The April 18 article titled “For high school seniors, too many college applicants chasing too few spots” profiled several students who were not accepted by their top-choice colleges this year and showed the let-down that many students feel after a two-year rush of standardized tests, college visits, applications, essays and interviews.

Colleges had a record number of applications this year, and many colleges such as Georgetown, University of Vermont and Yale reported all-time-low acceptance rates. The reason is a “perfect storm” in college admissions: a peak of 18-year-olds in the population, easy access to college data on the Internet, and the growing popularity of on-line applications. The Common Application has made it easy for students to write one set of essays and apply to many schools, and this year many colleges waived application fees if students submitted applications on-line. This all resulted in more students applying to more colleges than ever.

The good news is that the population of students reaching college age is expected to peak next year and then begin to decline.

As a private-college-admissions adviser, I tell students and parents that the most important step in the process is selecting the right mix of colleges. Students should apply to between nine and 12 colleges, evenly divided between “stretch” (less than 30 percent chance of acceptance), “reasonable” (30-70 percent) and “backup” (70 percent or more).

While many school-based counselors see this number as high, I find that it gives students options when acceptances arrive. Unfortunately, many families don’t have a good idea of what their child’s chances are at a given college. A well-versed counselor can help with detailed information on recent acceptance trends at individual colleges, but there is also a hidden resource at many schools. An increasing number of high schools have software systems (like Naviance) that chart acceptances and denials at each college in a scattergram with associated GPA and SAT scores for each student who applied from your school. If you have a rising junior or senior, ask your guidance counselor if your school has this valuable resource and how you can access it. Information is power, and college admissions are no exception.

And finally, it is important to realize that going to a “big name” college will not guarantee success in life. Most colleges offer wonderful educational opportunities if you are willing to seek them out and work hard.

Some of the biggest names in America today did not go to Ivy League colleges. Jack Welch went to the University of Massachusetts, Colin Powell went to City College of New York and Oprah Winfrey went to Tennessee State.

CRISTIANA QUINN

Providence