[caption id=”attachment_220” align=”alignleft” width=”54” caption=”Faraz Fatemi, Senior, Junipero Serra High School”][/caption]

Monday: Go to school, go to a club meeting, go to the gym, finish my homework, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS

Tuesday: Go to school, go to a doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointment, finish my homework, go to the gym, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS

Wednesday: Go to school, go to another club meeting, finish my homework, go to my community college business course, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS

Thursday: Go to school, go to practice, go to the gym, finish my homework, watch Jersey Shore, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS

Friday: Go to school, go out to lunch with my friends, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS, go to that one party everyone at school was talking about

Saturday: Go to the gym, go to practice, go out to lunch with my family, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS, go to another party

Sunday: Watch the 49ers Game, WORK ON COLLEGE APPS, finish all my weekend homework that I regret having left until Sunday night

Notice a trend? The one mainstay of my hectic senior year schedule has become working on one of my various college applications. Not gonna lie though, I’m loving every minute of it. You’d think that twelve college applications wouldn’t take THAT long and me, having started on the day that the Common Application was released to the public in late July, should’ve been done a long time ago. But I, like tens of thousands of high school seniors across the world, am spending a majority of my time attempting to craft an essay or a resume or an application that will allow me to gain admission to the college of my dreams, whichever school that may be. We are working at all times of the day, putting blood, sweat, and tears in anticipation of that cold, rainy day in April (or January for Early Action/Early Decision students) when we receive the letter that will ultimately determine our future.

As many students know by now, there are various components that go into the whirlwind commonly referred to as the college application. Everything from finding the right college to standardized testing to transcripts to a flurry of essays and supplements make it a rather arduous process. For me, the high and low points both came on the same step: the Common App Personal Statement. I spent the first three years of my life as a high school student compiling list after list of potential colleges and slowly narrowing the list down after visiting a variety of different schools, receiving numerous brochures in the mail, and utilizing multiple online college-matchers and screeners. In retrospect, I wish I had known about CollegeSolved before I began, as that would’ve made things so much easier. But anyways, after three years of research I was able to enter senior year with a list of colleges that I wanted to attend and I knew would be good fits for me. As I began working on applications, I knew that my grades were finalized and could not be changed, my test scores likely were as high as they were going to get, and the activities I had completed during my wonderful three years and counting of high school would more than fill up all the “Extracurricular Activities” slots on all the applications. The one thing that I could influence, however, was that Personal Statement. Those 250-500 words (although nobody I know has actually abided by that word limit) could very well make or break my application. I cranked up my laptop and got to work, churning out essay after essay about a variety of irrelevant topics in hopes of coming up with a single essay capable of “wow-ing” an admissions director. Six essays, two cartridges of printer ink, and many screams, tears, and paper cuts later, I had an epiphany: I was only going to submit one of these essays, so, as in life, quality trumps quantity. I had to pick a single essay to write, and this only added to the frustration I was experiencing with the process. I utilized every resource available to me, from counselors at my school to my parents to my friends to my ten-year-old little brother, polling everyone to come up with the topic I could best develop. Finally, I reached a point where only one essay stood out, and I took it and ran. After reviewing about ten different essay guides and revising my essay over fifteen times, I had quite possibly the most gratifying moment of my young life: hitting the “Upload Document” button on the Common App Writing Section.

The main advice I’d give for high school students who are either about to begin or have already begun this daunting process is to start as soon as possible, exhaust every possible resource you have in completing the components of the application, and just be yourself and be honest in everything you submit. And yeah, the application is very important in deciding your future, but after you click send there is nothing to do except sit back, relax, and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is senior year. We’re only seniors once, so let’s make the most of it. Good luck to all high school seniors and I hope we all get into the schools we want to attend in next fall!

[caption id=”attachment_212” align=”alignleft” width=”54” caption=”Kelly Curtis, Alumna, University of Oxford”][/caption]

I have always been passionate about meeting new people and experiencing different cultures, despite growing up in a modest financial household in the Midwest.

When I was applying to college for my undergraduate degree, my main concern was getting a good education that I could afford.  I spent countless hours investigating all the colleges in my area which were within my financial reach.   Finally, I chose a college based on cost, course offerings, class sizes and the college’s prominent alumni.

Grand Valley State University best fulfilled all of my criteria.  It provided me with a great financial aid package and their style of liberal arts education, learning in relatively small classes and what appeared to be very approachable professors, greatly appealed to me.  Most importantly, Grand Valley was one of the few schools in my price range that offered a degree in anthropology which, of course, was the course I most wanted to study.

Grand Valley was everything I had expected it to be.  The professors were well-qualified and very knowledgeable in their fields, they were also excellent motivators in facilitating students to set goals and achieve those goals.  My professors continually encouraged me to explore opportunities in not only their own field of study and in our own geographic area, but to explore opportunities in related fields or experiences in other areas of the world.  Grand Valley allowed me the opportunity to develop good working relationships with my professors, which led me to build a strong belief in myself and my abilities.

I learned the importance of being a good scholar, as well as, the importance of being creative and passionate about my work, the latter which requires not only intelligence, but also open-mindedness, patience, curiosity and confidence in one’s own ideas. When I graduated from Grand Valley, I was not only educated in my field of study, but also equipped with the confidence, to never back down even if I might be starting at a slight disadvantage.  In this sense, Grand Valley undoubtedly provided me with the necessary academic and social requirements in order to never count myself out.

After finishing my undergraduate degree, I worked for some years in both Asia and Europe.  I was still passionate about people and cultures in general, but I wanted to narrow down my anthropological studies to something I could really pursue at a top academic institution.  In the end, I chose to focus my studies on Chinese culture and the challenges associated with learning Chinese as native English speakers.

When I was applying to schools for my postgraduate education, I was no longer limited to the Midwest; I had the world and its colleges from which to choose.  I applied to colleges that I thought might best suit me from around the world.  I encountered no problems making it through to the interview rounds backed with my academic credentials from Grand Valley. For the first time in my academic career, I was able to choose a school solely on how that school might benefit me and my goals.  In the end, I chose Oxford University and after an intensive one-year program at one of the best schools in the world, I received a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics.

I believe I succeeded in fulfilling my dream to study and experience different cultures and languages because I never gave up on my passion to study a subject that truly fascinated me.  By following that path, I chose an undergraduate university which I could afford but that also allowed me to follow my true academic interests.  Without a doubt, I flourished both academically and socially at Grand Valley because I loved what I was studying and was comfortable with the tuition.  As a result, I was able to use that degree as a useful tool in making the whole world accessible to me.

Evidence abounds that the school year has begun.  My commute is lengthened by twenty percent as I drive through three school zones on my way to work; we’ve hit the third week of the NFL pre-season (thank you, Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith for ending the labor strife); the grass in my front yard is no longer yellow (though here in Dallas we are still mired in a record-setting heat wave).  Around campus, a fresh coat of paint lines the hallways, lockers are organized with unopened books (will they remain that way?), and a palpable energy emanates from the students.

The opening of school for a college counselor, like most school employees, is like being shot out of a canon.  No matter how much one prepares, there is no way to simulate the experience.  Changing schedules, editing essays, managing malleable college lists, and a host of other unanticipated events makes for an exciting time.

For students, these first weeks can be incredibly unsettling:

What was I thinking last spring when I signed up for four AP’s?

My boyfriend returned from camp and seems like a complete stranger now.

I started the “Students Supporting Red-headed Chinese Girls with Cleft Palates Club” and nobody signed up.

WHERE AM I GOING TO COLLEGE???

Counselors might or might not be helpful with the first three concerns, but we certainly can assist students manage their anxiety about college.  Set a few reasonable, short-term goals to achieve:

1.  Create a first draft of your college essay, using the Common Application essay prompts. (September 15)

Using the essay-writing tips discussed in this blog, you should be able to write a first draft within the next two weeks.  Even if you are unsure exactly what you’d like to say, just start writing.  Sometimes the best essays are just a kernel of a previously written essay.

2.  Finalize your college list. (October 1)

Working closely with your counselor, devise a list of seven to ten schools that encompasses at least two schools you are sure to get into.  The trick is figuring out what you are looking for in a college and then finding a group of schools that possesses these qualities.  Schools that are “safe” should still be schools about which you are excited.  After all, it’s statistically likely that you’ll end up attending one of them.

3.  Complete at least one application. (November 1)

Whether or not you end up applying under an early program (early decision, early action, restrictive early action), simply filling out an application in the early fall will accomplish two goals.  From a practical standpoint, if the application is to a school that reviews applications on a rolling basis, you are maximizing your chance of success.  Second, you create momentum for the rest of the process.  Once you complete one application the rest seem much easier.  The essay is done, your parents’ educational history is committed to memory, and you’ve figured out that by asking your mom for her credit card to pay the application fees you might be able to sneak in a secret purchase from J. Crew.

Summer is over and school has begun.  As you begin these applications, realize that you have a chance to shape the image created of you in the eyes of admissions officers.  Enjoy this unique opportunity by efficiently utilizing your time.

Almost a year ago, The New York Times published an article on a young man who submitted his application to New York University merely three hours after the Common Application went live.  In “Pulling an All-Nighter for the College Application,” the Times highlights Cree Bautista’s excitement to apply to college as early as possible.  (As a side note Mr. Bautista was not even applying under NYU’s early decision option, meaning he would not hear a response from the University for nearly eight months.)

Sometimes we counselors talk out of both sides of our mouths.  On the one hand, we constantly encourage students to get ahead: take advanced classes, visit colleges before you apply, write your essays over the summer, etc.  In promoting this assertive behavior, counselors want students to invest fully in this journey of self-discovery.  Finding a college is not simply about going to a school with a pretty campus—at least it shouldn’t be.  Knowing that to thoughtfully navigate this process takes time, counselors lay out a roadmap that begins well before August of the senior year.

On the other hand, occasionally (and increasingly) students are eager to get a jumpstart on the applications.  While the enthusiasm is wonderful, there are several potentially dangerous and unintended consequences:

• You might not do your best

In the rush to complete your application, it’s possible that not all of the i’s will be dotted nor the t’s crossed.  Giving yourself those extra weeks to continue proofreading, editing, and reconsidering essay topics might prove the extra step needed in securing that offer of admission.

• You might not be your best

Unless your grades (earned a demanding curriculum) and test scores place you squarely above the profile of the average admitted student, a strong first semester senior year performance might push you toward the admit column, particularly if your junior year was slightly off.

• You might apply without fully considering options

Hastily submitting applications means you have cut yourself off from the possibility that you might be perfectly suited for a host of other colleges.  Many students who are successful in this process come across their eventual destinations in the fall of senior year.

• You are not the same person today you will be tomorrow

Just as you are different today from who you were six months ago, six months from now you will different from the person you are today.  This is a time of considerable change and granting yourself the most time possible to fully embrace the adult you are about to become will be a tremendous gift to yourself.  Your hopes, fears, needs, and frustrations are shifting toward solidification.  Allow yourself the time to realize these facets of your personality.

• You might make the wrong choice

Some years back I read a statistic that students who matriculate to colleges under a binding early decision application are more likely to transfer than students who do not apply ED.  I cannot verify this statistic, but I would not be at all surprised if it is true.  Student make the mistake of trying to game the system by applying early, hoping that the statistical edge provided (at some colleges) will allow them to attain admission at a highly selective college.  The danger, of course, is that the college is not right for the student.

There is no rush. Colleges are not reading applications right now.  They haven’t even begun the fall recruitment period where admissions officers scatter across the world, scouring high schools for the best and brightest of this generation of high school students.  Only after that will they have time to begin the arduous process of reading students’ applications.  Even at colleges that review applications on a rolling basis (applications are read in the order in which they are completed) the vast majority of students will not submit their applications for several months.

I am not sure where Mr. Bautista is headed this fall for his freshman year of college.   Hopefully the application he submitted to NYU at a little past 3:00 AM last August 1^st was the best product he could put forward.

The cabinet to the left of my desk contains student files and other important documents.  Behind most of these resources is a manila folder filled with a collection of my favorite college essays through the years.  The works are strikingly dissimilar.  Both the subject and stylistic choices the authors make run the gamut.  In terms of content, students have written on topics ranging from the serious (death of a parent) to the sublime (scaling Kilimanjaro) to the zany (paying homage to the inventor of “the pill”).  And while most students assume a standard narrative approach is most appealing, my favorites include bullet-pointed lists, poetry, and a position statement, in addition to the more traditional presentation.

The one unifying theme between these all-time great essays is that each author wrote to his or her strengths.  You hear admission officers frequently admonish students to do just this.  “If you’re funny, go for humor,” they’ll say.  “If you’re not funny, don’t try because it will fall flat.”  Even though this is one of the most overused info session lines (it must be in the manual distributed to all new admission reps), it always gets a chuckle from the audience.  Perhaps it’s because dear old dad is sitting next to you thinking: Yeah, I shouldn’t have been so corny when I wrote my college essay.  Or maybe it’s because knowing not to write in a humorous fashion when you are not a funny person requires nothing more than common sense.  Whatever the reason, as long as students ignore this advice it will continue to be dispensed.

I am always puzzled by students who write about a community service project in which they participated yet there is no other component to their applications that speak of their dedication to community.  It’s missing from their activities resume and their counselors’ letters of recommendation.  If volunteering at a homeless shelter or teaching English to immigrant children is so integral to students it seems that information would be mentioned elsewhere.  Students make the mistake of writing what they think admissions officers want to read.

More than anything else the admission committee wants to know who you are.  I pull out those old essays periodically to illustrate to students what an effective essay looks like.  The transcript affords insights to your academic abilities and letters of recommendation tell the college about your work ethic in the classroom and the ball fields.  The essay is your chance to just simply be yourself.

When is it fair to play the race card in college admissions?  In a June 13^th article The New York Times asked this question in an article titled “On College Forms, a Question of Race or Races, Can Perplex.”  In the high-stakes game of admissions, students seek any edge in a competitive field.  Each fall as application season approaches, I am amazed by how many students with Native American or Hispanic roots appear, ready to prove to colleges how “ethnic” they are.

Far be it from me to tell students how to check the box that asks them about their racial/ethnic identity.  However, the idea that students gain an advantage simply by checking a box is absurd.  The real question is: What impact does one’s identity bring to his or her campus community?

Natasha Scott, the student profiled in the Times article, didn’t know how to respond to the Common Application’s optional racial identity question.  As a multi-racial young woman, Natasha sought the edge she knew existed by checking “Black” but didn’t want to offend her Asian mother.  Incidentally, her mother encouraged her to check “Black.”  The Common Application, along with colleges’ and universities’ own applications have broadened their options over the years to comply with the US Department of Education’s goal to collect more accurate and useful demographic information.   Opting not to check the box on this question is tantamount to “admitting” one is White.  Nothing wrong with that, of course, but there is no advantage gained since White students have never been underrepresented on college campuses in this country.  The result is that far fewer students leave the boxes empty because almost anyone can find some part of his or her background that has been historically underrepresented given the expanded options.

Aside from good recordkeeping, why does this question exist?  Colleges want to create diverse campus communities that reflect our global society as well as a set of core values.  If the institution believes there is merit to the notion of learning from those with different life experiences then it makes sense to manipulate the applicant pool in order to allow for those exchanges among its students.

The problem, however, is using statistical data to capture qualitative experiences.

Let’s say we have two students to consider for admission.  Student A is from the south side of Chicago and student B is from Greenwich, Connecticut.  Both are relatively strong students, certainly admissible.  They rest in the 90^th percentile of their graduating classes with SAT scores that hover around the median of our admitted students.  We only have one spot left and must choose between these two people.  Student A is Black and Student B is White.  All else being equal, most admission offices will choose Student A.  He comes from an area of the country that sends far fewer students to college and brings with him a set of experiences far different from most students on our campus.

What happens, though, when we switch the racial identities of these two applicants?  Student A—the one from Chicago’s gritty south side—is White.  Student B—the one from one of the most affluent areas of the country—is Black.  All else being equal, most colleges will choose Student B.  After all, he improves our diversity quotient (plus, he comes from a family that very likely can pay the full cost of attendance—an added bonus!).

This example drives people nuts.  If a college truly wants to diversify its campus, it should admit Student A.  His race is nearly inconsequential to the experience of growing up on the tough urban streets of Chicago.  And his ability to relay those life events to his campus peers can have an immeasurable impact on that community.  Meanwhile, the Black student from Greenwich likely hasn’t overcome overwhelming odds just to get to the point where college is a possibility.  Obviously this is a far more simplistic example than what exists in our complex world, but it’s a worthy exercise.

Where does this leave the applicants who, in a few short months, will face the same problem that Natasha Scott addressed this past fall?

Use the personal statement to discuss what it is like to be of multi-racial descent.  As colleges become increasingly skeptical of box-checking, students should own their identities, explaining how those boxes have impacted their lives.  Let the colleges know how your identity has been shaped by straddling the fence between two worlds.

Colleges spend lots of money and manpower getting to know applicants.  Students need to let them see who they really are.

I am a rabid sports fan.  My wife will tell you that I can watch any sporting event ESPN is willing to broadcast.  Mainstream sports are obviously included, but I would view fly fishing, cheerleading competitions, bowling, or synchronized swimming if there were nothing else on television.  Championship games are “Must See TV” in my house.  Thursday night’s NBA Finals Game Two between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat was no exception.  When Miami exploded to a fifteen-point fourth quarter bulge on the strength of Dwyane Wade’s corner three with seven minutes and fifteen seconds remaining, I finally acquiesced to my wife’s plea that we watch something of mutual interest and we switched over to So You Think You Can Dance.  In so doing, I missed one of the great comebacks in NBA history, a seven-minute period that—if Dallas is able to claim a championship this year—will be seen as the turning point in this best-of-seven series.  So spectacular and unexpected was this reversal of fortunes that it had only happened once in the previous two decades and it took a herculean effort by the inimitable Michael Jordan to accomplish the feat.

What does this have to do with college admissions?

Too many students believe they are Michael Jordan or Dirk Nowitzki, that they will overcome staggering odds in the admissions process.  Don’t get me wrong; students are why I am in this business.  Every day these smart and talented young people inspire me.  However, they do not all merit admission to the country’s most selective colleges.

How often have you heard from a highly selective college during an information session, “We could fill our class five times over with the number of qualified applications we have.”?  It is their way of gently informing potential applicants that this is going to be a major uphill battle.  Let’s play out the math.  The Class of 2014 at Harvard College is made up of 1,664 engaging young people from around the world.  If Harvard were to expand fivefold, they would have a current freshman class of 8,320.  Subtract that number from the 30,489 students who applied for admission last year and that leaves 22,169 unqualified students who submitted applications.  Some admission officers will even go so far as to claim that ten times the number of spaces available could be distributed among desirable applicants.  Even in that extreme case, that still means nearly 14,000 students are wasting untold hours visiting campus, speaking to current students, writing essays, interviewing, and praying that their dreams will be fulfilled.  This last part—futilely holding out hope—is simply toxic to students’ health.  Not only are they placing their eggs in a basket that does not exist, but they are necessarily drawing attention away from the colleges they might actually attend.  Thus, when they arrive on whichever campus they ultimately choose, their spirits are slightly dampened from the outset of their college careers, not an ideal way to start the best four years of one’s life.

Harvard is an extreme example, you say?  Okay, let’s look a few links down the admissions food chain.  Vanderbilt University in Nashville has been one of America’s hottest colleges for the past decade.  Its relatively new living and learning community for all incoming freshman helped solidify Vandy as one of the most desirable colleges in this country.  For the class that entered in Fall of 2010, Vanderbilt enrolled 1,600 students.  Multiply that by five and we arrive neatly at 8,000 students.  Subtracted from the 21,811 who applied and we are left with 13,811 students who should never have applied in the first place.

How about liberal arts colleges?  Perhaps there’s a difference.  Nope.  Carleton College in Northfield, MN, has a freshman class of 518 students.  Paul Thiboutot, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, spoke to families at my school this year and offered this same refrain.  Filling Carleton’s class five times over brings us to 2,590.  With 4,856 applicants, well over 2200 students—almost 47% of the applicants—would have used their time more effectively had they applied elsewhere.

You’re cherry picking, Einstein!  Am I?  Go through the list of any elite college and do the arithmetic.  The results remain unchanged.

As the summer unfolds, rising seniors have one major task: deciding where to apply.  Due to a variety of factors—expansion of the Common Application, elimination of required essays, test-optional colleges, application fee waivers, and “Snap Apps,” to name a few—we have witnessed a proliferation in the average number of applications per student.  This is true primarily among students from upper middle-class and upper class families, especially if these students attend independent secondary school.  So, how should students approach this selection process?

• Apply to no more than ten colleges

Ten is actually a fairly high number.  Seven feels more comfortable to me, but the reality is that today many students apply to a dozen or more colleges.

• Apply only to colleges that excite you

Too often students “throw in” applications to colleges because of others’ expectations.  Students spend too much of their finite time on these applications and do not spend enough time considering schools they are more likely to attend.  The result is potentially disastrous.  Finding ten schools that are genuinely thrilling is difficult and helps explain why students who apply to many colleges are actually less successful.  While it seems counterintuitive, it makes sense.  If part of the application process is proving to the colleges that you belong there, dividing X number of hours by sixteen colleges instead of eight colleges, it is logical to assume your affection will be diluted.

• Create a balanced list

I like to use the 2-X-2 rule.  Two colleges can be in the “reach” category, where one’s grades and test scores leave them marginally qualified for admission.  Two should be “safe,” where one’s grades and test scores exceed the profile of the average admitted student.  The remaining colleges should be “target” schools, where one’s grades and scores place them squarely in the average of admitted students.  An honest appraisal of one’s chances with the help of a school-based or independent counselor is important.

Students who focus on colleges where their abilities, interests, and performance through high school match or exceed the profile of the average admitted student are far more successful than those who whimsically try for the top schools without any realistic shot of admission.  Not only will they have better choices in the end, they’ll feel better about themselves in the process.

Not everyone is Michael Jordan.  But with the right approach nearly everyone can find success in college admissions.

Last week the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) released the findings of a survey it administered on the “America’s Best Colleges” edition annually published by US News & World Report.  NACAC represents both high school counselors and college admissions officers and both groups overwhelmingly (29 and 39, respectively, out of a 100-point scale of support for the rankings) rejected the notion that this ranking system can accurately reflect the relative quality of post-secondary institutions.  NACAC members believe the rankings are flawed both in concept and methodology (which are necessarily linked).

The idea that one system can represent everyone’s perception of what makes a “best college” is problematic.  Moreover, to arbitrarily decide which variables matter and then to weigh the factors’ import is, at best, statistically lazy.

Frankly, I am not a big supporter of any sort of rankings.  Take the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, for example.  Almost every college football season ends in controversy because, unlike any college or professional sport, no playoff exists.  The two teams selected to participate in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) championship game do not necessarily have the best records, maintain the toughest schedule, or play in the strongest conference.  A convoluted statistical formula made up of two human polls and six computer-generated rankings, tell us which two teams are the “best” and deserve a chance at football immortality (The truth is the system is designed to keep money in the big boys’ coffers, but that’s another discussion altogether).

At least in college football it’s an apples to apples comparison. Every team plays the same game with the same rules and each squad has the exact same objective: score more points than the opponent.  The college search process, on the other hand, is far more nuanced.  One student’s goal for his or her college experience might differ greatly from another’s.  And the inputs that affect those objectives are also different.

For example, if Jordan’s aim for college is to get the best pre-professional experiences possible, the fact that the College A’s retention rate (percentage of students who return for sophomore year) is 94% and College B’s is 82% is immaterial if College B is located in the heart of a major city within walking distance to the business corridor.  If Pat, on the other hand, seeks a college infused with school spirit, the retention rate—a measure of student satisfaction/morale—is vitally important.

Several other aspects of “America’s Best Colleges” concern me.  First is a major sleight of hand made by US News.  Bob Morse, the rankings guru at US News, points out that “America’s Best Colleges” provides a service to consumers.  Each year the magazine has more and varied articles on issues ranging from financial aid to the pros and cons of community colleges.  Further, time and again in public forums Morse cites the benefit of having important statistics in one chart so that students and parents can compare colleges against one another without having to search far and wide.  These are laudable goals.  However, interesting articles and a compendium of data do not sell magazines; rankings do.  After all, Jeffrey Selingo of The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the annual rankings edition “has long been referred to as the magazine’s swimsuit issue.”  That US News can shut down its weekly-turned-monthly publications and produce only special editions in print (US News announced in the fall that it will move almost exclusively online)—each spawned from “America’s Best Colleges”—should tell us everything we need to know about this cash cow.  For Morse to gloss over the monetary value of the rankings, therefore, is disingenuous.

Second, 90% of NACAC members believe colleges invest in improving for the rankings.  Remember, this includes deans and directors of admission, the very people who spend university dollars on recruitment.  Presumably this means that college administrators, charged with making critical decisions about spending limited resources, consider the impact of these financial choices on rankings rather than simply concerning themselves with how the decisions jibe with their institutions’ missions.

Finally, and this is my real problem with US News: It promotes indolence.  Rather than conduct a long college search, investigating the merits of many institutions across a series of planes, students can sit back and let the rankings do it for them.  Should I go to Carnegie Mellon or Emory?  No need to visit campus.  No need to read the Fiske Guide to Colleges.  No need to talk to a college counselor.  No need to interview.  No need see which college has a more extensive offering in my intended major.  No need to find out if my extra-curricular interests will be met.  Emory ranks higher so that’s where I will go.

Geez, I hope those rankings don’t change next year.

Exit interviews are tools implemented by sports teams to guide players’ off-season development.  Conducted by coaches and other members of management, these meetings are meant to provide direction so that players return the next season better equipped to excel on the field or court.

Many counselors complete these same types of exchanges with students as they head out the door for summer vacation.  Admonishing rising seniors not to lose these precious months, we counsel them to: continue the important research they’ve begun so they can return to school with a thoughtful list of colleges; engage in meaningful activities like an internship or volunteer experience; and begin the personal statement.

The dreaded college essay is the single most important element of the application still in the student’s control.  Think about it.  Despite the notion that an applicant’s transcript (coupled with curriculum rigor) is the most influential variable in the admissions equation—driven home by every information session you will ever attend—by the time the summer heading into senior year rolls around, six semesters worth of grades have been earned.  One’s grade point average is essentially set.  Sure, Brandon could get off to a hot start in twelfth grade, but if he possesses a 3.0 GPA heading into the year, even straight A’s in the seventh semester will only boost his GPA to 3.14, hardly a blip for the über-competitive colleges.

Students intuitively know that the essay is critically important; thus, the ubiquitous fear.  However, the real reason why students hate the personal statement is because college admission offices are asking them to do something they have been conditioned against their entire lives: focus the spotlight squarely on themselves.  Tomes have been written on creating the winning essay, but it all boils down to immodesty.  Sure, it should be thoughtful, spirited, maybe even funny, but in the end it’s about talking about self.  And while in the natural world there is something instinctive about looking out for oneself, in the complicated social contract into which we all enter, the idea of considering one’s own needs to the exclusion of all others is, well, weird.

Driving down the highway last week I saw a sports car zipping through traffic with the vanity plate: I RULE.  Chuckling at the idea that the driver was maneuvering like his license plate was a code of conduct rather than an expression, my next thought was this guy must have written a terrific college essay.  He understands that in a competitive world where only a handful of people are admitted to the most selective colleges, the ability to creatively engage the reader in a manner that illustrates a keen understanding of who you are and your place in this world is a distinct advantage.

Check back for tips on constructing a great essay that assists the writer in highlighting her strengths.  In the meantime students, as you venture into the summer sun, remember that YOU RULE!

The ten most influential years of my life—bridging adolescence to adulthood and including my undergraduate experience—were spent in Washington, DC.  To this day my favorite city in the world, DC’s Aprils and Mays are evident by the cherry blossoms lining the city’s most famous streets, signifying that the end of school is near.  Once finals are over countless high school juniors embark on that time-honored tradition called the college tour, otherwise known as “the week during which my parents will shower me with unrelenting embarrassment.”

Summer is not the best time to visit colleges.  Campuses are generally empty (except for some high school students who attend pre-college programs under the erroneous assumption that they’ll earn some edge in the admissions process that awaits them one or two years hence rather than seeing the program for what it is: an opportunity for colleges to make money, preying on kids who hold this fallacious belief), under construction, being repainted, or otherwise not in tip-top condition to learn what it will be like when a prospective student might actually attend.  Nevertheless, due to school, mom’s work schedule, soccer practice, ballet recitals, and Cousin Julie’s bat mitzvah, for many families summer is the optimal time to visit colleges.

If you are going to spend a week on the road, piled into the minivan and boarding at a series of Hampton Inns, keep the following in mind to make the most of this precious time:

Bring a camera

The excitement you feel on Monday of the weeklong sojourn turns into exhaustion by Thursday.  The sun—once a welcome change from the sunless days spent studying for AP’s—is now beating you down as if you’re an Israelite wandering ancient Sinai. You will want digital evidence that you actually liked some of the schools you saw as well as the visual to jog your memory when it comes time to responding to the “Why do you want to attend College X” essay on the Common Application supplement.

Take notes

Hour-long information sessions can be tedious.  You will find that 95% of what is covered in one is presented in the others, including (but not limited to):

• We offer themed housing to cater anyone’s passions
• Our students intern with local banks, law firms, and other various corporate entities
• The admissions process has become more selective in the past five years
• Students come from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries
• Financial aid packages are generous, comprised of grants, loans, and work study
• By the end of sophomore year students are required to choose a major, but can easily change and are encourage to work with willing advisors to create their own major
• Hundreds of clubs satiate every extra-curricular desire a student might have
• Over half of the junior class studies abroad

If you can eliminate this bleeding of traits among schools and cut to the heart of what truly distinguishes colleges from one another then take note of those differences; it will become valuable information down the line.

Ask probing questions

Admissions officers and tour guides are trained to offer rote responses to simple questions: What is the average SAT score of your admitted students?  What is your most popular major?  Do you have an intramural ultimate Frisbee squad?  These are questions the answers to which are easily found online and, frankly, are unlikely to be the deciding factor in whether or not you will apply.  You want to ask questions that cause the respondent to think, for these queries are more likely to impact how you feel about a college: What was the reaction on campus when we led NATO forces into Libya?  How has the student body changed in the past decade?   If you were president of the university what changes would you make?  By asking incisive questions you might even get noticed by the admissions office.

Speak with randomly selected students

If you do ask those investigative questions you still might get a response twisted to make the university sound like a paradise.  Take the question about our military action in North Africa, for example.  A seasoned admissions officer might respond: “There was a healthy debate on campus after our government’s decision to invade Libyan airspace, illustrating the opinions of all students are heard and respected.”  This crafty answer sounds great, but doesn’t really tell the story since most communities lean one way or the other.  See, colleges want to attract all applicants and cannot afford to offend anyone.  If, however, you ask this same question of three or four randomly selected students you come across as you walk around campus, you are much more likely to hear an earnest reply.  The question doesn’t need to be weighty.  You might simply ask: Do you enjoy going to college here?  Why or why not?  No tour guide will ever tell you that the college lacks a spirit of community, but if a half dozen kids all tell you that then it’s probably true.

Spend time away from your parents

Most visits break down into two one-hour segments: the information session, led by an admissions officer, and the walking tour, led by a current student.  Some colleges send students and parents on different tours and this is terrific.  If you aren’t lucky enough to have that pre-ordained, plan to spend at least a half-hour apart, talking to students and faculty independent of each other.  This will prevent groupthink from setting in, a tendency for students and parents to pick up on the same cues (both verbal and non-verbal) when they are together.  The other advantage of a student distancing herself from mom or dad is that parents tend to ask questions that students perceive as embarrassing. It’s perfectly reasonable for a parent to want to know about campus safety, even if this is not foremost on the mind of the student.  Likewise, parents don’t want to hear about the party scene on Saturday night at the fraternity house.  Some things are better left to the imagination.

Whether your adventures take you to Washington, DC, or Walla Walla, WA, keep these tips in mind and you are sure to have a rewarding experience.