Predicting admissions online

New York Times Upfront, Feb 23, 2004

Can admission to top colleges be boiled down to a formula? Some online companies say yes. The founders of ThickEnvelope.com say that for a $79.95 fee they will assign applicants a probability, from 5 percent to 90 percent, of being accepted into 80 different colleges. Applicants enter SAT scores, class rank, grade-point average, and details of extra-curriculars.

Other sites, both free and fee based, offer similar services, including fastweb.com, go4college.com, collegedata.com, and collegeconfidential.com. Some critics say the sites aren't worth much. "I have very little faith in secret formulas," says David M. Borus, the admissions dean at Vassar College.