns about the math department there (and really good financial aid elsewhere....just not quite THAT good)....so a lot of thinking to do and lot more decisions yet to hear.

That thought definitely crossed my mind! 😂

Last year only 12 kids got in off the waitlist (although the year before that it was almost 100). He accepted the spot, but I'm hoping he'll get good news from one of his other favorites (or find a new favorite amongst his acceptances) so that this doesn't drag on into the summer.

Right this second, he claims he hates all of his acceptances so far 😉 . There are still 10 more out there, all coming in in the next two weeks. He'd never have admitted it, but I think he was feeling pretty confident about Grinnell, based on his stats and transcript and how he did everything he could to demonstrate interest. He's hitting refresh on reddit and seeing lots of kids with much lower stats who got in, and he just wants answers...it's super frustrating for him that he can't have any, because that's how getting into college is these days. Could be any one of a million different things that made things not go his way.

Waitlisted at Grinnell 😞 . He's really disappointed.

DS applied to Emory, too....I don't think it's one of his favorites right now, but it's possible he'll get nervous about going too far away at the last minute and decide on Emory (if he gets in. Big if). And Hamilton's the same day...I think that and tomorrow are the only days we're expecting more than one on the same day. He has a lot of reaches out there right now...I'm hoping for the best but bracing for a disappointing couple of weeks (for DS. He already has some great choices, so I know he'll end up just fine....but a whole bunch of rejection right before you have to pick a school would be a bummer).