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How It Works
| The Basics |
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 Every
applicant is given a fixed bank of 10 tokens and one
birdie to allocate to colleges.
- Up to three tokens can be allocated to a
college.
- The birdie can be allocated to a college with
three tokens.
- Once you finalize a college, it is transmitted
and cannot be changed.
- Colleges can ascertain relative preference
through the allocation they receive, but cannot see
which other colleges tokens were allocated to nor
how they were distributed.
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| Interpreting Allocations |
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This is the highest level of preference that an applicant may indicate
to a college. The applicant is saying to the college that if you admit me, I will attend. It is equivalent
in interest to early decision; however there is no early deadline and it is non-binding.
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Three tokens indicate an extremely high level of preference.
The college is often the applicant's first or second choice and at least within the applicant's top three choices.
The likelihood that the student will attend if admitted is extremely high.
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Two tokens indicate a high level of preference.
The college is likely within the applicant's top three choices and at least within the applicant's top five choices.
Since applicants will be unlikely to be admitted to all colleges they apply to, this preference level still indicates a
high chance of enrollment..
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One token indicates some level preference and can be interpreted in a number of ways. It almost always indicates it is within the applicant's top five choices, although technically
it designates a colleges is within the top ten choices. Frequently it indicates an applicant who prefers a number
of colleges equally.
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It is important to recognize that the token system
indicates relative preference only if accepted.
Therefore, it assumes that the applicant would be
accepted to all schools applied, which we know to be
unlikely. In fact, because more tokens tend to be
placed on "reach colleges", even colleges which are not
allocated a high number of tokens are very likely to be
a top choice.
If there is no token allocated by the applicant it
is the equivalent of a "null set" in math terms. CPS
sends no email communication of this to the college.
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