Does Applying to More Highly Selective Schools Increase the Odds of Acceptance: Office Hours, Perils of Gaming the System: Understanding Loan Options

Every year we read a handful of stories about students who are accepted to all eight Ivies and a few other highly selective schools AND hear about students who apply to all of the Ivies and get into none. Regardless of the fact that the latter is much more prevalent than the former, families seem to come away with the idea that applying to more of these selective schools will somehow increase the odds of acceptance. We’re going to look at the statistics behind that assumption. In Office Hours, we’ll explore another common—but highly flawed—strategy: attempting to game the system to gain an advantage. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we’re taking a look at education loans and helping families understand their options.