Chasing the Impossible Admission
I have stayed away from the Arms Race of Admissions to perceived pinnacles of higher education for the most part. Why? Because the admissions process doesn’t make sense. Since there seems to be a “shifting” sands approach nationwide, how does one know what to do, when to do it, and for how long? It seems to provide a nice living for “college coaches” hired by overwhelmed parents. Yet there are still no guarantees. Students are considered “late to the race” if they don’t start crafting their admissions profile in the ninth grade. It is truly overwhelming.
Chasing elite college admission feels like the same journey to make an Olympic team. The path is grueling, exhausting, and requires a single-minded focus. Even then, the element of luck due to an injury to yourself or a competitor may make or break your journey. Sounds a lot like elite college admissions.
Let me share some excerpts from a recent article written by a PHD. in political philosophy from Duke University, Dr. Matt Feeney.
“This year, Harvard applications were up 43 percent from last year. At Yale, applicants were up 33 percent. At Duke, 25 percent. The result is plunging acceptance rates. Harvard admitted just 3.4 percent of applicants; Yale, 4.6 percent; Duke, 5.8 percent. The deluge of applications poses a problem: Admissions officers at the most selective colleges increasingly must squint to discern any meaningful difference between thoroughly deserving applicants.”
To be real, I’ve covered this. The gap year of 2020 has resulted in this bumper crop of very qualified applicants. With current acceptance rates hovering between 3-7% percent of their applicants, it really is a crapshoot.
The next quote is a real truth. Read it more than once.
“My wife is a high school counselor, and her boss (the head counselor) conveyed a revealing tidbit to me: An Ivy League admissions dean told her that his office could simply replace the class they admitted with the next most competitive group of applicants, and the next several after that, and it would make no difference”.
There it is in black and white. Super-prestigious schools have waves of qualified candidates from which to make their selections. You get lucky or not. Someone puts you through, or not. Yet our children (and their parents) are putting their entire self-worth riding on receiving the right notice from the right school. I’ve seen a version of this every year with our flagship university admissions announcement day. For those admitted, great joy; for the rest, anguish and even embarrassment. I am VERY confident many who were not selected were perfectly great admissions candidates. Now here’s the proof.
It gets even more ridiculous.
Admissions offices began systematically stressing qualitative line items such as extracurricular activities as the competitive behavior of applicants intensified in the 1980s and ’90s. (In response, parenting time devoted to extracurriculars boomed in the mid-90s.) While admissions then initially favored the “well-rounded” applicant, more recently they have come to favor the passionate specialist, otherwise known as the “well-lopsided” applicant.
So right now, your chance improve slightly if they can discern you have a direction in your interests/passion, but you should still be a well-lopsided applicant? Exactly what is a well-lopsided applicant? My head won’t stop spinning around!
To try to make any sense of this nonsense, the article dives deeper into the new focus on “authenticity.” They are demanding hyper-competitive students write essays that lay bare some imperfect aspect of themselves. Is this a confessional or an academic admissions process?
Let’s take a breath here. First, it seems to be the latest trend with top reputation schools that are drowning in academically strong applications. Apparently, they need a differentiator. Second, if this is the focus of the top 100 or even 200 colleges & universities in our country, maybe the other 94% of school schools don’t focus on those same, crazy trends. Thank goodness!
Here’s the common sense advice I stand by for getting into the right & best school for YOUR STUDENT!
Focus on doing your best in high school. Learn the art of effective study. Ask for help when you need it, and put in the effort and time. Good grades remain the first hurdle in college admissions everywhere.
If you apply to a test-optional school and don’t submit an ACT or SAT, you are limiting information. Your total package is depending on your grades, your activities, and the essay. Each of those must be quite good since you are intentionally leaving off another measure of your academic capabilities. Train for a great test score. There are good guides out there!
Getting into college is just the first step. Staying in and GRADUATING is the journey you must be ready to win. You should apply to three types of schools. Apply to a fallback or safety school, a school you like and believe you can be accepted, and another that will inspire you to do your best if you are admitted. (The last one is known as a stretch school ) Go to the school where you will do your best and be your best!
Remember this- rejection is a part of the life journey. You may not get into your favorite school- someone may not go out with you- you may not get the job you want the first time you try. Use the experience to learn how you can become the top option next time.
It’s crazy enough being a Senior in High School these days. Being open and flexible and realistic can save you a lot of grief. Sometimes, even, not getting what you thought you wanted will be the best thing for you after all. It’s a lesson we all learn at some point in our lives. Often, more than once. Parents, do your best to not get caught up in the Admissions Arms Race. If you can speak understanding and be positive with your student as they work through this, they will likely follow your example.
Let’s put it all in perspective. The chips will fall where they may, and life does go on. Getting in is just one thing. Frankly, graduating in four years with a degree in hand is the bigger achievement. Only 4 out of 10 students do that these days. If you achieve graduation in 4 years, you will be in elite company, indeed.
For more practical, truth-telling guidance about matching your student to their future, consider my book, ENOUGH! The College Cost Crisis. For way less than $20, you can guide your student like a pro towards their best future. Grandparents and parents, this is THE gift of the season. Only, don’t wait for them to graduate from high school. Middle school, yes.
Next week’s blog is a real harbinger of things to come across all the states. If you have a student heading into college in the next five years, check it out!
Until Next Time,
All My Best,
Bonnie Burkett
