Top 10 College Admission Myths

College admissions myths are harmful because they students make mistakes that can hurt their admission chances or cause them to apply to the wrong colleges. College admissions myths also contribute to student stress.

Here is a list of the most common college admissions myths.

There is a Perfect College

Your life is not ruined if you don’t get into your first-choice college. There are hundreds of colleges that are right for you. Try to avoid getting your heart set on one college. Try a pick-three approach, where you focus on three colleges that are a good match for you. Since most students get in to at least one of their three favorite colleges, you’ll be happier with the outcome.

College Rankings are Extremely Important

College rankings do not provide a personalized match that considers your criteria and goals. Colleges with top rankings might be too expensive, not offer the right majors or provide cafeteria food that is unfit for human consumption. Only about a fifth of high school seniors consider college rankings to be very important in choosing a college. Only about 6 percent of college students are enrolled in one of the top 100 colleges.

You Must Enroll in a Big-Name College

Students (and parents) often feel that they must choose the most prestigious college that admits them. College is what you make of it, not what it makes of you. You can be successful at any college, if you graduate. Most famous and powerful people graduated from public colleges, not the Ivy League.

Increase the Odds of Getting into the Ivy League by Applying to All of Them

After all, if these colleges admit about 10 percent of their applicants, won’t applying to all 10 increase the odds of admission 100 percent? No. The math doesn’t work that way. These colleges do not choose who they admit at random. The odds of getting in are not related to the sum or product of the individual odds. Rather, if your profile isn’t good enough, you probably will be rejected by all ten of the most selective colleges.

Colleges Cap the Number of Students from Each High School

Colleges evaluate each application on its merits, without regard to the number of students already admitted from the school. For example, my high school graduating class was academically talented, with one third admitted to Princeton and a quarter to Harvard.

Unsolicited College Information Means Easy Admission

The opposite might actually be true. Colleges solicit applications to make themselves appear more selective. In other words, they might be seeking your application in order to reject it.

My Child is a Shoe-In to an Ivy League College

Nobody is guaranteed admission to any college, no matter how talented. Many talented students apply for admission to Ivy League institutions each year, and many talented students are rejected each year. Good grades and admissions test scores are not enough.

College Visits Don’t Matter

Some colleges use demonstrated interest to influence their college admissions decisions. Demonstrated interest measures the extent of a student’s interest in the college. A student who visits is more likely to enroll, if admitted, than a student who does not visit. College admissions officers use demonstrated interest to increase the percentage of admitted students who enroll. This can affect college rankings. Also, visiting campus lets you judge whether the college is a good fit based on the actual environment, as opposed to marketing messages. For example, you can’t taste the cafeteria food without visiting.

After Admission, Relax

Avoid senioritis, where your academic performance slacks off after acceptance letters arrive. If your grades suffer, colleges can rescind admission.

Getting into College is Really Hard

Sure, getting into an elite college, like one of the Ivy League colleges, is very difficult. But getting into a typical college isn’t all that difficult. Most colleges have better than 50/50 odds of admitting a student. If you apply to a good mix of colleges, you have a good chance of getting into at least one of them. More than 94 percent of first-year college students are attending one of their top three choices.

Written by Mark Kantrowitz and posted on Cappex.com on March 2, 2017

YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH, FAITH, FAITH...

Posted by International College Counselors 2/28/17

When it comes to college admissions, a student's grades, course rigor, and test scores are always the most important factors of consideration.  But of course, a student's extracurricular activities can really differentiate an application.

Activities let schools know what a student is interested in.  More importantly, extracurricular activities can (and should) show a student's leadership, commitment, passion, perseverance, teamwork skills, initiative, focus, character, effort, maturity and interest in others.

 

When it comes to extracurricular involvements, many students shy away from faith-based involvement for a variety of reasons.  Some of our Jewish clients, for example, mention that admissions officers may be anti-Semitic or prefer a particular religion.  While this may be true - and impossible to know - we would argue that you do not want to attend a college that has anti-Semitic admissions officers.  And, given the number of Jews at top colleges, we're fairly certain that this reason is based more on conjecture than on fact.

 

Other students feel that colleges would prefer a different type of activity such as a sport or performing art.  Several of our students spend up to three hours daily on a sport, thinking that this will be the "key" to college admissions.  And, in very few cases, it is. But, for most students, all it does is ensure that this child will have a "one activity" resume - something not coveted by the colleges at all. 

 

On the other hand, joining a synagogue, church, or mosque youth group gives a student many opportunities to showcase their positive traits, including leadership and character, while gaining service hours and even work experience.   Anything from attending a mission trip, taking a leadership role in a Maccabi group, to volunteering to teach in a classroom can look great on the college application.

 

Another reason to get involved in your local religious group is because - in many communities - this is where much of the non-profit work takes place.  Sure, you can go on the Internet and hunt down organizations looking for teen help. Or, you can go directly to your local rabbi, priest or clergyperson to find out about one of the many service projects taking place in your own backyard.   What you are looking for is quality work with a purpose. To shine on an application, a student must maximize the time spent in extracurricular activities - any activities - by focusing, getting really involved, and working hard.

When writing about any extracurricular activities, students will want to do the following:

1. Show that the involvement has been growth-producing, productive and-or meaningful.  Colleges are looking to see if the student made a real difference.  This can include starting a website or social media campaign for the cause, growing a tutoring group/youth group/choir, writing articles for a bulletin, increasing membership or donations, and generally making a difference in the community.   

2.  Demonstrate leadership and initiative.  Colleges would like to see students have moved up in the activity.  Typically, this is signaled with a change of title and an increase in responsibility. Students who have progressed from a regular member to a position of leadership demonstrate this, for instance.  Initiative includes anything a student comes up with and then executes that makes the group/organization better.   For example, suggesting and then carrying through a new fundraising effort, or participating in and then organizing an event for the congregation or clergy.  

3. Received recognition.  As possible, students should take their initiative and ideas to the highest levels they can. For example, if a student is working on a project for their JCC, they should focus on reaching further and try to spread their initiative to many or all JCCs.  Significant efforts that go beyond normal efforts made by students should be publicized in hope they can gain national or international media attention.  Awards and honors earned are also important.  If there is an award or honor offered by the group, a student should make every effort to reach that level of recognition.  

Whatever activity students choose to get involved in, faith-based activities are a great chance to set themselves apart.   As we've said to many a parent, "I'm fairly certain your child will not grow up to be a professional lacrosse player, but she will be a Jew/ Christian/ Muslim/Jain.  Let's encourage that."

College Acceptances to Date

Dear DKJA Community,

 

We are proud of our senior class, and their acceptances, thus far, to universities across North America. We look forward to hearing decisions from more universities over the coming weeks and the choices our students will make as to where they will continue their education. We will be sending out additional updates by the end of April, at which time we will have a complete list. Students will continue to receive news about acceptances throughout the month of March and April. 

 

We congratulate our students on their acceptances, to date, to the following universities:

 

The University of Alabama

Babson College

Binghamton University

University of British Columbia

University of Central Florida

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Delaware

Duke University

Flagler College

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University (Harriet Wilkes Honors College)

Florida Gulf Coast University

Florida State University

University of Florida

University of Hartford

Hofstra University

Indiana University at Bloomington (Kelley School of Business)

Jewish Theological Seminary of America/

Columbia University Joint Program

Lynn University

University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland, College Park (Scholars)

McGill University

University of Miami

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Northeastern University

Nova Southeastern University

Pennsylvania State University

Princeton University

Purdue University

The University of Tampa

Vanderbilt University

Yeshiva University (Stern College for Women)

 

Sincerely,

 

Helena Levine

Head of School  

            
Rabbi Marshall Lesack   

Principal, Claire and Emanuel G.
Rosenblatt High School

Jacqueline Rockman
Director of College Counseling

University of Illinois Visits DKJA

On Monday, February 27th, in Room 130 during lunch, Amber Longtin from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admission office will host a conversation about their wonderful programs and opportunities. UIUC is a public, research university and the flagship campus of the Illinois system, located in the cities of Urbana and Champaign. They offer programs in a huge range of academic areas, within 16 schools, and are part of "Big 10" athletics.

Any junior who has an interest in attending a global university should attend the meeting in order to learn more about incredible array of programs and opportunities. 

Free Course: How to Apply to College

Personal Reflection is Key in College Search

Reprinted from "admitted", the official blog of the National Association of College Admission Counseling

JANUARY 4, 2017 MARY STEGMEIR

NACAC member Ann McDermott wants students to put their best foot forward in the application process.

During a recent NPR broadcast, McDermott — director of admissions at the College of the Holy Cross (MA) — offered three simple tips for applicants: engage, reflect, and make your essay count.

Visiting campus and crafting a thoughtful personal statement show college officials that students are seriously considering their school.

But before teens begin submitting applications, they should make time for personal reflection, McDermott said.

“I think students should spend a little bit of time thinking about what they liked in high school, what they didn’t like, who they are,” McDermott told NPR.

Too often, teens approach the college admission process by “rushing off and looking at schools and getting in the frenzy,”
McDermott added.

Instead, she encourages students to start their search by thinking about the type of college experience they want. The schools they apply to should fit that profile.

“Just like a teacher in the classroom wants a student engaged, we want students engaged in the process with us,” McDermott said. “I think it makes for better discernment of what a good fit is for both them and for us.”

Listen to the full story and access more tips for students at NACAC’s National College Fair website.

A College Freshman's Words of Advice to All Future College Students

To the Class of 2016 and beyond.

Bri Hamlin in Lifestyle on Feb 15, 2016

Here it comes. Here comes the beginning of the rest of your life. Here comes your independence. Here comes your freedom, your liberty, and your future. Here comes the start of a new adventure with all new surroundings and all new people. Here comes the discovery of you and your capabilities. Here comes forever...

But there it goes. There goes the comfort of your mom's hug when your heart has been broken. There goes the Friday night lights that will forever brighten the stadium you consider home. There go your best friends, and the convenience of driving to their house at 2 a.m. to go to Waffle House. There goes your family, and waking up to see all of their faces every morning. There go your dogs and being able to hear their excited barks every time you walk through the door. There go your final days in those hallowed halls that will always define the person you became. There goes the uniform you've played in for four years now. There goes the last pitch, shot, goal, or pass you will ever make on that field or court again. There go your senior prom, your last exam, your graduation, your summer, and the goodbyes. There go your familiarity and all of the people and places that fell alongside.

Because with every new journey you're about to embark on, there is going to be something you'll have to say goodbye to for a little while. This time is exciting and beautiful, but take heart and leave nothing for granted. Because you will be sitting in your dorm on that first night with either a complete stranger or with someone you know across from you and it will all make sense.

It will make sense why they told you to extract every ounce of joy that you could your during senior year. It will make sense why they told you to hug your mom a little tighter during those last few months. It will make sense why you were supposed to keep in touch with those you never did. It will make sense why you received constant questions about where you were going to college. It will make sense why you took countless college-readiness surveys and questionnaires.

They were trying to prepare you for becoming a stranger to everything you used to know, and become comfortable with everything you were about to be.

And then it will hit you again when you're home for Thanksgiving, and your family is talking about events, conversations, memories, and everything else you've missed. You'll love your new life and all of the exciting friendships that accompany it, but there will always be a little piece of home that you'll never fill. It will hit you again when you're studying for exams and you will remember complaining about high school exams that you wish you could go back and take instead. It will hit you when you're home for winter break and you've had to miss putting up the tree with your family because you were at school. It will hit you when the seniors after you begin talking about graduation and how they can't wait to leave. It will hit you when you begin to see all the prom-posals and excitement of girls as they purchase their dresses. It will hit you when you come home to visit, and you feel like a stranger in your own bed. It will hit you when you're overwhelmed with the weight of your schoolwork and all you want to do is hold your mom's hand, hear encouraging words from your father, or joke with your siblings. It will hit you, and you won't be able to change the past. You'll want to savor every moment you spent your last days here, but it will be too late.

So make sure it's not too late. Practice the motto of "carpe diem" every single day you have left at home. Don't just make the best out of your senior year. Make the best out of every day you have before you pack your bags and begin your life.

There is so much going forward, and there is so much to look toward, but slow down and keep everything you have right in front of you in focus. Because, before you know it, all of who you are will become who you were, and who you will become will begin to make all the difference.