What Can Lamplighter Do For You?

Over recent weeks, I have received a number of questions from folks about the services that Lamplighter Consulting can provide. With a focus broadly on educational consulting and some particular focal points on systems thinking, university application processes, and leadership/mentorship, there is much to share. Of course, the website does share some general information, but this tends to be broad and vague information, not to mention anonymous, given the requests of the clients. As such, I wanted to run through a handful of recent projects to share some ideas of the ways Lamplighter Consulting might be helpful to you.

• Coaching sessions with college counselors. I have arrangements for periodic, individual check-ins with a handful of counselors. These individuals have sought these sessions for a variety of reasons. Additionally, these individuals are experienced directors, new directors, counselors making the transition from social-emotional counseling to college/university counseling, and counselors new to the profession. These discussions range, as you might imagine, from the day-to-day minutiae of the work to emerging trends and best practices. Finally, these conversations are a mix of informational and mentorship, from discussions about germane topics to support sessions facing the emotional and psychological rigors and demands of the work.

• Meeting with Boards. I have spent time working with trustees and boards and members thereof about trends and concerns within the university admission world. As one colleague humorously represented it recently, I have served as an “expert witness” in the constant interrogation of the complex and ever-changing university admission landscape. In these cases, the boards sought to gain additional perspective on the admissions world. (In one case, I served as part of a two-person panel during a trustee meeting alongside a university admissions director.)

• Advising Heads of School. On several occasions, I have met with heads of school for specific conversations about, typically, specific elements of the college counseling or university admissions process. For example, some of these conversations focused around the process for hiring, ways to evaluate college counseling programs and college counselors, and trends in the industry.

• Supporting Counseling or College Counseling Audits. Given my focus on systems thinking, I have been engaged in two capacities related to formal audits of programs: one, I have been asked to provide an independent audit of a comprehensive counseling program with concrete strategies and recommendations; and, two, I have engaged in many discussions in the aftermath of having received an audit from another organization, working to design and to implement responses to the recommendations. Of course, some of the conversations with counselors often revolve around audits as well.

• Consulting with agencies and firms. A variety of different organizations have engaged seeking perspectives on establishing college counseling programming. These have run the gamut of student-focused non-profits to athletics-oriented groups to tech companies, typically examining how best to serve students or how best to enable other adults to support students. 

• Supporting students and families through the college process. Of course, Lamplighter Consulting was formed with the intention of supporting students with independent consulting services; however, as things have emerged, as the above suggests, the bulk of the work has shifted from students to adults, but the commitment to working with students remains at the heart of the work we do, and we do support students and families directly. 

• Engaging in the Discussion. In addition to these interactions with individuals and organizations, Lamplighter also engages in discussions and trends within the world of education. One way is through the routine sharing of current news through the Lamplighter Facebook page, and another is the monthly College Counseling cheatsheet. 

If any of these services -- or others that you might have -- sound interesting, I strongly encourage you to reach out for a conversation. Please be in touch if you have any ideas for how Lamplighter Consulting might be helpful to you or your school!

Passion

Passion. I have been up and down and around and around this discussion with colleagues, students, parents, and others for over two decades now. While some out there abhor the use of the word “passion” when talking to high school students, I see it as an instrumental component of a particularly helpful model for seeing the purpose of the high school years. I hope to explain this in the following post. 

To start off with, I think that “passion” gets a bad name, at least in part, through the university application process. On one hand, there are universities that ask students to expound upon their passions in essays and the like, the implication being that each student should have one, and, more problematically, suggesting that there is something wrong with them if they do not. On the other, students sometimes articulate their current interests as “passions” so as to try to convince admissions officers (or themselves) that they are a good fit for a particular field of study because they already are possessed of a passion for the topic, no matter how advanced, removed from the life of a high school student, or esoteric it might be. I concede that it bothers me just as much when I read an essay prompt put out for an application that assumes passion is the norm for high school students as it does when I read a student essay about some student’s lifelong “passion” to study some arcane or specialized subject that reflects more insecurity than confidence or commitment to the subject. These are admittedly challenging facets of this concept. 

Of course my experience may differ from the broader perspective, but my twenty-plus years of working with students on their post-graduation plans has left me suspicious of the contention of passions being typical of high school students. Consequently, I have explored this idea over the past 10 years or so at three different schools, on three different continents. At each high school where I have worked, I have engaged students with an annual survey, one question of which inquired about this concept of passion. The survey is always conducted at the conclusion of the university application process, ostensibly therefore minimizing some of the posturing that students sometimes pursue. When asked if they have a passion as they graduate high school, roughly 90% of the students I have worked with have shared that they do not! Annually these numbers fluctuate some, but in this span, the highest percentage of seniors who claim to have a passion has been 14% with the lowest being 8%, typically landing around 10%. These samples have been collected from a boarding school in Ohio (USA), a day school in Taiwan, and a day school in Senegal, and there is little deviation from these findings despite the tremendous variance in schools and student population. Furthermore, to me, it feels about right! 

Let me just add that when examining those students who claim to have a passion, the numbers are disproportionately reflective of areas that the students have been able to engage with through their studies and extracurricularly. (I make this statement in counterpoint to those various, occasional claims of student passion in esoteric, specialized fields with which the student has had no opportunity for formal or informal exploration.)  In particular, students intending to major in the arts (fine arts, photography, dance, theater, film) are disproportionately represented. Beyond that, as a colleague who has examined these results with me has cited, the other main category of passions reflected are pure/core subjects, including math, science, literature (as opposed to their more specialized cousins, which we might assume would appear, of engineering, computer science, physics, medicine, journalism, etc). This speaks to a common point of concern of a student claiming to be passionate about a subject that he or she has never actually studied -- and cannot typically study -- in high school. It begs the question of how they might know and leads us back to that point of wondering what pressures we (or our culture/society) puts on our kids to feel that they need to have a passion in order to engage with this university search process. 

What is passion? 

In engaging in discussion with a colleague about this, it was asserted that perhaps some confusion for students comes from their misunderstanding what passion actually is. This certainly may be the case. For our purposes, we define passion simply as a “monopolizing pursuit.” The key to understanding this term is to realize that this definition is incredibly subjective and individualized. Put differently, what passion means for me might look different to you. Generally speaking, though, passions are activities or concepts that we are drawn to and are motivated to pursue. Often people talk about the experience of pursuing their passion, which is a “flow” state where they lose track of time. Still, though, this is a nebulous concept, especially with high school students, and passion looks different to different individuals.

The reality is that very few students actually have or find a passion. In fact, I know plenty of adults who do not have a passion either. Although the purpose of this piece is the plight of high school students, these realities lead many out there to demonize the word “passion” and the pursuit thereof. However, one point that I think this group overlooks is a secondary point: passions can be cultivated. For every kid I know who fell in love with something the first time they encountered it, I know someone (often adults) who came by his or her passion through constant return to something interesting; over time, these interests developed into expertise, greater interest, and, yes, even passion. 

Pursuit of Passion Model

All of this leads inevitably to the model that I have found to be helpful in guiding high school students. Much to the chagrin of some opponents of passion out there, I do recommend that students pursue their passion. However, in my way of thinking, this proposes two different paths.

Path #1: You have a passion. If you have a passion, then you need to do that thing. Find ways to continue to do it, not at the expense of other components of a healthy life (e.g. exercise, sleep, school, friends, and continued exploration, etc) but in your free time. Find new and novel ways to engage it. Use your free time and summers and vacations. Talk to people about your passion. Find your people! Find ways to read about your passion. You don’t need to spend a ton of money to do this well; stay within your means and be creative in how you pursue your passion. Continue on this way and one of two things will happen: one, your passion will continue to grow and sustain you, or, two, you realize that this thing is not your passion. In this latter case, you should then revert to…

Path #2: You don’t have a passion. If you don’t have a passion, then you need to actively search for one. This involves some exploration and some commitment. In regards to exploration, you need to try new things. Join clubs, sports teams, activities, etc. Try new classes. Consume a variety of different media, including books, articles, movies, YouTube videos, websites, etc. Keep looking to find things that pique your interest. And in regards to commitment, keep on doing some things that you find interesting but that you wouldn’t necessarily call your passion. Keep developing competence and even expertise in these areas. By combining exploration and commitment, one of two things can happen: one, you find a passion (in which case, see Path #1), or, two, you keep searching and growing.

So, in this model, students are encouraged to pursue their passion OR to find their passion. The difference may be semantic, but this has been well-received by students and parents alike. It has been helpful to collect the data about who actually finds their passion in order to share and to remind everyone that this is all a part of the growth process. In particular, I think that it helps students to stick with some things they enjoy. Furthermore, asking additional questions about, for example, which pathways they have explored (#1 and/or #2 above) as well as some overall feedback about how the student feels this model has helped them grow, have proven to be particularly helpful.

What does this look like in the application?

I hesitate to share this out of fear that it might be misconstrued and mis-applied, but the reality is that this model does assist with the university application process. To be clear, though, it helps because it facilitates good, healthy, appropriate human growth first and foremost, regardless of which “path” a student finds him or herself upon. One additional benefit is that this model allows students to see and then articulate their own journey in a thoughtful and deliberate way that makes a lot of sense to admissions offices. For example, in many cases, a student on Path #1 with a passion -- who has had this passion for some stretch of time -- will naturally reflect this passion in the application process: through the resume, activities, coursework, and often awards or recognition. This type of applicant is commonly seen as being “pointy.” On the other hand, students who have genuinely engaged with Path #2 and who have searched for a passion will similarly reflect their trajectory on their applications by sharing the many ways in which they have explored the world around them. This type of applicant is commonly called “well-rounded.” 

Truthfully, both types of applicants -- pointy and well-rounded -- are valued in the admissions process. While I must admit that not all universities are the same in how they read candidates, it is my professional experience that there are only a handful of institutions that are really looking for pointy students with passions instead of well-rounded students without passions. In the end, this pathway ought to be seen as a criteria for a university search: if you have a passion, then you should be prioritizing how you can continue to pursue that passion in college; if you don’t have a passion, then you should not be looking at institutions that champion pointy applicants and instead you should be looking for places that can help to continue your search. 

In the end, while discussing this model with a handful of university admissions officers, I was left with a couple takeaways with which I want to conclude. First, the point of the model is not to find a passion but to encourage individual growth and exploration of the world. With the exception of some majors at some institutions that have a limit on the number of seats in the program, universities are not necessarily looking for a particular passion when they find it in a student; they are aware that these things may change. Instead, though, they value pointy applicants for the fact they reflect the capacity for passion, that a student knows how to capitalize on their strengths and attributes. According to at least a handful of college reps, this is important. Second, though, my colleagues from universities have shared that they appreciate this model because it helps to steer students away from a particular archetype: the student who has never experienced the world around them. Particularly in competitive applicant pools, there are plenty of students with good grades but without a developed sense of self. It might be the thing I appreciate most about this model: while none of us can ever have a fully developed sense of self, we can always learn more about ourselves, the world around us, and our place in it, and this model assists us with this. 

Standardized Testing Recommendations in a Changing Landscape

I am routinely asked by students, parents, teachers, and administrators how to make sense of standardized testing. The world is changing around us, and the pandemic has cast a shadow of doubt over the enterprise of testing. With so many institutions having moved to a test optional evaluation model and with the announcement this week from College Board about their doing away with SAT Subject Tests, the landscape certainly has changed, and so I hoped to provide some clarity in regards to the advice I am providing at present.

Keep in mind that my priorities in shaping these recommendations include: 1. minimizing the number of sittings, while 2. maximizing the potential for high scores and 3. keeping as many options open as possible. Ultimately, each student needs to determine a standardized testing plan as part of their college search process, ideally in consultation with a counselor or advisor who can help craft a plan that works best for the individual.

Although previous recommendations (and those from elsewhere) continue to endorse a recommendation that students test when it is ideal based on their prep and coursework even if they do not know definitively if they will need testing, I am encouraging a bit more work in advance. For example, it has been often recommended that students sit for their first SAT and ACT in close proximity to each other without test prep in the sophomore (grade 10) year to verify which test is better to focus energies upon, with so many institutions now on a test optional policy, I recommend that students do a bit more work on their college list. Put some time in, hash out a list, even if it is large (20-30 long), and take a look at what those schools are requiring in regards to testing. Based on recent work with several students, to do this work for a list of 30 schools takes less than an hour and is a small price to pay for the clarity that it can provide. Of course, just because your schools do not require testing does not mean you automatically should not test, but it gives you more information to work with. And, it should be gauged how likely the student is to modify their list of schools, of course. In the end, though, this research should result in more students choosing not to test and instead to focus their efforts on far more effective uses of time, including their academic work and hobbies.

If you choose to pursue testing, consider the following points:

• SAT & ACT. We recommend that students take the SAT and ACT in the junior year, without test prep, to determine which of the two tests is the best fit and to get a baseline score. Previously, we have recommended students to sit for the SAT/ACT only if they know they will apply to college or university in the United States or think that they might, but it is increasingly the case that the SAT/ACT can provide an alternative pathway to admission to non-US universities. Ultimately, we recommend that all students sit for the SAT/ACT during the junior year. (Also, it is helpful for students to have taken the SAT/ACT in the fall of the junior year to inform the beginning of their process second semester.) Additionally, if you can find a way to sit for legitimate mock tests, then it is entirely possible to avoid sitting for the actual tests: explore this option with your counselor and local prep agencies (but keep in mind that fee-charging agencies may have a vested interest in encouraging students toward one test or the other).

• SAT Subject Tests. Given that the College Board has announced the phasing out of the Subject Tests, we do not recommend sitting for these tests. For international students, there still may be a lag of adoption of this policy by some universities, but still we recommend waiting to see if the test is required before sitting, and we do not recommend that students take these tests just to see how they do.

• SAT Score Choice. Score Choice is a system through the College Board where students can choose to send only their best scores instead of allowing an institution to which they are applying to see all of their scores. Please read this additional piece on Score Choice.

• TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS. We recommend that students take these tests only if their applications require them and as late as possible or if they have not been in an English-speaking high school for all four years (grades 9-12) of high school or if they have received ELL/ESL support during high school.

• Test Prep. We recommend that all students prepare ("prep") for all standardized testing. There are many types of test prep before you should feel compelled to pay someone to tutor or provide test prep. Talk to your counselor before you spend money!

Additionally, we recommend that students put together a plan! Every student's plans are motivated by different factors and considerations, so be sure not to do too much comparing with others and instead focus on having good reasons for your decisions.

Of course, as the landscape continues to shift, so too will these recommendations. Stay tuned!

Communication in COVID: 3 Email Templates

There seems to be evolving a “pre-COVID” and a “post-COVID” lens through which to see so many things in our world. A case in point for me is email. Back in the pre-COVID days, I wrote a post on how to write an email. Targeted mostly for students who have not cultivated a thorough understanding of email etiquette (though some adults would benefit), the post got some traction. While I would not dispute any of the points there, the post-COVID perspective within me wants to simplify. With our lives having turned so pervasively online over the last six months, reading a lengthy email or interfacing with my work world exclusively through the medium of email is painful. I received 206 emails yesterday, for example, and most of them were needing a meeting or a lengthy response better delivered in person (or through Zoom).

As such, I think that there may be a better way around this most of the time. I don’t know that we’ll ever get away from all emails containing lengthy bits of information (not just considering newsletters), but I think we would all benefit from focusing on the primary principle in emails being that messages are succinct and scannable. 

After reflecting on a week’s worth of emails (and not just yesterday’s overwhelm), here are three primary email templates that I think we all should focus on (especially students within their communications):

1. Let’s schedule a meeting because the information I am giving you or need from you will take more than 2 minutes to explain and/or understand. Also, here is how to schedule a meeting with me (e.g. Calendly), and here is a specific date, time, and location where we both look to be free.

2. Here is the information you need or requested, or here is something that I am requesting; in either case, I think that what I am requesting will take less than two minutes to provide through email (so I am not requesting a meeting).

3. Thanks/appreciation. 

I am told that I’m “old school” in that I prefer emails to have greetings and closings as well as proper punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, but even if they don’t contain these things, the efficiency of the above notes would help a lot. 

Pretty straightforward! I’d love to hear others’ thoughts! 

3 Essential Resources for the Savvy Applicant

With great thanks to our friends Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy at Big J Consulting, I wanted to share the annual work that they produce and then generously publicly share on a handful of critical points of consideration for students, international or domestic, applying to US colleges and universities, with or without financial aid:

• Early Decision and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates

• Domestic Undergraduate Need-based and Merit Aid

• Financial Aid for Non-Resident Alien Undergraduates

Regardless of your category, I’m sure you can find some interesting data here. Take a look! And thanks, Jennie and Jeff!

10 Essential Practices for Finding Success at University

In discussing with students and parents the transition our recent graduates are making to university life in the coming months -- regardless of the context during the pandemic -- I find myself running through the same pieces of advice. There are some tried-and-true guidelines for successfully navigating the transition to university. Take a look!

1. Get to know your professors. Most of the teachers at the high schools where I have worked put in great efforts to get to know their students and to establish relationships with them. That may not necessarily be the case in college! I don’t want to cast a negative light on university professors, but it is worth considering that they see you not as a kid but at a burgeoning adult, and, as such, they have adult-like expectations of you. The result is that you need to put in the time and effort to get to know them. This will make your efforts and experiences more meaningful in the long-run. Introduce yourself. Make it a goal for them to know you by name, first and last. Schedule appointments to review challenging material. Attend office hours. Make the connection! 

2. Find the careers office. In the first month of being in school, make a pointed effort to visit or make an appointment with the careers office. Different universities offer different services, and your goal is to learn what yours offers! They can help with a wide variety of support services from writing and reviewing resumes and cover letters to interview preparation, and they also can offer career guidance and even facilitate job and internship opportunities. You are expending a lot of resources on this institution, so be sure you are making the most of it!

3. Try something new. Broadly speaking, get involved! Most universities will have an activities fair of some sort at the beginning of the year to allow students to learn about the different opportunities to become involved in the school community from clubs to sports to affinity groups to academic organizations and so on. You have a new opportunity to try something new here. Take advantage and explore! 

4. Continue on with something you did in high school. Don’t lose grip of things that you did in high school that brought you pleasure or opportunities to interact with others. Whether that was band, Model UN, an academic group, or a study club, think about how you might continue on with some things.

5. Find your people. This piece can be hard as you reconcile a sense of yourself and who you want to be with the people you encounter. Keep trying to find people who challenge and support you. Go to events. Go to meetings. Attend performances. Get involved. This will not happen overnight, and it will not happen without your efforts. 

6. Do the work. A lot of students who encounter difficulties in their academics report back simply that they did not do the work assigned to them. So, simply, do it! Do it all! You are paying for this. Get your money’s worth! Become familiar with the reserve section of the library where professors put additional materials for your benefit, but be sure to do the mandatory readings and work on time. If you struggled with this in high school or are anxious about this, find the teaching and learning center at your school to get some help starting off on the right foot!

7. Take care of yourself - mind, body, and soul! Many students who struggle do so because they do not take care of themselves. Aside from the academic work, be sure you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and getting some exercise. Moving from high school with required PE and sports can be challenging when you no longer have compulsory activity. The same is true with moving to the freedom and independence of not having a parent to tell you to go to bed at night or putting a balanced diet on the plate in front of you. Be thoughtful and caring of yourself. Also, be aware that this also extends to your spiritual and mental welfare. Find the local church or synagogue or mosque. Figure out what mental health supports are available.

8. Be positive… It is important that you move into this next chapter of your life with an open and positive mind. You will encounter new people, new perspectives, new experiences, and you need to open and welcoming to them. 

9. … And be forgiving! At the same time, give yourself permission to make mistakes. This is how we learn. It will not always be easy, and you will not always do the right things, but you cannot beat yourself up over them. Be kind to yourself but learn the lessons!

10. Be safe. Finally, be safe. Take care of yourself and others. Consider the risks you take when you make decisions, and do not sacrifice or compromise on your own safety.

Let me know if you have any thoughts on any of these! If you are looking for some additional perspectives, consider this broader, life-oriented post. In the end, make the most of and enjoy your college experience. These tips will help you do just that!

Admissions Decisions

One of the components of the college application process that we tend to neglect to address too much in advance of applications is the assortment of possible results that colleges might share. None of this really informs application strategy or process, so we prefer to wait until applications are submitted and even until results start rolling in to share the possibilities. That said, what follows is a primer of sorts for application results. Keep in mind that colleges and universities the world over are left to their individual whims to determine what, how, and when to release results. As such, while this list may seem exhaustive, there are probably plenty of types of results that we are not including. Still, here are the most common ones!

• (Unconditional) Admit. This is the traditional “accept” response, which means that you have been offered a place in the freshman class. Although this variety of result does not traditionally include any mention of conditions for the student to meet, most universities will expect that the student continue on performing academically in a manner consistent with that shown through their application, even if this is not explicitly stated. (Read: No senior slump!)

• Conditional Admit. This means that the student is being offered a spit in the freshman class so long as they meet certain conditions that the acceptance outlines. Most commonly, this includes specific IB exam scores. If the student does not meet those conditions, then the offer of admission turns to a deny.

• Deny. This means that the student’s request for admission is declined and that they are not being offered a space in the school. In the vast majority of cases, this means that the student may not apply again until the next application cycle.

• Defer. When a student has applied through an early round -- such as binding Early Decision or non-binding Early Action or some other non-Regular deadline application -- the term “defer” means that they are postponing making a decision until the regular decision pool. However, it is not uncommon for a regular decision application to receive a “defer” decision; in this second case, this means that the admissions office is not yet ready to render a decision on the application and that they will wait for more information or even for the admissions process to play out with other students before they make the decision on whether to admit or deny.

• Waitlist. This one is a bit trickier. When a college is not able to offer an offer of admission to a student but feels that they would love to have the student if the space is available later, then they will employ a waitlist. This means that the student has been essentially denied but there might be the chance of a late admissions; in this way, the student needs to decide whether to accept the spot on the waitlist or to, essentially, be denied. If they accept the spot on the waitlist, then they must deposit at another school since some waitlist offers do not come until late in the summer. If a college fills entirely, they will typically email and release all students on their waitlist. Be sure to communicate closely with your counselor if this one plays out for you.

• January (Midyear) Admit or Deferred Admit. Sometimes colleges may not have space in the freshman class for the fall entry period, so they will instead offer space in a later semester. In essence, this gives the student the first semester off. Also, sometimes universities will render offers of admission for later years; in some such cases, these offers were requested -- as in the case of a student who wants to take a gap year who asks for deferred admission -- but in other cases, the university makes the decision unilaterally.

• Alternative Campus (Admit). Sometimes universities are not able to offer admission to a particular campus and instead will offer admission to a satellite campus, either permanently or temporarily. It is increasingly common for universities with international branches to offer admission to a student to spend the first semester or year at a secondary campus before coming to the main campus.

• Alternative Major (Admit). Sometimes students are not admitted for their top major and instead are offered admission if they agree to pursue a different program or major. Sometimes this contingency is built into the application process whereby the university asks for a ranking of top majors, but sometimes the university will reach out in special circumstances to offer admission to a secondary major for which they deem the student to be a good fit.

• Preferred or Guaranteed Transfer. This one perhaps has the most variation, although it is rare overall. Some schools will tell a student that while they are not admitted for the first year, they would be given special consideration or even guaranteed admission if they applied as a transfer student after attending freshman year elsewhere. Usually there is a specific GPA that must be met. Sometimes there are specific courses that must be taken. Also, sometimes the university will specify a specific institution that the student must attend, like a community college.

Again, there is technically an infinite number of potential outcomes from universities, but these are the most common ones. Also, to be clear, the reasons for universities making these decisions are not included here. Sometimes we can figure out why certain decisions are made, but most of the time we do not know. Nevertheless, be sure to share all results with your counselor!

Affording College

Affording a university education, especially in certain parts of the world like the US, is difficult, to say the least. We regularly dole out the following guidance to families during their final two years of high school, but some of this advice needed to have been embraced far earlier. To be clear, we feel that these are options that every student should consider, especially when they are considering taking out large loans. We are not certified financial planners or otherwise authorized to give you advice on how to take care of your money, but these points all come from experience in working with families throughout the years. 

1. Save. This may seem trite, but there have been some bad rumors out there about how you may as well not save if you are not uber-wealthy. This is not the case. (I have read that it does not make sense to reroute a parent’s retirement contributions into savings as colleges do not take that into consideration in their calculations.) Do what you can to tuck away money for college! Consider a 529 or some other savings product. Every little bit helps. 

2. Be Open-minded. When families are sensitive to college costs, one of the first things that we counselors have to do is make sure that the students and parents are not overly focused on one single institution. Keep your options open and be open to many possibilities. This only makes it easier in the long run!

3. Be Clear About Your Priorities. If you are indeed cost sensitive, then be sure to communicate that to your counselor. And, parents, be sure to communicate this with your children. This is very much related to the previous comment, but by being clear that your top priority is affordability, we can all work together to find appropriate fits. 

4. Figure Out Your Budget. It is certainly worth the time for parents to sit down and to figure out what they believe that they can afford and then to go through the process of figuring out what colleges think that you can afford. In the US, go to any college website and use their net price calculator to see what that might look like. It is really important for families to understand the difference between what they think that they can pay and what universities will expect of them. Waiting until senior year for this is generally too late.

5. Choose cheaper colleges. Again, this may seem obvious, but within most countries, there is an array of different costs for attending university. Within the US, while some private colleges have surpassed the US$80,000 per year price tag, there are others safely under US$30,000. Additionally, it is worth exploring those places where you might be granted in-state, resident, or citizen discounts. Does your passport country provide a cheaper rate for citizens? (For example, did you know France passport holders pay domestic tuition in the province of Quebec in Canada?) Be sure to explore all avenues!

6. Apply for Financial Aid. Be sure to read all you can on university websites about need-based financial aid applications. In the US, most schools require the FAFSA and/or the CSS profile. Be sure to complete these documents if they apply to you. In these cases, you cannot be awarded aid if you do not apply.

7. Enroll in Recruitment Programs. There are a number of programs out there that work to connect students with interested universities. Two notable programs are Questbridge and Meto, which students should research and consider. These programs work to introduce students to appropriate fit institutions. Aside from these two, be sure to vet any with your counselor before signing up, especially if they ask for money, which is generally an indicator that you should avoid the program. 

8. Explore Institutional Grants & Scholarships. Scour those websites. There are plenty of universities that have application-based scholarships that maybe are not advertised as well as they might be. Of course, they might require additional essays or letters of recommendation, but, again, you cannot get the money if you do not apply. 

9. Search for Independent Scholarships. We recommend using the website Fastweb, but there are other tools and resources out there that students have successfully used. Most scholarships out there are in the US$500 to US$2000 range, but every little bit will help… and there are some much larger, competition-based awards out there. This takes time and effort, but they add up and are worth it!

10. Get a part-time job during school. It is not an uncommon thing for students to work while studying. Factor this potential in while developing your list. One colleague of mine always discourages cost-sensitive students from applying to rural universities because of the relatively larger potential for part-time employment in urban environments. Also, if you qualify for financial aid, some of your aid package may come in the form of a work-study on campus. 

11. Exchange Service for Tuition. Of course in the US there is the GI Bill that can help students with tuition in exchange for military service, but there are other options out there including through the Peace Corps and Americorps. There are also employers post-university who often offer loan assistance programs. And there are models for service exchange for medical school. 

12. Start at Community College. Beginning at a two-year US community college or similar pathway in other countries (e.g. college in Canada) provides a cheaper beginning to the college experience and reduces costs. In this way, students can pay a far-reduced tuition for two years before transferring to a 4-year institution for the final two years (ideally).

13. Defer Enrollment and Save Money. One additional opportunity is the often-misunderstood Gap Year. Simply put, take a year or two to get a job and to save money as an individual. In the US, this might allow the student the opportunity to establish tax independence, but, at the very least, it allows more time to save and even to figure out what pathway makes the most sense. 

In the end, families that are cost-aware are forced to confront questions that all students should. Remember that college, as with all education, is not a race to be won but rather an experience to be optimized. Be sure to consider each of the above options!

How to Write an Email

As we turn the corner of the New Year and begin to think about the upcoming college process for the juniors, it is a good time to visit communication etiquette! Whether we like it or not, email has become our common mechanism for communication culturally, and there are ways to do it well and to do it poorly!

I was recently reading this article by Avery Blank with Forbes entitled “How Successful People Write Emails To Get What They Want (That'll Help You Achieve Your Goals),” and I could not help but think about the applications to the college process. I have seen so many students stumble and struggle with appropriate emailing form. Does it hurt them? I can say honestly that I have never had a college admissions representative tell me that they denied a student because of bad email etiquette. However, consider this: what if you commit a gaffe and then do not get admitted. Will you have the wherewithal to be able to see past the gaffe? Do what you can to steer clear of this situation with the following ground rules. So, with respect to Ms. Blank, I have borrowed her headings for the basis of this blog post! Here are some basic but essential points to keep in mind when writing an email to a college admissions representative!

1. Consider what else is going on with the recipient. While the original article suggests that you be sure to check in on personal matters when emailing, during the college process, you should not generally expect to get very personal with admissions professionals. Instead, though, I recommend that you interpret this directive more as a call to be aware of what is going on in the professional life of your recipient. Admissions representatives are busy people. Avoid expecting quick or lengthy replies. Understand also the cycles of their work. In the fall, they tend to travel a lot. In the winter, they tend to be busy reading applications. In the spring, they tend to be engrossed in admissions yield events and the like. Countless times I have seen students miss the opportunity to show a little empathy. Do what you can to reflect an understanding of their work!

2. Think about what else is going on with you. It is commonplace for us to see email as the utilitarian tool that we mostly use it for: to get information. However, remember that it is also important that you share what is going on with you as well. This is important! While you may have the need to get a question answered, effective emailing would have you also be sure to share something new or noteworthy about yourself. Share away!

3. Be aware of what is currently going on in the world. Be sure to send appropriate greetings around holidays when possible, yes, but also keep abreast of any news that might be relevant to the work or the region. I once had a student come to my office to complain that a college admissions rep had not replied to her email in over a week. She showed me the email she was prepared to send as a follow-up until I shared with her that this particular college’s campus had been evacuated due to a natural disaster. Don’t be that kid.

4. Answer the five “Ws”. Great checklist to review: who, what, where, when, and why. Be sure to review your message for each of these! Prevent the representative from having to write back to politely ask you for more information that should have been in the initial email. 

5. Don’t start with “I.” This one is a bit more difficult and challenging to achieve, but it is worth the thought and effort. This assists in preventing you from seeming self-involved. Of course, you will need to use the word “I,” but just be sure not to begin your sentences with it (especially opening sentences of paragraphs), and do what you can to avoid using it in successive sentences. 

6. Include the attachment. Simple. Google reminds you nowadays. If you intend to include something, be sure to include it. 

7. Question the accuracy of the content. I love what Ms. Blank shares: “Don’t say things that are false. Do not exaggerate. Make sure what you say is an accurate reflection of the situation. Don’t run the risk of the person losing confidence in you.” Be straightforward and honest.

8. Review for tone. This one is tough, perhaps the toughest in this list. Here’s my advice: get someone to read the email for you. Of course you do not want to come across as negative, harsh, entitled, or any of a host of lamentable qualities, so get some help making sure you don’t! I have never turned down the opportunity to read a student’s email for tone. Ask for help! One additional bit: to preserve sanity, rather than simply trying to avoid the wrong tone, think about what tone would be ideal and aim for that! And share that with your proof-reader. (For my part, I generally try to express a tone of appreciation… try that!) 

9. Spell check. Again. Simple. Most email platforms do this anyway, so in today’s day and age, misspellings generally come across as carelessness. 

And here are a couple more of my own additional thoughts!

1. Use formal salutations and closings. Beginning with “Dear Mr. Smith” and ending with “Very truly yours” may seem formal, but it makes a difference in tone. Cutting corners here can come off as hurried. 

2. Introduce yourself. Keep in mind that admissions reps generally tend to have great memories for people and/or have some great tricks for remembering people they meet, but they are not omniscient. Introduce yourself, where you’re from, what school you attend, and the like. Also, if you have already met them, do not assume that they remember you, but instead humbly remind them of when and where you met them and what you may have discussed, if you interacted. 

3. Know when to pick up the phone. Email can be a burden. It can be a burden to write. And it can be a burden to read. Show some self-awareness of when you might potentially be seen as a noodge. If you find yourself approaching this threshold, pare your next email down and instead engage to try to find a time when you might speak on the phone.

Some of these lessons might seem trivial, but they are ones that will serve you well through the admissions process but also in life. In fact, how many do you practice when emailing your teachers… or your counselor? Practice makes permanent! 

The Most Important Criteria

As any student begins to contemplate attending university, he or she must confront the plethora of qualities and attributes of the universities out there. This is daunting. Of course, it is true that there are over 4,000 colleges and universities just in the United States, with some claims of there being over 25,000 world-wide. However, what makes any of them a “good fit” for a particular student? Arguably each is unique and different, so what might make one of them the right school for a student? 

Most college counseling processes involve some deep reflection by the student. It is really important for students to take time to think about what is important to them in a college. As I have gone through my career in counseling students, I have encountered a host of criteria more regularly: a particular major, proximity to urban centers, distance from home, size of university, student to faculty ratio, affordability, etc. I would note that I have seen a growing number of other criteria as of late: the regional political disposition, job placement after graduation, the diversity of the student body, availability of internships, the academic support programs, merit-based scholarships, etc. And I have seen some unique criteria as well: a campus with an arboretum, minimal publishing requirements for faculty, a top-tier athletics program, the availability of a climbing wall, etc. This variety reflects the breadth and variety of the very different students with whom I have worked, all searching for a campus that fits them and their needs.

However, while I still think that it is absolutely essential for students to self-reflect and to learn all that they can about themselves in an effort to lead a better life, let alone to inform their college search process, I wish also to provide some additional scaffolding for identifying these important criteria based on some recent research. In 2014, The Gallup-Purdue Index, research on some 30,000 college graduates from the US, sought to explore the relevant college/university experiences of individuals who they deemed to have “great jobs” and/or leading “great lives.” The research is certainly worth taking the time to explore, especially when considering their definitions of success:

The Gallup-Purdue study found that college graduates who have achieved great jobs and great lives were more likely to be personally engaged with a faculty member, have participated in an internship, been involved in extracurricular activities and have graduated with manageable student debt. These findings held true regardless of the type of public or private non-profit, four-year institution, no matter whether highly or much less selective. It was the student experience and level of engagement that made the difference – not the rankings. (source)

So, in so many ways, but especially for young people still exploring the world around them and their place in it, there is wisdom in exploring those experiences that turn out to be most important to others who have found success at the other end of college. As such, perhaps we can find some angles through which to see the college search process with a more critical and informed eye.

One component of the research looks at those “successful” individuals who thought that their education was worth the cost. When examining this subset, there are a series of experiences that significantly increased the chances of an individual strongly agreeing that their college experiences was worth the cost: 

In this way, doesn’t it then make some sense to, as I referenced before, use these criteria as a scaffolding to explore what criteria are of true significance in your college search?

Thankfully, Purdue-Gallup provide two documents that are terrifically helpful in the college search process. The first is entitled 6 Principles of Success and points to suggested behaviors for students in the search process as well as to points to consider when searching for colleges. The second, arguably the more important one and certainly the more helpful for our purposes here, is a College Planning Checklist, a listing of some essential questions to guide your research when exploring colleges. Again, while each college should yield its own relatively-unique answers to the questions, the students’ responses should be informed by some deep reflection and pursuit of a greater sense of self. 

For example, large class sizes might mean for some that finding a mentor will be harder given the competition for professors’ attention, whereas for others, large class sizes might be the inevitable byproduct of pursuing a resource-intensive (expensive) major about which the student is passionate. Exploring these dynamics is at the very heart of the college search. It is never too early for a high school student to start thinking about these concepts! 

The Two Week Rule

There are many counselors and advisors well-versed and highly-experienced in the college application world who recommend that applicants submit their applications ahead of time. I recommend two weeks! Why? This is an important question the answers to which I hope all students and parents understand…

The first answer is that if a student plans ahead to be done with an application two weeks before the deadline, it psychologically eliminates much of the stress of the application process that is derived from doing things at the last minute.

Second, it provides a buffer, time for the student to reflect on what he or she has done ahead of the deadline. If a student works to complete things two weeks ahead of time and then, while reviewing things in preparing to send, comes to the realization that something is missing or something is not as strong as they might like, then there is still time to adjust and to work with a counselor. This is not the case when the plan is finish the night of the deadline.

Third, things go missing in the submission process. It is getting better and better, but it is a plain fact that application materials do not always arrive where they are supposed to on time. There is a startling correlation between things missing and applying close to the deadline. Some of this comes from the technology and application portals getting jammed-up in the days leading into a deadline. (We want to be clear that when counselor materials -- recommendations, transcripts, profile -- go missing in the submission process, they are not held against the student at most institutions. Colleges, generally, are very accommodating when things are missing when there is evidence that they were submitted on time.)

Fourth, this allows your counselor to provide you and all of your classmates with equal attention. If everyone is pushing ahead with last-minute applications, then the counselors are being asked to respond and support accordingly. Of course, all counselors will do our best to support all of our students, but when one student's last-minute, eleventh-hour process keeps us from orderly and composed support of a student who is being proactive for a later application deadline, then things become unbalanced and unfair.  

Fifth, there is a small consideration in the application process at many places for the date and time of the submission, which colleges can see. It looks far better, of course, when a student submits in advance of a deadline than at the last minute. To be clear, it does not HURT a student to submit at the last minute -- colleges will support this! -- but it can HELP a student's image as a matter of demonstrated interest to submit early. 

Finally, consider the following real scenario... If a student applies on October 18 for a November 1 deadline, it usually takes a few days for the college or university to get back to the student confirming the application and receipt of materials. That means a student would probably hear back by about October 23. Now, consider the possibilities for missing materials: a student could have forgotten to submit SAT scores, an arts supplement, an essay, payment, etc. Or, as mentioned before, something could go missing in the submission process, such as a letter of recommendation, a transcript, a previous school transcript, etc. If the student applied two weeks ahead, we still have over a week to make sure all is in order before the deadline. However, if the student applies on October 31 for a November 1 deadline, they would not hear back until probably November 5 (and actually likely much later given that it takes more time for admissions offices to process those applications that come in at the deadline). Now it is after the deadline. Stress is high. If materials are missing, even if all has been submitted and we need only email the college admissions office to let them know all was sent -- which is usually all that it takes -- it is still over a week after the deadline. So, when these scenarios, which happen all too regularly, are avoidable, we strongly recommend that students do all that they can to avoid them!

So, please follow our advice:

Apply two weeks ahead of any posted college deadline!

"Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids" (article)

We think that this might be one of the most important articles we have encountered in a long time. It is certainly recommended reading for parents and students going through the college process, but it is perhaps even more essential for parents of much younger kids. We would love to hear your thoughts!

Transition to College: Technology

At this stage, technology and education are inextricably linked, and this interconnectedness will only continue to grow as students move into college. That said, this post is intended to get students and parents thinking about the ways in which they will navigate those roads ahead. Our fundamental question is:

How will technology figure into your life in college?

Here are some additional points to consider:

• Be sure you know what your school recommends, requires, and provides before purchasing anything! Admitted student websites and social media groups are great places to explore answers to these questions.

• What will you bring to college for a communication device? Will you get a new cell phone or a SIM card for your current phone? Will you keep two devices?

• What will you bring with you to college for a computer? Does your college recommend a certain type or brand (e.g. Mac v. PC)?

• Does your college offer any discounts or deals for purchasing a new computer? Have you explored the IT department, the campus bookstore, and local shops?

• Alumni Advice: Check out what the IT office recommends and get what they say. If your computer breaks and you are using what they suggest, then they can definitely help you. If you’re using another brand or model, they might not be able to help!

• What software or platforms does your college recommend or require?

• Will you bring iPads/tablets, iPods or other personal music players, wearable technology (e.g. smart watch), or other technology?

• Will you bring a TV, gaming system, etc? Have you communicated with your roommates about this? And does the college make any recommendations on this front?

• Alumni Advice: Don’t bring things that will distract you and keep you in your dorm room the whole time. Some friends of mine had TVs and gaming systems and never left their rooms, which prevented them from making friends.

• Alumni Advice: Keep your stuff safe! High school is not real life. You cannot just leave your things laying around and expect them to be there when you come back.

This piece is part of a series on “transitioning to college.” We encourage graduating seniors and their parents or guardians to engage in discussion on a weekly basis about these topics. If you have feedback or additional ideas or perspectives to share, please let us know so we can incorporate your thoughts into revisions of our posts.

Transition to College: Sexual Intimacy

Based on feedback from countless alums, one of the components of college life that elicits the greatest amount of attention is sexual intimacy. Of course, this is often a difficult and awkward concept to engage in discussion about between students and their parents, but it is nonetheless a healthy and normal one that deserves the time and attention.

As such, for this topic, we encourage students to consider the following prompt:

What are your parameters surrounding sexual intimacy?

Here are some additional thoughts and questions to contemplate:

• Have you examined your college’s rules surrounding sexual intimacy and consent? How about the local laws?

• Alumni Advice: Be sure to know the rules and laws! Everyone knows someone who ran into problems in college because they didn’t know them.

• Under what conditions would you consider to consent to sexual intimacy with a partner, if any?

• Alumni Advice: Stay away from drunken “hookup culture” at college. It can lead to so many problems.

• What resources are available for students who have questions about sexual intimacy or who need guidance? Where are the offices located? What are their hours?

• What difficult situations might present themselves in relation to sex and intimacy that you can plan ahead for?

• Alumni Advice: Discuss your plans surrounding sex and intimacy with your friends so that you can support and help each other, particularly surrounding safety.

• If you are unsure of the concept of sexual consent, take some time to review this video:

• Also, be sure to revisit this video, which is often used to promote discussion about consent:

This piece is part of a series on “transitioning to college.” We encourage graduating seniors and their parents or guardians to engage in discussion on a weekly basis about these topics. If you have feedback or additional ideas or perspectives to share, please let us know so we can incorporate your thoughts into revisions of our posts.

Transition to College: Hopes & Fears

The process of looking ahead to college/university — for both students and parents — is a complicated ball of emotions. On one hand, it is exciting, and so many have been looking forward to it for so long. But on the other hand, it can be anxiety-provoking, leaving the familiar and moving on into the unknown. That being said, confronting our hopes and fears is an essential component of this process, and the earlier that students and parents confront and then share their thoughts, the more time there is to reconcile them. As such, this week we encourage students and parents to consider the following prompt:

What are your hopes and fears looking ahead to university?

Here are some additional prompts to flesh out your thinking:

• What do you hope for from the college experience?

  1. What do you fear the most?

  2. What sorts of experiences are you most looking forward to in the first year?

  3. What kind of relationship do you hope to have with your roommate?

  4. What would a lonely day look like for you in college? Is there anything you can do to minimize those?

  5. What kinds of classes are you most excited to take?

  6. What is the biggest thing you hope to have learned by the end of your first year?

  7. Alumni Advice: It is very normal to have some worries as you transition to college. Be sure to know in advance who you can talk to about these worries at the college. There are always people there to help.

This piece is part of a series on “transitioning to college.” We encourage graduating seniors and their parents or guardians to engage in discussion on a weekly basis about these topics. If you have feedback or additional ideas or perspectives to share, please let us know so we can incorporate your thoughts into revisions of our posts.

NACAC's The State of College Admission Report 2019

Each year, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) surveys its member institutions on a number of factors. Read the report here! There are some very interesting findings. Take some time to look through.

College Visits

There is no better way to understand a college or university than for a student to see it with his or her own eyes. As such, we strongly recommend that families consider planning college visits during the high school years, if at all possible. To be clear, it is certainly possible to successfully navigate the college search process without visiting colleges, but it is hard when a student is only able to use the internet for points of comparison. In fact, I have seldom had students really fall in love with a school -- or an attribute of a type of school -- without visiting. So, plan early and do what you can to get on some college campuses! And keep in mind the importance of demonstrated interest, especially in the US. 

Here is a bit of a topical approach to some common questions and concepts...

Can’t I just apply and then visit? 

This was typically the protocol for many students years ago: apply to a swath of schools that seemed to fit the bill and then visit those to which the student was accepted. Unfortunately, this does not allow students to use their visit to help their search processes. How do they know the schools they have applied to are the “right” ones? As such, we recommend that students do what they can to visit before the application process. If a student must choose between visiting before or visiting after, we recommend before!

What if I have a small window of time to visit? 

This is related to the question about only being able to afford to visit one location. In the end, utilize your college counselor! Pick a city -- or work with your college counselor to pick a city -- and then visit a bunch of different colleges in that city. In almost every urban environment there are several institutions of higher education that are different enough to give you a sense of some different types of schools: Boston, London, LA, Paris, DC, Chicago, Seattle, Manchester, Amsterdam. (New York is a tough destination for this one, actually, without being able to get out of the city.) Let your college counselor know which city you’d like to visit, and we can put together a list.

What if I have a really small window of time to visit colleges? 

In the “good old days,” when college counselors were encouraging people to apply-and-then-visit, when it was possible, they would push students to do just two visits before the application process to inform the list: one large, one small and one urban, one rural. Combine these two attributes into two schools, and this was all that was needed: one big, urban school and one small, rural school or one big, rural school and one small, urban school (although this latter type is harder to find!). If this is all you can do, this, at least, will get you thinking about two of the more basic criteria: size and proximity to city.

What do I do if I want to visit the summer before junior year (or earlier) when college counseling has not yet formally begun?

Of course, if you can plan ahead, we would love to meet with you to discuss, so don’t be discouraged by any sense that college counselors are not available. That said, the idea early in the high school career is to visit a wide array of different types of places, even if they don’t seem to be places that are very interesting. You never know until you check them out! As such, what we would recommend is to find a list of schools that cover a wide array of different types of places and then start researching. Go to the websites and start seeing what stands out. Then pick a few of the favorites to visit. Let us know how we can help! 

What if I only visit hyper-selective schools?

This one is a bit more complicated. If you look at all the Ivy League schools freshman and sophomore year, fine. Maybe they will be motivational for you and you will rise to the challenge academically knowing you need to work hard to get admitted to these places. However, to be clear, while we would discourage any student from focusing visits only on the hyper-selectives, I also say that if you find yourself in Princeton, New Jersey, go visit Princeton. While there are many unique elements to the institution, we can approximate and replicate just about all of them in other institutions, so don’t hesitate to visit schools like this. Just don’t focus on only those types of places! It is best to visit an array of different types of places. 

What do I do when visiting a school? 

Visits typically are comprised of two components: a campus tour and an info session, where someone, usually from the admissions team, leads a discussion about the school. We recommend taking advantage of both -- and any other -- opportunities offered by the school. Keep in mind, though, that these visit experiences are typically highly sculpted, so we recommend doing three things on any campus visit… First, sit in the dining area where students are abound. Are they happy? Excited? What are they wearing? Are they socializing? Can you see yourself there? Second, grab a school newspaper. What are the issues being discussed? Are they relevant to you? Do they speak to your interests or concerns? And, third, examine the bulletin boards while walking around campus. What is being advertised? Apartments? Missing items? Jobs? Internships? Social activism? These things can fill many of the gaps avoided in the more refined components of the formal visit. Also, it makes sense for you to take a look at the current year’s supplemental application questions, those questions that are specific to that college and see if you can find ways to answer them through the experience of your visit.

What if I cannot get on the official tour and info session?

If you cannot get on the official visit or they are not offered on days when you are there, ask if you can be provided with information for a self-guided tour. Most admissions offices will offer these. Then, you and your family can stroll around at your own leisure. This being said, given the role of demonstrated interest, we recommend that you take some time to drop a quick email to your admissions representative to let them know you were there and what you thought of the place after your tour!

What if I don’t get to visit the schools I will eventually apply to?

Don’t worry about this. It is more important to visit some schools than the ones you will apply to. Your college counselor can help you with approximations: if you liked school X for these reasons, then you will probably like school Y because they are similar. Very few students I have ever worked with have visited all of the schools to which they applied. Of course, though, if you are fortunate enough to be able to make visits each year, we would recommend that you start broad and increase your focus with each year, perhaps intending to visit your final college list heading into the senior year. 

Are there any schools you really recommend I visit?

Yes. Just one. An early decision school. We have a hard time recommending that a student apply binding Early Decision to a college without having visited. It seems too risky.

Will you put together the itinerary for us?

Nope. This one is for you. Of course, parents typically need to be involved here to arrange for transportation and logistics, but in an ideal world the student would communicate and sign up for the visits. 

One final point…

When we discuss college visits, we think about driving a submarine: it is designed to head in one direction without great maneuverability. Once headed in a certain direction, it is hard to turn. That said, when something has been discarded, just like with a submarine, it is hard to see what has been left behind. The submarine lingo here is that it is hard to see what is in your baffles, directly behind you! So, just as submariners do, students visiting colleges should routinely check their baffles! This can simply be visiting a school on occasion that does not fit the with the type of school that they seem to be gravitating toward. When you stop looking at schools as an on-off switch and rather as places for which there are many good reasons to attend, you can learn something even from a school you know you would never attend about what you are looking for. So, for example, even though you might have moved away from large, state institutions in favor of small liberal arts colleges, be sure to check that hunch on occasion and “check your baffles” by taking another look at a big school. There is certainly something you can learn from such a visit, but you are also honoring one of the most important principles of the college process: you have the right to change your mind! 

The Phantom Applicant

A good friend of mine used to work in the admissions office of a hyper-selective liberal arts college. This was a few years back, and while the technology has changed, the process has not. He shared with me that whenever there was an interaction with a student, it was recorded in one way or another in a manilla folder, so when the application arrived, it joined a cataloguing of visits to campus, inquiry cards completed at fairs, email exchanges with the reps, etc. Essentially, all manner of “demonstrated interest” (or DI) was kept on file and taken into account during the application review. However, if an application arrived and no materials existed for that particular student, the application was deemed a “phantom applicant” and placed in a red folder (instead of the manilla folder). Now I won’t go into the details about the ways in which this particular institution factored the paper-trail of DI into their application review given how varied this can be among different colleges, but suffice it to say that the students in the red folders began the application review process at a disadvantage compared to those who had demonstrated interest.

Now the mistake in hearing this is to manufacture and construct artificial mechanisms and reasons for demonstrating interest. As I share with my students, while I may not be able to give any secrets about how to guarantee admission into any particular schools, I can share unequivocally how not to be admitted to any institution: be disingenuous! The college admissions process mostly has a great sense of that which is genuine and that which is not. So, to be clear, I do not advocate demonstrating interest for the sake of demonstrating interest. Instead, I adhere strictly to a belief that good DI is merely good research.

In today’s day and age, the internet is our primary means for research, and some college websites are better than others. However, what it means to research a university is something that we, as educators, do not always establish with our students. What does it mean to research a school? Here’s a thought that I use… I encourage students to defer immediate, gut reactions when researching. It is not a light-switch, either on (yes) or off (no). Instead, I want students to consider it to be an accounting and balancing, more of the variety of a pros and cons listing. Unfortunately, what I have found is that a student will go to a website and find two or three things about a school — maybe even the elements of their criteria that initiated the search — and then stop researching. Instead, I ask students to withhold that final determination of yes/no in favor of a more thorough examination. What I ask is for them to come up with at least three pros and at least three cons. The diligent researcher might come up with 50 pros before she comes up with 3 cons; this school, then, might be a yes! Conversely, a student might come up with 8 cons before he finds that third pro; this one might be a no! In proceeding through this process, though, a student is really just deepening their search criteria by establishing which elements of a school are most important. In the end, though, the student needs to keep researching past their search criteria, to keep digging at what elements of a school are particularly important to them and which unique elements of specific schools really stand out.

However, coming back to the internet and demonstrated interest, at some point in the research process there will come a need to learn more. In an ideal world, the student would be able to visit each college of interest, but this is increasingly impossible. However, in lieu of going to the school for a formal visit and information session, the student should absolutely reach out to the trained professionals in the admission office to get their questions answered. It is true that there are plenty of institutions (e.g. USC, NYU) that do not track DI as part of their process; however, if a student’s outreach and connection with a school — the traditional domain of DI — are genuine and related to his or her active research process, regardless of whether the school tracks DI, the outreach benefits the student by providing the answers to their questions. Again, good DI is just good research.

In the end, when a student takes their search and research process seriously, there should be no concerns about DI, as their research should have led them to an effective demonstration, whether or not the individual institutions track it. Seen this way, the parable of the phantom applicant makes a bit more sense: the students in the red folders can be seen, through one lens, of begin poor researchers. So, ultimately, don’t be a phantom applicant! Be a good researcher!

NACAC Guide to International Admissions

Each year the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) publishes a guide to International University Admission. It is a wonderful resource for students and parents considering institutions across the globe. Please find it here, for your reference!

Transitioning to College: Academics

For most students, their preparation in high school has served them well as they move on to college. Some things will be familiar while others will be less so. Some coursework will be far more demanding that what was previously experienced, and some will be consistent with what was experienced in high school. That all being said, it is highly valuable to put time in now into thinking about how best to make the academic transition to college:

How are you ensuring that you will make the adjustment to college academics successfully?

• What is the process for registering for courses at your college? Is the process different for freshmen?

• What are the required courses or general education requirements for your college? How will you strategize getting them completed?

• What resources does your school provide for choosing courses? Is there someone you could call or email with questions?

• Do you know when you will be asked to register for courses? Be sure to look into this process in advance.

• Alumni Advice: At bigger schools, there is often a rush to register, so make sure you know what your top choices are and what 2 or 3 back-ups will be in case you don’t get in. Be prepared for this, especially during your freshman year!

• Have you thought about what courses you will take? Can you find a curriculum guide? If so, take some time to look through and make note of which courses you would like to take.

• Are there freshman-only courses available? Often colleges will offer seminars or writing-intensive courses that are only available for freshmen to aid in the transition to college.

• Alumni Advice: Take the freshman-only courses! They give you great foundations in getting to know expectations at your school, and you get to meet even more classmates.

• At the beginning of the semester, is there an add/drop period or a “shopping” period while students figure out which courses are ideal for them?

• Alumni Advice: If you don’t get the courses that you really want, be sure to attend the courses anyway during add/drop on top of the other courses in which you are enrolled and try to speak with the professor. Often, but not always, they have some power to get you into the course!

• Have you thought about where you will study? Some students try not to work in their rooms while others try to do all of their work there. If not in your room, do you know the other spaces available? Libraries? Student centers? Study rooms?

• What resources are available to you to assist with your academic performance? Often colleges will have writing centers, math support, other academic help desks, as well as study skill support centers. Some schools offer peer tutoring resources as well.

• Will you have an academic advisor? What is his or her role? And when will you be assigned?

• What will you do if you experience academic difficulties? What supports are available?

This piece is part of a series on “transitioning to college.” We encourage graduating seniors and their parents or guardians to engage in discussion on a weekly basis about these topics. If you have feedback or additional ideas or perspectives to share, please let us know so we can incorporate your thoughts into revisions of our posts.