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The College Decision Phase: Navigating Deferrals, Yield Protection, and "The Limbo" (Part 1)
10 Plays4 hours ago
It’s February, and for many high school seniors and their parents, the "college limbo" has officially set in. Between waiting on regular decision letters and navigating unexpected deferrals, the stress at home can be at an all-time high. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Laura Ollinger sits down with Jenna Schebell, founder of The College Navigators, to pull back the curtain on the final stages of the college admissions process.
Jenna, an independent education consultant with over 20 years of experience, explains why the power dynamic is finally shifting. Now that the applications are in, it’s time for your teen to move from "applicant" to "decision-maker."
In this episode, we discuss:
- The "Decision Central" Mindset: How to handle the anxiety of not knowing where you’re going while peers are already posting their roommates.
- The Truth About Deferrals: What is "yield protection" and why do colleges keep students in limbo even when they are highly qualified?
- Choosing the Right Major: The strategic difference between direct-admit programs (like nursing and engineering) versus exploratory paths.
- Evaluating College Fit: Why attending an admitted students day is the best way to test the "vibe" and community values.
- The Summer Start Advantage: Why starting college in the summer might actually lead to a smoother social transition for your teen.
Whether you are navigating college application stress or trying to help your child choose between two different majors, Jenna provides the logical and emotional roadmap parents need right now.
Resources Mentioned:
- The College Navigators
- Follow Jenna Schebell on Instagram
- Positively Healthy Coaching: Connect with Laura Ollinger for parent and teen well-being support, including coaching around the college admissions time of life.
Next Steps: Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where we dive deeper into this conversation with Jenna Schebell, founder of The College Navigators. If your teen is selecting high school courses and not quite in the college admissions phase, this one is for you!
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Well, I would say there are certain majors that you need to kind of start in. nu Not that you could never do it later, but it's going to add time on. So, for example, like nursing and engineering, you typically need to start in. And like I said, you may not even be able to transfer in later. Sometimes they don't do internal transfer certain schools.
00:00:18
Speaker
Or if, say, you do your whole first year, maybe you're in the College of Education, and then you decide, I want to do nursing, you might still have a full four years after that. So I always say like if you're on the fence and you're not sure, it would be easier to start in nursing and decide nursing's not for you and leave. And you can probably be still on track. Maybe have to take an extra couple of courses here and there a semester. But like vice versa is typically very hard.
00:00:51
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the Positively Healthy Mom. I'm your host, Laura Olinger, teen and parent well-being coach and founder of Positively Healthy Coaching. I am super excited to have today's guest back for the second time, Jenna Schwabell.
00:01:07
Speaker
I have first had her on, I had to look July 9th, 2025. So if anybody wants to go back and listen to that, that's a great place to start. But Jenna is the founder of The College Navigator and is an independent education consultant with over 20 years of experience helping students navigate the college admissions process. She has a really unique background as both a college admissions officer and a high school counseling setting. So she knows exactly what colleges are looking for and provides personalized guidance to help students find the right fit and stand out with confidence in their application. So Jenna, welcome back to the Positively Healthy Mom podcast. Thanks for having me back. So excited to be here.
00:01:48
Speaker
Yes, it's such an exciting time. So we are recording this at the beginning of February and a lot is happening. I knew in my house, and you know, had mentioned my daughter's a senior.
00:01:59
Speaker
We do not have a decision yet. We are still working. We're still thinking. So how is it going for the families that you're helping? Yeah, I think it's so important for everyone to just know that it's like so normal at this time of year to not know where you're going. I think there's sometimes so much pressure because you do have that small kind of cohort of students that apply early decision and they know. And so I think sometimes for students, they can feel like It seems like everybody else knows where they're going already and I'm the only one that doesn't know or I'm still waiting on decisions. So it is so normal at this time of year, being that we are in February, to have some decisions. We might be deferred some places.
00:02:41
Speaker
We may have had decisions that didn't work out. and We might be waiting on more decisions. And then then, of course, we have the decisions in our head that we're already starting to make with the schools that we do know. So I feel like there's just it is kind of decision central at this time of year. But it's so, like I said, so normal to kind of have a lot coming at you. You know, even the schools that you've been accepted to might be starting to Ask, you know, fill out housing applications and orientation and you're still waiting on financial aid package. So it's just I know it's a busy kind of stressful time of year plus senior year. It's fun, right? We've got prom coming up. We've got end of year activities. So it's just a lot at once.
00:03:17
Speaker
It is. It is. And what I'm noticing in myself is just the, what's the kind of positive word for it? Just kind of the desire to have this part done, right? It's like, oh, it's so nice that some people know exactly where they're going. They already have a roommate. They already have all this. And we are not even, it's not that we're not close, we're close, but it's like, oh it's so nice to get over that hump. So any advice for people who are just like,
00:03:46
Speaker
Trying so hard to be patient, but at the same time seeing people doing and how they are on their future plans. Yeah, I think the biggest advice I have is really focus on where you have been admitted. I always say like if you've been deferred or if you're waiting on other decisions, those can be nice surprises later, but really hone in on the list that you have right now. and start thinking through, like, what does each of them look like? Like, how do you envision yourself being on those campuses?
00:04:16
Speaker
Do they have an admitted students event that you can go to? Because that's a such a great way to meet other students. I think so many students like misinterpret those events thinking like, can I go if I don't know? Like, that's the whole point. Go to these events to see, meet other students. Are they your type of people? Like, could you picture yourself hanging out with them on campus? You know, what does... the community look like, right? I think now is the time back in the summer when we met, it was all about finding, you know, a campus. And what was it going to be like from that perspective? Is it, does it have what I want? And now it's almost like we've flipped the roles and it's like, I know you want me, but do I want you? It's like, you're in the driver's seat now finding what you're out. Is it the right social fit? Is it the right academic fit? Is it the right financial fit? Is it the right location? You know, when you picture yourself walking out the door, where do you see yourself heading? Are you driving to an airport to get on a plane to go somewhere? Are you getting in your car and driving a couple hours? Like, what is it starting to look like in terms of the next four years? And like I said, starting to ask all those questions about majors and internships and Just ah ah very different kind of questions that get asked this time of year.
00:05:30
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. So and I know the big topic that we're kind of going to focus on a little bit today is referrals. And so us what that is, what's the purpose, and what do we do about it if we are deferred?
00:05:44
Speaker
ah Yes. Oh, defer. I feel like it's so stressful because i feel like the way defers have worked has kind of evolved over the time, meaning that if we were to go back maybe 10 years ago, you were really getting deferred if more information was needed. It was almost like if you applied early, you would hear early. Those students that got deferred were getting deferred because maybe they needed, you know, new test scores or new grades. But feel like it's really switched now. And it's kind of the ball, of course, is completely in the college's, you know, hands. And they're filling that early action round with a lot of their priorities. Right. So whether it is, you know, certain initiatives the school's looking for, certain majors are looking to grow.
00:06:25
Speaker
And then they're kind of saying, you know what, we're going to defer a lot of you because we're not sure what our regular pool looks like. And then we want to be able to continue to handpick. And so I think that causes a lot of frustration, you know, for students, obviously, because they think we've applied early. We wanted to hear early and they're not getting that.
00:06:43
Speaker
I think there's also, to a certain extent, colleges don't like to admit it, but they're at some schools have yield protection going on. So meaning that You might have some, I like to call them the high flyers, some very high stat students, and maybe it's a school that has more mid-range admit rates and they think to themselves, well, the student might only be applying here as a safety. So we defer them to see if they're going to stick around for the regular round. And of course, students sometimes don't understand that. So...
00:07:13
Speaker
The best advice I can really give is you just kind of got to stay patient at this point of year. If colleges allow you to do things like write a letter of continued interest or send updated grades or test scores, obviously do all of that. um But sometimes like Texas people, University of Texas people, I say you just pray because there's nothing else they want. There's nothing else that they ask for. And so sometimes it just feels like, you know, you're just waiting is worse than just knowing, I think sometimes. So yeah.
00:07:43
Speaker
Yeah, that's what my daughter said. She would rather just be flat out rejected than be deferred because at least she'd know. Yeah, and and that's some of the schools I get very frustrated with, like, and I'll call them out. I don't care. Like University of Texas, University of Southern California, they don't they don't deny anybody in early action. They only defer. It's either you get in or you get deferred. And it's so frustrating because you can't tell me out of like,
00:08:07
Speaker
you know University of Texas had 100,000 applications. Right now in early action, you only admitted 5,000. You can't tell me that 95,000 kids had the potential to get in. You know what mean? like You couldn't buy some of them, like like you said, just to like rip the Band-Aid and let them move on. um So that just kind of goes back to showing you that college is about a business and it's about them, not you. And so I think when you kind of understand some of what's going on, like I said, that's why you shift your focus to where have I been admitted so that you can start really weighing those options. And if you get in later somewhere else, that comes as a nice surprise. But the other thing that could happen from a deferral is they can waitlist you. So like you keep waiting even longer, which is crazy. So, yeah.
00:08:53
Speaker
So I'm curious about If they don't ask for any anything, should you be proactive? Like if you are still really holding that hope for the school and you got deferred, should you be emailing them? Like what should you be doing? i always say follow instructions. So if a school very explicitly says, do not send,
00:09:13
Speaker
then don't send. If they use other language where it's maybe like, well, it's not required. Well, then to me, that kind of reads like optional. So then I would say do it. um So I would just, like I said, always check the portals or the admission pages just because you also don't want to like not follow the instructions. So, but I would say every opportunity that you can communicate, then definitely do it.
00:09:37
Speaker
Okay, okay. Man, and so, you know, a lot of this is so emotional, but like, let's try to go into some, like the more logical part of it. yeah I know we last time talked about major and we talked about the pros and the cons of being decided versus undecided.
00:09:54
Speaker
How do you approach this with a kid who thinks they want to be one thing, trying to one thing? and And then, like, at what point is it not okay to switch? Like, you can add more years on your college you link the to degree, but in a perfect world, like, what do you what is best for the student? And also, what is it that colleges want as for the students and and the ability to change Yeah. Well, I think it's good. i mean, for anybody that's listening, that's just in like the early stages of building the list. I think that's why it's so important to have both types of schools on your list, those that admit by major and those that let you come in and explore and kind of take courses and see what the best fit is. Because some of the challenges with the direct admits, especially with the competitive programs, things like nursing, engineering, business,
00:10:43
Speaker
If you don't get in sometimes in the first year, it's very unlikely or maybe even not possible at all that you can get in later. And so I think for those students, you need to be pretty confident that that is what you want to do. um With that being said, colleges look for more evidence of preparedness Yeah.
00:11:05
Speaker
isn't admitting by me so if you're going to be applying for say like nursing engineering business they're going to want to see not only evidence within the classroom but what have you been doing outside of school that is preparing you for that um So, it I mean, it is tough because I feel like at 17, 18 years old, you may not know what you want to do. yeah Luckily, i would say there's a lot of schools out there that when you apply, they'll let you put a second choice major.
00:11:32
Speaker
So at least you could put your first choice that may be the harder one to get into. Second choice lists the other one. um Because certain majors, yes, you can switch around, but other majors you really can't. So, or they have high thresholds. So I don't know if you saw like Indiana this year changed their whole kind of admissions process with Kelly School of Business being a direct admit. And so for the students that got pre-business, like to get in later for kind of automatic admission, you can't get anything less than an A-. minus Like that's That could be tough for some kids. wow So yeah it's it's one of those things that you kind of have to know the realities going in and what kind of student you are. And do you have other kind of backup plans of majors? Or should you not go to a school like that? Go to a school that will let you come in and explore and, apply you know, declare your major later?
00:12:23
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I don't know if there is a chicken or the egg on this situation, but say you're still open about schools and you're kind of between two majors.
00:12:35
Speaker
What do you choose first? um Well, I would say there are certain majors that you need to kind of start in. Yeah. Not that you could never do it later, but it's going to add time on. So, for example, like nursing and engineering, you typically need to start in.
00:12:51
Speaker
And like I said, you may not even be able to transfer in later. Sometimes they don't do internal transfer certain schools. Or if, say, you do your whole first year, maybe you're in the College of Education and then you decide I want to do nursing, you might still have a full four years after that.
00:13:05
Speaker
So I always say like if you're on the fence and you're not sure, it would be easier to start in nursing and decide nursing's not for you and leave. And you can probably be still on track. Maybe you have to take an extra couple of courses here and there a semester. But like vice versa is typically very hard.
00:13:23
Speaker
Okay. Okay. So yeah, just winging it out. Like we're doing this with my daughter and she was hardcore business. And now she's thinking of political science or something with pre-law. And it's like, well, we're winging out these different schools, but now we're winging out majors and we need to pick something them. I know.
00:13:44
Speaker
yes It's hard. I always say to students too, like, I'm trying to encourage the younger students that I'm working with to start interviewing people like in professions to see like, how did you get to where you are? Because a lot of times...
00:13:58
Speaker
what you did in college is not necessarily like the degree you have doesn't correlate exactly to what people are doing. So it's helpful to know the different routes of how to get there. and then also how things are very aligned, like it'll still lead you to say corporate America, but you don't necessarily have to have a business major. So for example, I'll have students that are really interested in marketing. And so they say like, I want to do business. And then it's like, OK, well, what do you want to do with marketing? And as we peel back layers, we might find that maybe they're really more interested in kind of the communication side of it, right? It's the PR, the advertising, the social media. you don't need to be in the College of Business then, right? And if you're not a good math student and you're going to have to take calculus over there, but you could be over maybe in the School of Liberal Arts, right? and do the whole communication. You don't have to go as crazy with math.
00:14:48
Speaker
That might be an actual better fit. You can still get that same job, you know, in that corporate building over there. So sometimes it's understanding because there are so many majors that exist outside of the College of Business that still lead into a business profession. And I think so many times when I talk to students and I say,
00:15:06
Speaker
Like, what do you want major in? They all list kind of the same. Everybody says right now it's either business, engineering, nursing, psychology, education. It's like there's, you know, schools have 200 majors, but yet they only know maybe five or 10 of them.
00:15:19
Speaker
So. Mm hmm. Yeah, so what about, um I've heard about creating your own major and that that's an option. Like, I'm sure they have some guardrails on that to prevent, you know, keep them on track.
00:15:32
Speaker
But I thought that was kind of fascinating when I heard that from one of the schools where you can kind of pick and choose and have an advisor and they guide you through the process. And then maybe that's the best of all the worlds because you're really getting to learn what you want to learn.
00:15:46
Speaker
you know, there's probably, I don't know, have you heard of that? What are your thoughts? Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of schools that have have like open curriculums like that or like a design your own, like you said. i think it tends to do well for students that are super motivated, that already have ideas with what they're wanting to do because they're really piecing it together in a very particular way. um i almost feel like if student's completely undecided, they would be better off.
00:16:11
Speaker
just being an exploratory major where they get samplings of different majors versus like trying to piece together their own. um Like I said, I feel like the open curriculum students are good because they're they already have this like envision of how it's shaping, whereas the other students, like i said, tend to be more undecided.
00:16:29
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Okay. So that makes sense. And so going into now the idea of environment, and I know last time we talked about feeling good on campus, visiting the campus, we talked about, you know, going to the admitted student day. Yeah.
00:16:43
Speaker
How do you, like, you look around, like, look at what the other kids are wearing, like, how does that really impact? I know there might be some of that feeling involved or something, but, like, what else is there to that physical visit that somehow helps people make a decision?
00:16:59
Speaker
I think if, okay, so if you're going to an admitted student day, I mean, they're going to be essentially wining and dining in terms of they are, you're obviously there with all other admitted students. So these are truly potential people that you could be friends with, be hanging out with future roommates. um And the day is really designed for you get to get to learn more about the campus. So many times they'll separate parents and students where the parents will go off and do more things like financial aid and, you know, the timeline of moving and how i'll but the logistical side of things. And they'll send students off for like student panels, maybe eating somewhere on campus, meeting with professors. Maybe they're doing some little simulation labs and things within their major so that they can actually see what it looks like. So there's a lot of like hands-on experience on those days.
00:17:44
Speaker
And i feel like, I mean, as silly as it sounds, you know what feels right and doesn't. And so students really do get kind of a good vibe. I know these are all like kind of like loosey-goosey words, but I feel like they do get a good vibe of like, this is somewhere where I feel like I could flourish or this is somewhere like it's just not right for me. You know, some schools are going to feel like you're the big fish in the small pond and that's great. And other students are going to get to places where they feel like everybody's smarter than them. They can't keep up and this isn't the place, you know, so it's, I think it's really about finding the place where you can call home, um especially because in terms of the classroom time, you're in class.
00:18:24
Speaker
very few hours in the big scheme of things of, you know, the time that you're on campus. So what is like free time look like? You know, what is the community around like the local community around the campus look like? What do weekends look like?
00:18:37
Speaker
Just so you can figure out, you know, what is life really going to be like? Can I have my car here? How easy is it to get home? So all of those just kind of like big picture questions.
00:18:48
Speaker
Yeah. And I know this next question is probably just super personal to every single student and it's going to be different, but I just wonder philosophically, is it better to put yourself in environment that's going to challenge you to meet more different people than you might or or the opposite is people who are just like you, they look like you, they dress like you, they come like right? Like from a personal development standpoint, think it's like, oh, find the people that are different and kind of get a better theme of the world. Like what is the world like? Oh, I met this person from Ohio and New Jersey, Seattle and Oaks, now I know all these people. So I don't know. Do you have any thoughts on that or is it just so personal we can't even talk to it too much? I mean, I think college is like the one time in life where wherever you go, you're probably going to be around very like-minded people for the most part, because I feel like every campus...
00:19:45
Speaker
has their own vibe to it, right? Like you go to certain campuses and they're very religious and then you go to others and they're not. You go to certain campuses, they might be very political this way or that way. You go to some that are very Greek heavy and some aren't. Some are very athletic driven, right? So it's the one time that I feel like you really, even if there's people from all over,
00:20:05
Speaker
you're still surrounding yourself probably with like-minded people for the most part. You know what and I mean? Like that there's a lot of still shared values and that's why you chose that school because there's like schools you didn't apply to because you you just know like that's not your place. That's not where you would go. So I tend to think for the most part, most of the students, like I said, even if maybe you're from different places or you look different, I feel like at the core, you share a lot of the same values.
00:20:30
Speaker
listen that's That's a really good answer just because, you know, again, I'm in the situation where we're weighing out schools. and of course, I keep my opinions to myself. i I'm one of those moms who I love the opinion that it's best to not share too much with my daughter and I allow it to be her decision as much as humanly possible.
00:20:53
Speaker
from a couple reasons. One is, so experience, don't know if called this on our first episode, I don't think I did, but my sister was guided by my mom of where she went and she was unhappy with that. And it ended up like 20 years.
00:21:08
Speaker
She's like, I wish I would have gone to where I wanted to go. And and i was like, god oh my gosh, I do not want my kids to be like, no, why'd you make us do that or not let us do that, right? So hopeful I'm trying to be neutral, but also I think that there's just always this inherent need for a teenager to this is like such an important identity building process where they are finding out who they are and it is kind of like i think that's why it feels so much pressure because they're not 100 sure who they are but yet they're making this life decision of where they're going to live for the next four years and what kind of people are going to be around what everything all these things and so
00:21:44
Speaker
I think that the comfort that I can find in the mom and the other moms who are listening to this is that they will see people, hopefully, that that that that are like-minded. And hopefully we've prepared them enough so that those people, they are surrounding themselves, say you're like the five people we spend the most time with. Those are good choices for you, right? Because I i have heard, i had a mom recently tell me um her daughter had to come home because she chose people hang out with that were not good influences. It was not good for her age. I don't know if as she dropped out or got kicked out or something. of them was out and she had to move back home, start over, start fresh and go somewhere else. yeah And so I guess it's like, this that's the hope that we prepared them enough. I don't know. What do you think?
00:22:29
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's tough. You're right. It's the big first adult decision that they're making. I feel like to take some pressure off that, I always say, like, if you don't like it, I mean, nobody wants to transfer, but you're also not locked in, right? It's not like you're forced to go for four years. So if you get somewhere and and it's not the right fit, you're still growing and learning, you can make a change, right? That's totally normal and part of the process for some of the students.
00:22:54
Speaker
But I also think, too, The type of student you are typically doesn't change that significantly when you go to college, meaning that I feel like from parents as they're getting ready to send their students off, like if their student has never liked being a student, going to college probably isn't going to make them like studying more, you know, like they're going to pick up the pieces of maybe the partying and all the other stuff, too. So I do think students have to go in with a strong sense of, you know, the reason I'm here is because four years from now, I need an outcome, right? that The end of this is I get a job or I go to grad school, law school, whatever it is. And so
00:23:35
Speaker
I mean, it it's it's a tough, I think, transition, right, into that independence that they're going to have. But like you said, hopefully they're prepared and they have a good head on their shoulder and they know who to call when, you know, times get tough. But also to realize it's not Some people are going to have super smooth transitions and other people, it just takes a little bit longer, but also give your yourself grace to find your people. Like, I remember I reached out to a mom last October to say, oh, just like, how's your daughter doing? She's like, like, she doesn't know if she made the right decision. She's having trouble making friends. And I was like, give it time. Like, give it. It's early.
00:24:15
Speaker
Everybody takes longer to find their people. And sometimes that's a good thing. It means when she does find her people, they're going to be her people, you know? So like she's she's taking her time to vet people. And then I talked to her just a couple weeks ago and she's found her way. She's joined teams for this and, you know, rushed to sorority and done and now has found her people. So I think you also have to just give yourself grace to find your way in a new environment. It's a whole new place where people, you know, they don't know anything about you. And so you get to start fresh again.
00:24:44
Speaker
Yeah. And that's such a good question because I, or a good thought, because I actually have been coaching a lot of college students now. And that is like the number one thing I found was in the fall.
00:24:56
Speaker
It's like they're settling they're homesick. yeah They haven't like going to a lot of clubs or made a lot of friends yet. And they're trying to doubt, am I in the right place? Yeah. And so, you know, of course that is not my role to invite them on versus that's not my lane of what I do. Yeah. But I will allow them to kind of explore that and see how long they're going themselves. And I have a client right now who's going to give herself to this freshman year before she kind of decides on it another career.
00:25:25
Speaker
Story is my sister that when I was talking about being transferred after sophomore year. And I think that was hard because splitting your college time with two totally different places, starting new as a junior, that was definitely more challenging. So any thoughts or advice about there an ideal time? You just are like, no, this isn't for me. I made mistake versus I'll give it a little longer.
00:25:46
Speaker
Yeah. So I'll say a couple of things, too. and I'm to say this one first, just so I don't forget it in case because I feel like a lot of deferred kids will end up getting sometimes summer admission decisions. Like you're not going to start in the fall. you're going to start in the summer. And I know sometimes students get initially like, oh, and they're very upset about it.
00:26:05
Speaker
When you talk about from a transition standpoint, anytime I've had a student have a summer start, have made the best of friends and have rolled into fall, with ease and grace because they start in such a smaller cohort during the summer where it's all freshmen for several weeks, you know, and they're, you know, bonding and they're typically only taking like one or two classes. So they really have a lot of time that those summer kids,
00:26:31
Speaker
tend to transition really well. So if anybody gets a summer admit and they're really like, I'm so upset by this, know that sometimes they have a much easier transition than the fall kids. um Because the fall kids come in, you know, maybe they have a day or two of orientation and all of a sudden it's all these kids and all the, upperclassmen are back and you're just thrown into classes and it's, you know, you hit the ground running. um The other, in terms of transferring, i would say,
00:26:57
Speaker
I mean, I always say give it your first year just because your first semester and second semester, I mean, you know, it's very different from high school. You're not in the same classes. You've got a whole different group of friends. You may not even see the same people, you know, that you saw in first semester to second. So i always say give it at least a year. i don't like when people just quickly transfer out after the first semester because I just i just don't think you really gave it a chance. Mm-hmm.
00:27:23
Speaker
But everybody knows what's right for them. You know, you you have to figure out way the price of like, you also don't want to stay and fail out and things like that either. But well yeah, you just have to do it when it's right. But obviously in terms of the best time, I would say probably after the first year, because once you get too far in, you're going be adding probably time on when you go to the next school.
00:27:45
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, for sure. um Okay, so as far as trends and statistics, you're like kind of that's what you're known for, like all your social media, which I absolutely love. Everything you put out there is so just like, even if it doesn't apply to me specifically, specifically I'm like, oh, that's interesting. So what do you see? Like I know the last time we talked about like the baby boom that happened and how the class of 2025 was the biggest class ever. And I was just, I was re-looking for our episode before we got on today. and um Like, what are you seeing now? Is there anything that is new or different to share and trends on data?
00:28:22
Speaker
Okay, so the one thing I think people are, like, shocked by, I'm not shocked by, but I think what people assumed was because we made such a big deal about there's a baby boom and an enrollment cliff and things like that.
00:28:34
Speaker
Kids are applying to more colleges. So like even though there are technically fewer high school students throughout the United States graduating, more students ended up applying. And of those students, they submitted more applications.
00:28:50
Speaker
So I think we're stuck in this, like, I always pray that, like, something will change because I think we're in such, like, this uncertainty mode that students now are just, like, applying just to apply because they're so fearful of, like, not getting in places. Yeah. It's just, it's created this, you know, what used to be, like most students, you still apply to five to eight schools and that was it.
00:29:14
Speaker
And then now, then it became like eight to 12. And now I talk to kids and they're like, I feel like it's normal now that kids apply to 15 plus schools. And it's just, we're just, increasing our own anxiety by doing that. So I always hope something will change with that. um But what I will say is a new trend that I've noticed this year, a lot of colleges, and you might have experienced this yourself, seem to be like hiding more steps in along in the process after applying. Meaning like students submit their applications in October, November, and then after they hit submit, there's like surprise supplements that pop up in the portal. Or once a student gets deferred, there's another surprise like Well, if you want to continue on then you need to do this video for us or you need to do another essay for us. And so it just seems like there's so many more like things that are like adding to jump through.
00:30:06
Speaker
Yes, more hoops to jump through. And I think it's just so they can try to figure out who's really interested. But I think it's just a lot on the students. We will finish this important conversation with Jenna Chabelle of the College Navigators next week. Until then, good luck to all those parents and teens in this limbo phase of the college admissions process.