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Questions
and Answers for students and parents concerning New Questions added on 03/11/2007
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Q.
How
much influence do coaches have in the college admissions
process? A.
It varies. At some large universities, the coaches have a very
big influence. You know which universities they are because
you see them on TV all year long. What is behind the coach's
influence in admissions is a lot of money. Large, successful,
Division 1 universities generate a lot of money for the
college from their athletic success. Not a small part of this
money comes from loyal alumni who make financial contributions
to a "Friends of the Team" organization, or directly
to the university. Funny how the contributions seem to be in
direct proportion to the number in the wins column! College
sports are big business in the world of academic nonprofits. So,
when a Division 1 coach tells you that he or she is very
interested in you, AND you are invited for an "official
visit", it is a clear sign that your odds of getting in
are very high. That is different from "You look like a
good athlete and you could fit in well in our program and send
me a video." In
25+ years of advising students, I have seen more than a few
cases of students who thought they got a clear message of
interest from the coach only to see the acceptance letter
never show up. Because the process is well regulated in
Division 1 by the NCAA, this high hopes, great promises, and
disappointment happens much more often in Division 3 than in
Division 1. Whether Division 1, 2, or 3, be cautious, and
don't ever hesitate to ask the coach exactly what he or she is
implying or promising. Asking these questions will only make
you sound like the more determined and
"professional" athlete that you are . . . or hope to
be! With
all that said, what I have observed over the past five to ten
years is the rise of the influence of sports and coaches in
admissions at Division 3 colleges, particularly at more
selective colleges. Though I may just be dreaming, I would
like to think that colleges thirty years ago were primarily
concerned about doing what is best for the education of the
students on their campus. Today, colleges, the most selective,
small colleges included, spend a lot of time and energy
focused on competing with like colleges. They compete with
newer buildings, with better food, with bigger scholarships,
with higher national rankings, and better sports teams.
Colleges that used to appear to have limited interest in
sports, now worry about having a better football, hockey,
fencing, water polo team than their admissions competitors.
That makes college coaches much more influential than they
were ten years ago. In general, if you are very interested in playing sports in college, it is a good idea to communicate with the coach, and keep the communication going throughout the process. If you listen carefully, you can probably get a good sense of the admissions decision to come. Q.
How
do I know that college will really be worth it if I am not all
that excited about school today? A.
You don't. Twenty-five
years ago, just having a college degree had significant value.
While this piece of paper still opens up many job
opportunities today, the paper's value has eroded. Perhaps a
master's degree today has a value similar to the bachelor's
degree of twenty-five years ago. So,
I would discourage you from setting your sights on a piece of
paper with eroding value, but I certainly would encourage you
to seriously consider going to college. Rather than pursuing a
diploma, pursue a career, and use your college education as a
tool to reach that career. The
really good news is that a college education will keep all
doors open. That means that with a college education you will
have the opportunity to proceed to any career you wish. But,
the degree of success you have in that career will depend on
the quality of the educational experience you have in college.
How much you learn in college and how interested and able you
are to learn more after college really matter. A
college diploma keeps the doors open. A great college
experience helps you get through these doors of opportunity
and be successful on the other side. Yes,
Americans who have earned a bachelor's degree can expect to
earn, on average, roughly $20,000 more each year over a
lifetime than someone who earns only a high school diploma.
That is an average, not a guarantee. Whether you end up way
above the average or way below is up to you. So,
how do you know that a college education is really worth it,
not just in terms of money, but also in terms of your own
investment of time and energy? If you choose your college
well, a college education is almost certain to be worth every
ounce of energy you put into it . . . and it can be a great
experience – rewarding and fun! You think learning can't be exciting? I recently visited a college that used to have its classrooms open 24 hours a day. They finally had to lock up the school at night because students were staying there all night long, three days straight sometimes, not showering, eating out of the vending machine, because they wanted to keep working on their college projects. Tell me they were not and are not today excited about learning! With some thought and planning, the same can happen for you. And, you don't have to give up showers. Q.
Is
it too early to start the college process in the middle of my
child's junior year in high school? We don't want to add more
stress to an already busy schedule. A.
I would say that it is not too early, it is too late, but I am
not sure that helps much. No,
it is not too early. You will find that the sooner you start
the process, the less stressful it will be. Your child's
schedule will get no less busy next year, when applications
and teacher recommendations and SATs are added to the mix. More
importantly though, it is my experience that once you take
your child to visit a range of schools, ones your child likes
more and likes less, your child will likely have a slightly
different perspective on academics today and the value of
doing well. They usually won't admit that, but if you watch
very carefully, you will see them working just a little
harder. Once
they see colleges they don't like and colleges they do like,
they will start to connect some dots. They will realize that
the better they do in school, the better their chances are of
getting into the college they like. And, most importantly,
they can usually come to this conclusion without an adult
(parent) saying a word! So, the sooner they start this
process, the more time they have to adjust their school effort
to match hoped-for college opportunities. Wait until senior
year to work through this process, after they have little
opportunity to adjust their school performance, and you can
only add stress. And,
you should not be exploring college without discussing majors.
Sure, many teenagers are undecided about what they want to do
for a career (as are many adults), but exploring and
discussing college majors can be all about opportunities and
fun and studying really interesting stuff! And, as a parent,
you may never have a better opportunity to share just a little
advice with your teenager about careers and the world of work.
Starting
the college search in the senior year forces you and your
child to focus on getting into a college. Starting much
earlier than that allows you and your child, together and
separately, to wonder about academic interests and career
goals and personal values and goals. It allows you and your
child to wonder about opportunities for the next forty years,
not just the next four. Q.
Is it better to go
to a small college or a large university? A.
Both can be great. You just have to take advantage of their
strengths. As
I see it, here are some advantages to going to a large
university, perhaps with 10,000 students or more. •
You will
have more courses and majors to choose from. •
You will
have a small group of friends, but be part of a larger, more
diverse student body. •
There
will probably be more social opportunities available – more
activities on weekends, more big time sports events to go to. •
There
will be a McDonald's and Starbucks right on campus! In the
student union! You will feel more like you are part of a city
(or town) rather than part of a school. So it will be a taste
of life ahead . . . McDonald's and Starbucks and choices and
decisions! •
It will
be easier for you to find your social niche – some friends
that share your values, rather than feeling that you need to
try to fit into one prevailing social culture, as you are more
likely to find at a small college. And,
here are some advantages to going to a smaller school. •
There
will be a small number of students, perhaps five to twenty, in
most of your classes, so it will be easier to participate in
discussions and get your questions answered. •
You will
have a faculty advisor you will probably get to know well who
will help you choose your courses, help you get the help you
need if you are having trouble, and who will get to know you
and be your ally. You are less likely to register for courses
online using your social security number. You will use your
name . . . and a pencil! •
You will
feel like you are part of a small, close community with some
shared values. •
You are
more likely to graduate in four years. It is easier to change
your major at a small college. •
You will
probably have an easier time being a star on a sports team or
a leader of some other activity. •
You will
get to know, and get more comfortable with, a well-defined
community of students and educators. Over
the past eighteen years of advising students on colleges, more
than a few students have told me that they didn't want to go
to a "small" college – "nothing smaller than
2,000." I finally realized that what they were really
saying was, "I am tired of my high school. I know
everybody. Everybody knows everybody. I've been with these
same students for the past twelve years. I am ready for
something new!" All
those comments are good news. They mean you have outgrown your
high school and are ready for something new. Who would want it
any other way! The problem is that almost half of the 4000
colleges and universities in the Remember, one of the issues is that you have spent the past twelve years with many of the same students. At most colleges you might go to, over 95% of the students will be new to you, and very few high schools have as many as 2000 students. At a college with 1500 students, there will be plenty of students you won't know after four years. Just because life at your high school feels "small" doesn't mean that a college that is labeled "small" in some college guide will be a bad fit for you.
A.
First,
I would discourage you from pursuing a college just because it
is selective. Selectivity has much to do with location, and it
has much to do with history. There are very selective colleges
that, in my opinion, are just OK, and there are much less
selective colleges that I think are great. Now,
to answer your question. I will try to keep this simple. You
may not like my first answer, but good grades are the most
important action you can take to improve your chances of
getting into a very selective college. Good grades rarely get
you in to a selective college, but they do move your
application into the second round for further consideration.
And, weaker grades usually exclude you from further
consideration very quickly. Though it is true that colleges
often only see your high school grades, they make their
admissions decision based on much more than that one piece of
paper. Your school performance K – 12 will determine the
rest of you that is not on that transcript . . . and your
chances of being accepted. Your 8th grade academic performance
does matter. Your 3rd grade academic performance does matter. By
now you may be looking for some shortcuts to acceptance. I'll
give you a few. Showing
interest in their college is a big deal. That means thanking
them and calling them and visiting their campus and saying you
like their college. That will improve your chances of getting
in. A
very good essay will significantly increase your chances of
being admitted. It is, after all, the largest part of your
application folder. A weak or misspelled or boring essay can
greatly reduce your chances of admission. I can give plenty of
advice on writing a college essay, but if I were only allowed
one sentence, it would be to keep all that you have learned
about writing quietly in the background and write in a style
that is most you. I have read some great essays from fourth
graders who are just writing what comes out of their head. It
works. What
gets students into the most selective colleges is not test
scores or grades, it is something else. It is some other
interest that you have pursued with excitement and vigor. This
is good news for you. So, if you have something you really
like doing, and you really put a lot of energy and interest
into it over several or many years and you get good at it,
your chances of being admitted to a selective college will go
up. You'll hear the word "passion" a lot as you wade
through the college admission process, but that isn't a
particularly student-compatible word. Finally,
my last bit of advice is to put together a resume to take with
you to your interview and to attach to your application. The
job of college admissions people is to put the pieces of your
application together to build a whole person they can
evaluate. That is not easy. A good resume can help a lot. This
is not a "Prom Committee 9, 10, 11, 12" high school
resume; it is much closer to a business resume which makes
clear what you have accomplished and why it is important.
"Prom Committee 9, 10, 11, 12" does neither. That's as close to a shortcut as I can get! Q.
How do I know which college is best for me? A.
More than a few years ago, I remember attending a
workshop done by some school counselors and college admissions
people and their answer to your question was, "Know
thyself." 30+ years after I applied to college I am still
trying to figure that out. So, I am not convinced that
"knowing thyself" is a useful strategy for you over
the next few months. I
used to be a fan of web sites and software that help students
search for colleges. They make the college process simpler and
quicker, but not necessarily better. It is a challenging
process that usually gets crammed into a few busy months
during the senior year in high school. More than a few
students punt. They just can't figure out what really matters
to them, so they go to a web site, get a quick list, and then
compare dormitories and food and tour guides. And, they get
their parents off their backs! The
good news is that there are many great colleges and there is a
good chance that the college you end up at will serve you
well. BUT, the real value of a college diploma today is $0.
The real value of a great college education today? Priceless. But
you asked this question to get an answer. Rather than trying
to understand thyself, I would try to assess your real
"wants." Do you really want to go to college? Do you
really want to go to college to make friends? To socialize? To
get involved in outside-of-classroom activities? To play
sports? To prepare for a career? To learn something? If
the real reason you are going to college is to socialize
(which isn't necessarily bad), make your reasons known – now
– especially to your parents. Some
students can go to college to play sports, but realize that
few go on to a career in pro sports. If sports are an
important part of who you are and your confidence, I would
spend extra time comparing coaches and the level of
competition. My
advice? Focus on the college catalogue – the course
listings. One very good reason for going on to college is to
learn more. I know you probably aren't sure what you want to
study, but start with what you like – today. Start with what
you like in and out of class. If you really like iPods, you
could major in acoustics or music engineering or music or
marketing or computer science or graphic design. Or, you could
choose to major in accounting or dentistry because the adult
world might be sending you the message that those are both
"real jobs." Studying something that you really like
increases the value of your college education ten-fold – and
it really helps your career! Rather
than comparing dormitories and tour guides, try comparing
courses offerings. See which college offers the highest number
of potentially very interesting courses. Yes, the academic
environment and geographic environment and the
nature/style/values of the student body may really matter, but
at up to $45,000 per year, one REALLY good reason for going to
college is to learn something that REALLY excites you. Compare catalogues more than view books, courses more than dorm rooms. A.
There is no one answer, but I will do my best to answer each
of your questions. I'll do the easiest one first. No, they do
not throw out your essay if it is too long. I am willing to
guess that this is true 98% of the time. 2% of the time a
really long essay might get tossed by a really tired
admissions person really late at night at a really selective
college. Often
colleges ask that the application essay be 500 words long. I
would stick pretty close to 500 words. There is no firm rule
and different colleges will treat it differently, and
different admissions readers will treat it differently, and if
they have already decided that they REALLY want/need you, you
can write 5 or 5000 words and you won't change their minds. But
you probably want a better answer than that. I would not be
below 490 words and I would try not to be above 575. 500 - 530
is great. How's that? No, they do not throw out a 650 word essay, but it might give them an extra reason not to accept you if they are on the fence about you from the start. Word limits are not very important. You can go over my suggested (but quite arbitrary) limits if you think the extra words will REALLY add to the quality of the message. Admissions people worry much more about quality of your writing and content than quantity. So does your English teacher. Q.
Some students seem to be applying to a lot of colleges. How
many colleges should I apply to? A.
If you have fifteen
colleges you would just love to attend, then, perhaps,
applying to fifteen colleges makes sense. More often, families
who are applying to fifteen colleges are doing it out of fear.
They figure that the more colleges they apply to, the better
their chances of getting accepted by at least one college.
They are usually right, but I am still not convinced that
applying to fifteen colleges makes much sense. Knowing that
most students don't love to write college applications makes
me suspect that parents are often behind this mass mailing. Many
students apply to one college and attend it. That can work
well if you are quite certain you will be admitted to that
college and you know that it is the college you want to
attend. Applying
to five colleges is a traditional benchmark. Students apply to
one or two “reach” colleges, one or two “mid-range”
colleges, and one or two “safety schools." These terms
all relate to selectivity and your chances of getting in. This
formula has worked well for many years and can work well for
you if you do your research. At some point, you will need to
narrow your choices down to one college. So my recommendation
is to start the college search process early, freshman or
sophomore year, and apply to about five colleges your senior
year. In
the last five years, it has become quite trendy to apply to
ten or fifteen colleges. This wild number of college
applications is driven primarily by three factors. First,
colleges are marketing hard for more applications. This makes
them look more selective in national college rankings because
they have more applications, not because they are accepting
fewer students. Second,
with so many colleges promoting online college applications,
applying to college is easier than ever. The “Common
Application” is one application that can be used to apply to
many colleges. Students are applying to more colleges today
because they can. Third,
college rankings and catchy newspaper headlines, and even some
demographics, are driving a frenzy about the growing
selectivity of colleges. Indeed, some selective and popular
colleges are more selective and popular than ever, but most
colleges are not significantly more selective. They just get
more applications because there are more applications out
there. Five
applications is plenty. Q.
When should we start talking to our guidance counselor
about colleges? A.
Your work with the high school guidance counselor should be
the end of the college planning process, not the beginning. We
wait until late junior year or fall of senior year because it
is habit (a bad one) and because high school guidance
counselors usually don't have time to do much college planning
with you much earlier, no matter how much they might want to.
Waiting to start your college planning process until your
guidance counselor has time will usually mean that you will
have fewer great college options to consider, and you will
often pay more for a great college education than you need to. Throughout
elementary school, you should be helping your child wonder
about the future and about special interests and fun careers
and fun subjects to study in college. Throughout middle
school, you should keep this conversation going. Students
should begin to understand the mechanics of college and the
mechanics of college admissions and the benefits of a college
education. Many
of the most popular colleges expect students to take almost
all honors level courses, if they are available. With that in
mind, there are some important decisions to be made at the end
of eighth grade. Some colleges require that a student take SAT
Subject Tests. These require some decisions in tenth grade. The
guidance counselor's role is to help the student match
interests and goals and an academic transcript with
appropriate colleges. That's the college match process. The
college planning process must begin much earlier. That's a
lifetime process where you help your child build his or her
aspirations and expectations and interests. The better each of
these has been developed by the time you enter the guidance
office door, the better the chance that a guidance counselor
can help connect the student with a great educational
experience beyond high school. If
you want to do all you can to encourage your child to go to
college, make college part of the conversation, and part of
your child's expectations. And the next time you sit down to
watch the Final Four, remind them that those aren't just
basketball teams, they are colleges, with classes, and
teachers, and web sites, and some very interesting subjects to
study in between basketball games. A.
You can address part one
and part two of your question by calling someone you have
gotten to know in the admissions office and asking them these
exact questions. Many
students apply to five or six colleges. Many students are
accepted at three or four of these colleges. That means the
students tell two or three of these colleges that accepted
them that they, the students, will not be enrolling at that
college. So, colleges must accept more students than they have
beds or desks to fill. How many more? That is what keeps
admissions people up at night. The wait-list helps them sleep. College
admissions directors make their most educated guess at how
many students will say yes to the college's acceptance offer.
It is only a guess. If they are off, that is where the
wait-list comes in. They don't know how many students they
will take off the wait-list each year. You don't either. That
means you really can't guess about your chances of getting in
off the wait-list unless, perhaps, the admissions person has
said you are at the top of the list. That means your chances
are better than all the others on the wait-list, but you and
the college still don't know whether there will be any
openings after all the accepted students have responded. What
are your chances of getting accepted off the wait-list? Sorry,
you just don't know. But, they took a lot off the wait-list
last year! Sorry, that was last year. If
you were wait-listed, they felt you were qualified. But,
perhaps you weren’t quite what they needed to balance out
their class at that time. The fact that you were wait-listed
means that they are interested in you. So,
what can you do to improve your chances of getting accepted
off the wait-list? In their wait-list letter to you, they
asked you to let them know if you are interested in staying on
the wait-list. If you are interested, be sure to respond
quickly and clearly. If you don't do this, your chances of
being accepted off the wait-list are about zero. Separately,
write them a letter saying you are still very interested and
would attend if accepted. If the college is truly your first
choice, be sure to tell them. Include updated information to
give them a reason to change their mind – an updated
transcript, new scores, a new list of activities, achievements
and/or awards, a new essay, a new recommendation. A
few days after you mail this, make a phone call to the
admissions director, your interviewer, or the admissions
representative in charge of your region. Tell them you really
want to attend! Tell them it is your first choice! Then ask
them what you can do help your chances of being admitted off
the wait-list. So,
respond with a letter and a phone call. Don’t sound
desperate. Do sound confident. And, let them know you would
enroll if accepted. The fact that you are a “sure bet” to
enroll if accepted gives the admissions director a better
night’s sleep. That works for them and you! This is not an
easy phone call to make for many students. You can have your
guidance counselor make this call, but I recommend you do it
yourself. You are likely to get better results. Don’t
hesitate to make another follow-up phone call in a few weeks.
Just be polite; don’t be pushy. Usually,
acceptance off the wait-list is not a highly scientific
process. Sometimes, an acceptance goes to the good kid who
seems very interested and just called. Q.
How do I know which college is best for me? I have to
decide in the next two weeks. A.
You don't know. True,
some people will tell you to "just go with your
gut," but if you don't have a gut feeling, that advice
isn't much help. Despite what college admissions offices and
fancy view books may have been telling you for the past twelve
months, no college is perfect for you. No college is that
incredible. It will be up to you to make a great education for
yourself at a college that is likely to support you well
through the process. Very
often I find, students are looking for a college that comes
closest to what they currently like in life. This is despite
all their protestations about how they want to move on to a
new world, a bigger school, more diversity, and without
parents. I encourage you to think about how you would like to
change in the next four years – how you would like to be
different from the person you are today – and then take a
swing at trying to sense which college might be most likely to
get you there. That might mean that the college is more like
who you want to be than who you are today. Still,
this may all be too soft for you. I visit a lot of colleges
each year. There are some great colleges in this country – a
lot of them. You will need to figure out what matters most to
you for the two or four years ahead – your priorities. This
is different from "knowing thyself." You just want
to decide what qualities you need most in the next four years
in terms of on-campus lifestyle and off-campus lifestyle,
on-campus learning and off-campus learning, outside-of-class
activities and off-campus activities. Now consider whether
these qualities/priorities are aligned with what you think you
might want ten years from now. If,
on the other hand, you have been stressing about this college
admissions process too long and you just want it over with,
remember that most colleges can be great for you if you make
them great. So your odds of getting it right are quite high if
you put just a little thought into it. If I were you, I would
go into your guidance office and ask if there are any recent
graduates of your high school who are at the college(s) you
are considering. Then call or e-mail them for their opinion.
Think about how this student differs from you and how your
college priorities might be different and how they might be
similar. The
next four years should be about growth and learning, not about
college and diplomas. You may grow out of one college in a
year. You might transfer. That's OK. It might even be good –
even if all the adults do complain! And,
if you can't tell yourself what you want to learn in college,
then it may just not be the right time for you to go to
college. You need to be ready to make college great. It is a
great opportunity . . . and a great experience if you make it
one. Q.
Are there some colleges that still have openings after May
1? A.
Most colleges still have openings after May 1 – many great
colleges, no less. This May 1 business is focused on a few of
the most selective colleges in the country. Actually, a
majority of colleges have openings throughout much of the
summer. Some openings are publicized; some are quiet.
Sometimes you need to contact the college and push a bit to
create an opening for yourself. At most colleges throughout
the country, several enrolled students will change their minds
in August and decide not to attend the college. That usually
becomes an opening, and not one that gets much publicity. If
you “forgot” to apply to college in March, or you didn’t
end up with the options you had hoped for, there are still
great openings for those who are willing to push a bit. Your
guidance counselor is likely to know which colleges have
openings through the summer. Look for the “Space
Availability Survey” at www.nacac.com,
which is a partial list of colleges with current openings.
Your guidance counselor probably has access to this if you
can't find it. Q.
Is
it a good idea to apply Early Decision to college? A.
Let me give you ten reasons why applying Early Decision
(if available) is a good idea. College
#1 in Also
in The
rest of what you need to know about Early Decision follows.
You'll find the Early Decision option at no more than 200
colleges. Many students never hear about or understand the
Early Decision option, which is unfortunate. But, understand
that most colleges do not offer an Early Decision option. It
is offered primarily by more selective, private colleges. So,
with roughly 4,000 If
you apply to a college Early Decision and if the college
accepts you, you agree to enroll at that college. You can
apply Early Decision to only one college at a time. You agree
to drop all your Regular Admission or Early Action
applications to other colleges if you are accepted Early
Decision. It is a commitment by you and by the college. Early
Action, which is not the same as Early Decision, is an early
admissions response from the college to you, but without any
commitment on your end. So,
why do these colleges seem to be so keen on Early Decision?
Any good salesman likes to "seal the deal." More
students are applying to more schools compared to ten years
ago. Colleges are competing for students and want to do all
they can to enroll the students they really want. And, the
more students that colleges can enroll in December, the better
the admissions people can sleep in May. And, colleges truly
are more interested in accepting students that seem to be very
interested in their college. And finally, there is this issue
of "yield." At a "really good college", a
high percentage of the students the college accepts decide to
enroll at the college. At a very prestigious college, perhaps
70% of the accepted students will decide to enroll. At a
"back-up" school, that percentage may be much lower.
For some reason, this yield number has become important to
admissions people. If you accepted 100% of your freshman class
through Early Decision, your yield (number enrolled over
number accepted) would be 100%, which would be even better
than Harvard!! But
what about the issue of financial aid? I confess I always
cringe when I hear people advise against Early Decision if you
think you will need financial aid. The only message I hear is
that those who don't need financial aid get a better deal and
a better chance at being accepted to these elite and highly
selective colleges. That's not an education system I want to
support. The argument is that if you apply Early Decision and
are accepted, you won't be able to negotiate with the college
for a better financial aid package because you are already
committed. That is true . . . but . . . the financial aid
process actually works quite well, so you are likely to get
the financial aid you need by applying to a college early,
when the college has more money in their financial aid
coffers. And, you can still explain to the college why you
need more financial aid, and the truth is that if, despite all
your and their best efforts, you just can't afford their
college given their financial aid package, you can retract
your commitment to enroll. Should you apply Early Decision if you have the option? Yes, if you have a certain first choice college. No, if your academic profile is well below their academic profile range. And, no, if you expect your grades to improve a lot in the next quarter, or you know you can do much better on the next round of SATs. Q.
How do I know if I will fit in with the students at a college? A.
You don't, but it does matter. Beautiful dorms and great
food and interesting majors all won't add up to a great
college experience without a good social experience. For
the eighteen years I have been advising students on college, I
have been hearing students say that they want to get beyond
the social scene of their high school. That makes good sense
to me and seems very healthy. Some of it is saying that they
are tired of being with many of the faces they have seen for
the past twelve years, as opposed to saying that they want to
be with a very different breed of student. On
the flip side of this issue is the fact that students are more
likely to like the looks of a college that resembles what they
are comfortable with – what they know. Adults are usually no
different when they chose a neighborhood to live in. So,
how do you know if you will fit in with the students at a
school? Step #1 is to make an honest effort to answer in print
the question, "How much do I really want to change at
college?" Step #2 is to answer the question, "How do
I want to change at college?" Those are both very hard
questions to answer, but they matter. Step
#3 is to ask your guidance counselor for the names of students
you might know from your school who are at that college. That
connection to you and what you know is very valuable. Comments
on a college's web site from a student from the wheat fields
of Step
#4 is to visit the campus and be sure to spend some time
wandering and wondering around campus outside of the campus
tour. The more you talk with students the better, but just
seeing the students can help you gain some sense of their
values and styles. You and I know you are not supposed to
judge people by their looks, but you and I know that teenagers
actively and deliberately say a lot about what is on their
mind by how they dress and act. I would try to spend more than
a little time at the student union/campus center. Colleges all
have one, but they may use different names. It is where the
students congregate during the day. Step
#5 is to pick up a campus newspaper, which you can read when
you get home, to get a sense of student issues and attitudes. Step #6 is to hope for good luck. No matter how well you do your research, a difficult relationship with your roommate can skew your vision of the whole campus. Just don't forget to go back to the question of how much and how you want your college experience to change you. Learning to get along with people with different styles and values can be hard work, but I am not sure I can think of any ability you might develop in college, any knowledge you might gain, any major you might graduate summa cum laude with that would be more valuable than getting along with others. Maybe you don't necessarily want college life to always be easy. Q.
How do I know that a teacher will write me a good
recommendation? Can I ask to see the recommendation before the
teacher sends it? A.
You certainly can ask the teacher if he or she can write you a
good recommendation, but that can be an awkward conversation
for all involved. You can ask your guidance counselor to ask
your teacher, if you have serious doubts about the quality of
the recommendation. Usually,
you don't know what a teacher will write. And, these
recommendations really do matter. One weak recommendation
almost always lowers your chances for admission significantly. Often,
your best strategy is to sit down with the teachers you hope
will write your recommendation. This means a conversation, and
not between the end of class and the next bell. Tell them
about your college interests and goals. Tell them the colleges
you are interested in. If the subtle or not so subtle message
that you get from these teachers is that Harvard will be a
really tough place for you to get into, that may be a very
good indication that they cannot write you a good
recommendation for Harvard. Can
you ask the teacher to read the recommendation? Generally,
students don't. Some teachers are happy to show you what they
write. If you know the teacher well and you know they will
write great things about you, having a copy of their
recommendation letter can be a big help for jobs and
internships in your future. You can ask. You
need good recommendations! If you have been goofing off in
class for the past eleven years, those good recommendations
will be harder to find. You may need to go find your
kindergarten teacher! You need good recommendations, and at
least one should be from an 11th or 12th grade teacher. Q.
Which colleges have the nicest campuses? I
will answer your question after I encourage you to look at your academic
opportunities, your opportunities for growth, career opportunities, and
the social environment before you look at the beauty of the campus. What
you may think is beautiful may well be different from what I think is
beautiful, but here are a few campuses that appealed to me . . . before I
saw any dorm rooms. St.
Olaf College, Hamilton College, Rhodes College, Hampden-Sydney College,
College of the Atlantic, University of the South, University of Puget
Sound, University of San Diego, University of Richmond. I confess I
thought the diving board in the middle of the Q.
How do I
know if I should go to college? Your
years of compulsory education are over. Your years of marching through
your education to please your teachers or parents or anyone else are over.
You are pursuing a college education for you. If you are still doing it
for your parents, it is likely you will get much less out of your college
education than you should. While
the nation seems to be promoting the idea that everyone should go to
college and that it has great value for all, there are no assurances that
a college education will be worth your time or money. If you put little
into your college education, you will probably get little out of it and
with a significant investment of your time and your or your parents'
money. Choosing
the right subjects to study in college really matters. Choosing the right
college that will help you make the most of this opportunity really
matters. Students often ask me what is the best college for them to go to
to study . . . I try to help them figure out what CAN BE the best college
for them. No college, on its own, will make your college education a
success – not Harvard, not MIT, not Going
back to my first answer to your question, it is important that you want to
go to college! I know that sounds obvious and it sounds naïve at the same
time. Not everyone who goes to college is ecstatic about more schooling.
But, I will stand behind all my past statements that college can be very
exciting for all. It just takes some thought, research, and planning. I
suggest you identify what you enjoy doing today and try to connect it with
a career opportunity. Then explore what knowledge and skills you should
develop to turn today's interest or hobby into a career that can make you
money and make you proud. You are not making a commitment to any career,
just doing your best to make the most out of your opportunity to learn
more in college. Even
those students most determined not to have any current interest will
finally admit that they kind of like hanging out listening to music or
watching TV or playing video games. That may be just where you should
start. There are some very interesting college majors and some great
colleges that can help you turn your current interests into a great
career. So,
should you go to college? Only if you want to study some very interesting
stuff, have a better chance for a career that is close to what you really
enjoy, have more career opportunities and better access to them, and have
a really great time. Imagine
how college in Q.
Is there anything I should be doing during the summer to improve my
chances of getting into college? A.
There
are plenty of things you could be doing to improve your college options.
First, I suggest sleep. Not all summer, but long enough to get well rested
and ready to put some energy into some productive (and enjoyable) summer
activities. Do
you need to do twenty different jobs and volunteer projects designed to
save the world? No, you do not need a long list of noble activities to get
into college. Is a long list helpful? Sometimes, but not always. Should
you get a job? It is nice to have some money. Your parents probably like
the idea of getting you out of bed and away from video games and closer to
the real world. And, a job can help you get a better sense of what you
would like to do for a career . . . or, more often, not do for a
career. Job experience rarely plays a large role in the college admissions
decision. So
what can you do to improve your chances? Colleges really like students who
are interested. They like applicants who are interested in lots of
things, but they like applicants who are really interested in one thing
even more. Your English teacher wouldn't like me using the word
"thing," but perhaps it emphasizes the fact that you can be
really interested in most anything. If it is academic or is likely to
influence you and/or the world in positive ways, that is even better. I
suggest you use your summertime to pursue a potential interest to see if
that interest will grow. Many colleges have one- to eight-week programs
for high school students that can help you learn more about a subject of
interest and about college life. A summer course at a selective and
well-known college, or any college for that matter, almost always looks
good to the college admissions office, particularly if it is connected to
what you explain you are interested in. You will find books at the local
bookstore with lists of summer programs and "college courses"
for high school students. Peterson's, Princeton Review, and the Yale Daily
News all have books on this topic. You can find plenty of information on
the Internet also. A
job can help you get into college if it connects with your larger
interest. An internship without money can be just as valuable, long-term
if not short term. If you are interested in studying food science in
college, or perhaps health, then working at your local fast-food chain
could impress the college, as long as you can explain to the admissions
committee the connection. A job you do just to make money is less likely
to help you in college admissions. Traveling
to far away countries can be a great and educational experience. Visiting
the So,
get some rest, pursue something of potential long-term interest, and don't
worry too much about pleasing colleges over your summer vacation. You'll
get your chance in September! Q.
Are there still colleges that have
openings in the summer? A.
Yes. Actually,
there are many great colleges that will still accept students in June and
July and August. It is true that as you move closer to August, many of
these colleges are less selective colleges and community colleges, but
that doesn't mean they are any less good for you. So
how do you find out who has openings? The best, first step is probably to
go to www.nacacnet.org and check their "Space Availability
Results." This will give you a partial list of colleges that have
openings. There are many other colleges that have openings, but don't list
themselves in this database. Then, there are all those colleges that might
consider a really strong, mid-summer applicant, but don't want to admit it
too publicly. Applying
to college during the summer can be done, but it may require a bit more
persistence (or stubbornness). Remember, the longer you put this off
during the summer, the fewer options you will have. Figure out what
colleges interest you. Contact them. Visit them. Don't be surprised if
they tell you that they don't think they have any openings. If it is a
college you are very interested in, you may want to send in your
application anyway, and then let them decide how much they would like to
have you at their school. You still have plenty of college options – good ones. Just don't put it off any longer than necessary! It won't get |
