Published in the Jamaica Observer, May 8 2011
AS college decisions hit mailboxes across the world, we take this opportunity to remind you of five rules you should keep at the forefront of your mind before you enter the fray.
Rule 1: It’s not fair
Life isn’t fair, and neither is the college admissions process. The sooner you accept this unfortunate, yet irrevocable truth, the better. Better because an early quest to learn the other rules of the game, and how to use them, can mean the difference between success and failure for a student with dreams of studying at a US college or university.
Rule 2: The earlier the better
Some students were born ready. They are inherently driven academic superstars, deeply involved in various activities or nationally recognised athletes with great grades who happen to be great standardised test takers.
Let’s face it, the majority of college-bound students will not naturally fit into the category of the highly recruited candidate. For these students, it is of utmost importance to start planning for college early. Students and parents must view the admissions process as a four-year one, something you can’t adequately prepare for in three or four months.
Selective colleges look for students who demonstrate consistency, commitment, initiative, and passion. These characteristics must be reflected by the pattern of the student’s performance both inside and outside of the classroom — not to mention the almighty scholastic aptitude test score.
Standardised testing requirements vary by school and should be planned and prepped for carefully, given their importance in the admission decision. Strong profiles and scores are also important for attracting scholarships and financial aid — the student who starts to build a competitive profile years before applying to college will save himself disappointment and his parents a lot of money.
Rule 3: Forgo the financial aid — if you can afford to
A few years ago I might have been singing a whole different tune, but these days money, or the lack of it, talks. In the years leading up to the financial crisis, many schools expanded their financial aid budgets in order to attract a more
diverse student population. However,
today, with dwindling endowments, alumni contributions down and tighter budgets the world over, colleges are feeling the economic pinch.
The result? A quest for more full-pay students and less financially needy ones. It’s not all gloom and doom for a student seeking financial aid, however, the process is more competitive for a financial aid applicant versus a non-applicant. If your child is not a highly recruited applicant for a selective school and you can afford to forgo applying for financial aid, do it! Ceteris paribus (all things being equal), this will boost the chances of acceptance at most colleges. We told you college admissions were not fair.
Rule 4: Cast a wide net
College admissions are more competitive than ever. The number of international student applicants to Harvard has grown by 50 per cent in the past 10 years, while overall applications have doubled since 1994. The trend at Harvard is reflective of a general pattern experienced among selective colleges in the US: a growing number of domestic college-bound seniors and a veritable explosion of international applicants, mostly from China and India (dubbed the ‘Chindia’ effect in admissions circles) are vying for spots at top colleges. As a result, the number of applicants is up and overall admissions rates are down. As a result, college admissions are increasingly difficult to predict and students are advised to cast a wide net in terms of the type of schools they apply to.
Rule 5: Develop a realistic, balanced college list
When we said cast a wide net, we didn’t mean a wide net of Ivy League schools! It’s hard for parents to be objective in terms of assessing their child’s strengths and weaknesses. Given the plethora of factors to consider, it’s often even harder for parents to realistically assess their child’s chance of admission to selective colleges.
However, a realistic, objective assessment is the key to success in the admissions process. We have heard unfortunate stories of students who did not heed rules four and five only to end up with 12 rejection or wait-list decisions this month. No matter how talented you think your child is, it is almost never a great idea to load your list with highly competitive colleges. Educate yourself and seek a professional opinion. Sure, students can reach for the stars — just not 12 of them.
Nicole McLaren is an educational consultant and director of Kingston-based firm AIM Educational Services Ltd. She may be contacted at nmclaren@aimeduservices.com.
