The Very Good News About College Admissions
August 14, 2009 by Keith Berman
If you picked up The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or any other newspaper this spring, you were bound to see an editorial or article on college admissions with this message: more competition, more cheating, more at stake. Unless your son or daughter invents a sustainable alternative to petroleum, he or she might want to consider a fifth year of high school. This article is intended to be a counterpoint, a respite from the salvo.
Recently, in Columbia University’s undergraduate newspaper, The Spectator, a number of college counselors made comments that demonstrated our relative philosophies, some even using the word “game.” My philosophy as a private college counselor and academic researcher is that what is good for student’s personal growth ultimately makes for the best college applicant. I take the admissions-speak that college admissions is holistic at face value.
1. Take Stock of Who You Are
My advice throughout the application process focuses on how to take stock of who you are, and then, how to communicate it. The results of this approach were staggering. This season, all of my students got accepted to reach schools, which means they had significantly (about a full grade) low grades and/or test scores (about 200 points) than the average student at the school. Some were even offered merit scholarships unsolicited.
How did it happen that B students got into schools that expect A’s, or that students with 1400’s got into schools that expect 1700? One parent summarized it this way: “Both my child and I were amazed when we reviewed the resume highlighting accomplishments, all of which were true. Amazing… but true.”
2. Communicate the Truth
My advice: start from the truth, the “glass-half-full” truth. Your son/daughter is extraordinary in some way that is not the same as any other applicant. High school students perform on international stages, write newspaper editorials, create websites, exhibit their artwork. How many of us did those things in high school (a few hands go up)? How many of us still do (the hands go back down)? Every college-bound student offers something astounding.
3. Find the Right Fit
Next, instead of asking yourself, “How do I put that in writing?” ask the student, “Why do you do those things?”. Once you understand the student’s motivation, then you, as an adult, can give an idea of how to convey that to others. Talking about hopes, aspirations, and academic plans, and then matching a student to a college based on those ambitions makes for the truly sublime learning experience, the goal that parents and counselors share.
What is most amazing is that if your child applies to the right schools and is able to convey why those schools would want your child there, colleges will recognize that fit, and, in some cases, they will pay to make sure your child enrolls.
College admission, while it has aspects of very real strategy, is ultimately not a game. It is a process of empathy between an admissions officer and a student. It is human nature. To me, and to anyone else looking for a system that makes sense, this is very good news.
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About the Author: Keith Berman is a Certified Education Planner (CEP) and is the Founder and President of Options for College, a full service college counseling and consulting company in New York City. He has been quoted numerous times in U.S. News & World Report and Boston Magazine among other publications on issues related to school selection.
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