Do you know how many of our nation’s elite universities like to put forward an image that their goal is to make the whole college admissions process less stressful for applicants? You know. You don’t want to submit test scores? No worries, they’re not required (hint, hint: sure, you can apply without scores but it doesn’t mean you’re getting in). You know. You can’t visit campus? No worries, it won’t be held against you (hint, hint: the vast majority of elite universities measure Demonstrated Interest so if campuses are open to prospective students, you bet you should go). You know. Your family can’t afford the full tuition? No worries, the school is need-blind (hint, hint: need-blind is a farce as if these schools were truly need-blind they wouldn’t ask on the application that admissions officers can see with their own two eyes if students need aid to attend). Well, allow us to make a prediction. You know how we at Ivy Coach love to make predictions. Yes, we’re dusting off the old crystal ball…because it’s about to make a reading.

Ivy Coach’s crystal ball, which has been rendering predictions about elite college admissions for nearly two full generations, hereby forecasts that fewer elite universities will release their Early Decision / Early Action application figures in the days to come, figures that are typically released around the Thanksgiving holiday (among America’s top universities, the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill kicked things off last year around the Thanksgiving holiday). And why will fewer of America’s top universities release Early Decision / Early Action application figures? Because we project applications will be down from last year’s historic highs. In short, they have less to brag about.

“I suspect you’ll see fewer college press releases in the coming days about Early application numbers at top universities compared to last year. And why? Because they’ll likely have less to brag about with applications returning to pre-2020 levels, at least according to Ivy Coach’s crystal ball forecast. These colleges will still release statistics on admitted Early students in mid-December but you’ll see fewer articles in late November and early December about the Early pools. And these schools claim to want to make the process less stressful for applicants. Talk about hypocrisy. They won’t tell applicants it might be a little easier this year? Ridiculous!”

Bev Taylor, Founder, Ivy Coach

Of course, this entirely contradicts these schools’ PR spin that they want to make the college admissions process less stressful for all. By only publishing press releases when applications surge to record highs? By not publishing press releases when applications level off or decline? What are we missing? We’re missing nothing. We’re just calling them on their hypocrisy because if not us, well, who will? Ivy Coach: proudly calling America’s elite universities on their hypocrisy for nearly 30 years. Here’s to the next 30!