by Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post November 30, 2017
Colleges and universities today flood the
mailboxes of high school students with materials about their offerings — and
some students take that as a message that the school has identified them as
someone who they want to admit. That’s entirely wrong, but it’s just one thing
that schools say or do that students misunderstand.
In this post, two
college admissions experts detail specific areas of disconnect between what
schools say and students take in. In some cases, the gaps are huge. This was
written by Brennan Barnard,
director of college counseling at the Derryfield
School, an independent day school in Manchester, N.H.; and Rick Clark,
director of undergraduate admission at Georgia Tech,
a public research university in Atlanta.
They say they approach their jobs as educators
and fathers of young children who seek to bring sanity and meaning to the
college admission experience.
By Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark
Any parent knows the powerful phenomenon of
selective hearing. We say, “You can watch television after you clean your
room,” and our children hear, “You can watch television.” The “kid filter”
effectively gathers the information that they want to hear and disregards what
in parents’ eyes is the intent of the message.
It seems that discussions surrounding college
admission elicit a similar filter for young people and their families.
In our combined decades of guiding students
through the application experience from both sides of the admission desk, we
have watched as the messages we offer get lost in translation. As professionals
and educators, we need to be more clear about our communication, and students
must also acknowledge their filter and listen more intently and critically.
Here we offer some frequent
misinterpretations:
Colleges say: “Our college has a 10
percent admit rate”
Students hear: “I have a 1 in 10 chance
of being accepted”
One in ten seems like good odds, no? If only
it were so. Admit rates can be deceptive. Yes the admit rate might be 10
percent, but all applicants are not created equally. After athletes, legacy
students and other institutional priorities are accounted for, the actual admit
rate for an “unhooked” applicant is much lower.
Examine the data more fully. Are there
variances by geography or major? Admit rates can vary widely between Early
Decision and Regular Decision. Are these numbers published? If not, ask the
admission office. You will find that they will normally provide you with that
data.
Counselors say: “We recommend you add a few
more colleges to your list where it will be likely you will be admitted.”
Students hear: “I am not good enough and my
counselor doesn’t believe in me.”
A colleague at a high school has a sign hanging
in his guidance office that jokingly reads, “College Counseling Office … where
dreams go to die.”
Our role as counselors is to help students
aspire to greatness, but with a healthy dose of reality. College admission
can often feel like a referendum on one’s self worth and a college application
list can be a thing of pride or shame for students who feel judged based on the
schools to which they are applying.
It is hard for students not to compare
themselves to their peers and when a counselor or parent questions this list,
it can be personal, disappointing and deflating. Lists are suggestions. Lists
are options. Go talk to a few friends who are now in college. Many of them are
not at places they thought they would be when they were juniors or seniors. And
yet you’ll find them happy and thriving.
List additions are options, opportunities and
choices. This is a good thing.
Colleges say: “The most competitive
applicants will have challenged themselves in a rigorous course program.”
Students hear: “I need to take every AP
and honors class at my high school.”
Selective colleges and universities want to
admit students who have earned strong grades in demanding classes.
Contrary to popular belief, admission officers
do not simply count Advanced Placement courses, nor is there a magic number of
honors or AP or International Baccalaureate courses that will guarantee an
acceptance. Students are reviewed within the context of their high school and
the offerings available. Increasingly schools have opted to develop their own
advanced curriculum in lieu of Advanced Placement and International
Baccalaureate courses.
Too often students overload their academic
schedules to the detriment of extracurricular involvement, sleep, balance and
joy. Don’t forget why you are taking these courses. It’s not about “getting in”
but rather about “getting ready” so that you have a foundation of knowledge you
can build on once you arrive on campus.
Counselors say: “Don’t get caught up in
name and reputation. Just find the college that is the best fit.”
Students hear: “There is a school out
there that will be perfect.”
“Fit” is a word that the college admission profession tosses
around freely to encourage students to look beyond surface reputation and
assumptions of quality. Unfortunately, this term can have unintended
consequences for many students. It suggests the false postulation that one
college will be tailored perfectly to meet every need and hope.
A college education is not like Cinderella’s
glass slipper. Rather than search for the perfect school (it doesn’t exist),
instead look for an institution that has the resources, programs, flexibility
and culture that will match the college experience you anticipate.
Acknowledge the reality of imperfection and be willing to adjust the fit as you
engage in campus living and learning.
Colleges say: “Our college reviews
applications holistically. Test scores are only one small part of the
equation.”
Students hear: “Even though the college’s
average SAT score is 1400 and I earned 1100, I still have a chance of being
admitted.”
Perhaps you saw the classic cinematic piece
“Dumb and Dumber” in which Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) asks hopefully, “What
are my chances?” and Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly) responds, “One in a million.”
After pausing, he replies with excitement, “So, you’re telling me there’s a
chance!”
Unless a college
is “test optional” or
you have some significant hook (talent, background, etc.), a standardized test
score below a school’s average for accepted students can be a huge
hurdle. Admission presentations, information sessions and marketing
materials may suggest that testing does not rule the day, but for the majority
of applicants low scores will present a challenge.
College admission professionals are in the
difficult place of balancing access for underserved populations and the anxiety
of the “overserved.” An admission officer does not want to discourage a
potential applicant, who because of background or resources has low
scores. However, the average student from a more privileged environment
with ample opportunity is mistaken to think that they have a strong chance of
being admitted with scores that fall in the bottom quarter of the class.
This is not to say you should not apply, but certainly to temper expectations,
especially if your grades, courses, extracurricular involvement and writing are
not in the top 10 percent of that college’s applicant pool.
Colleges say: “Our college is ranked one of
the ten best in the country”
Students hear: “This school must be
prestigious. I should want to go there.”
Whether U.S. News and World Report, Niche,
Princeton Review or any other of the publications looking to make a buck on
college admission angst, you must do your homework before allowing them to tell
you what is good for you.
Highly ranked schools are well-known and
well-regarded for a reason. But it is false to believe there is a measurable
quality difference between schools 10 spots apart. Your interest in a college
should not be directly correlated to their ranking. In fact, most students do
not know how rankings are formulated — the methodology. With other things in
their lives, they rely and look closely at reviews and ratings by peers, i.e.
Yelp, FourSquare, etc. The rankings are essentially the business owner’s review
of themselves.
So dig a little deeper. Don’t let a simple
number be overly compelling or the extent of your assessment.
Colleges say: “You are invited to apply with
our special application.”
Students hear: “I have a good chance of being
admitted.”
“VIP,” “Dean’s Select,” “Priority,” “Pioneer”
— colleges have different names for these “fast” or “snap” applications.
It goes like this: students receive an email from the admission office
encouraging them to apply, often waiving the application fee or streamlining
the application by removing required essays. Some solicitations even promise
priority consideration for scholarships or housing (but read the fine
print). Of course it feels good to be wanted, but these offers can be
deceptive, as high school seniors perceive that they are a select few.
More often than not they are one of thousands receiving these nudges, while
colleges seek to increase application numbers and influence college rankings,
as mandated by their Board of Trustees.
Counselors say: “Colleges want students who
have demonstrated leadership.”
Students hear: “If I am not president of a
club or captain of a team, I am doomed!”
Leadership takes many forms, the most public
of which is a named or elected position that carries specific responsibilities
and inherent characteristics. A sports captain will by default be the
individual who speaks to the referee in representing his teammates. The
secretary general of the Model U.N. club has a defined role that is dictated by
the organizational structure.
While these are certainly positive ways to
show initiative and ability to manage one’s peers, leadership is not limited to
high-profile, outgoing, verbal governance. The student who quietly cleans
up the bus after his teammates have gone home or the young person who — without
fanfare — sticks up for the underdog is equally a leader. Often the acts
that do not demand recognition are the best indicators of character and
willingness to help build a healthy community.
Colleges want to see impact and influence.
Sometimes that is quantifiable and comes in the form of a title. But readers at
selective institutions are savvy and nuanced enough in their evaluation to
glean traits and character that may not show up as a line in the yearbook.
Colleges say: “Congratulations! You have been
awarded the Dean’s (insert high administrator title here) Scholarship.”
Students hear: “I got a scholarship. I should
go there, because they want me.”
Many schools will discount tuition under the
gentle euphemism “scholarship.” This is not to diminish your qualifications or
accomplishments, but don’t be overly compelled by a reduction in cost.
Sometimes known as “cocktail scholarships” these certainly stroke egos and
allow families to boast of the award, but they can also cloud decision-making.
Often families will choose the school that provided the “scholarship” over
another school who does not match, even if the bottom-line cost is equivalent
or even lower at the latter.
Colleges say: “We don’t expect applicants to
have a laundry list of resume-building activities, we just want students who
have followed their passion.”
Students hear: “I need to find one thing that
I really love and have excelled in.”
“Passion” is another word that has been
neutered by college admission and can quickly stifle the most dynamic
applicants.
True, colleges are not looking for human
“doers,” but rather human “beings.” Admission officers are not simply counting
the quantity of extracurricular involvement, but are instead concerned with
quality and therefore review candidates for how they engage in their interests.
In fact, some schools, such as MIT, have limited the number of activities that
a student can list on an application to combat this resume-padding approach to
involvement.
This does not, however,
mean that young people must feel pressured to identify a singular pursuit that
will define them. Passion can feel so confining and should be a constant
process of revelation not a narrow approach to personal growth.
