Listening Skills

As the school year looms in the not too distant future, many rising seniors are anxious to begin a monumental year. Senior schedules are a mix of academic challenge and enjoyable reflection. In my experience on both sides of the "admissions desk," I have come to realize that this mix is sometimes a point of contention.

Admissions deans do their best to properly guide prospective families and provide them with the necessary tips to increase all applicants' chances of acceptance. However, communication is key between all parties - admissions dean, applicant, applicant's family, and high school counselor. People sometimes hear what they want to hear. If the admissions dean says "take a lot of AP courses" and "GPA is a very important evaluative criteria," families should listen carefully and interpret these tips within the context of the applicant's skills, passions, and proficiencies. Every child is different. Applicants, counselors, and parents should assess the individual child's skills to determine the best course of action together. Senior year is a difficult year, and overloading certain students with advanced classes just because "College X said so," has the potential to snowball into academic and emotional stress on the student. Just because the student takes 5 AP classes or takes an additional SAT Subject Test, doesn't assure acceptance. Listening skills are extremely important in this process.

With that caveat in mind, seniors (and juniors) should challenge themselves with upper level courses within reason. Senior year is a time of transition. Students must balance college applications, essays, activities, and school work all while accepting the fact that their lives are in flux. My tip to seniors - enjoy your senior year (within reason). Enjoy your time with your friends, take lots of pictures, and continue to indulge in your passions. In addition, ALWAYS do your homework, thank your teachers for writing letter of recommendation for you, and hone your time management skills. With a clear mind and open ears, the college application process and the subsequent life transition can go smoothly.

The Left Handed Tuba Player

The "left handed tuba player" is an illusive character used in my family's discussions of the college admissions process when my sisters and I were in high school. Although not a real person, the "left handed tuba player" is an embodiment of that ideal admissions candidate - that final piece of the puzzle. This applicant, despite other criteria, puts the finishing touches on the college's class profile.

This construct symbolizes the multifaceted nature of the contemporary American college admissions process. Colleges look at more than just GPA, SAT, and ACT scores when reading an application. While students highlight their community service, academic achievements, and other accomplishments through essays and resumes, some colleges may just need to fill a quota. One year, a college may need lacrosse players. Another year, the college may want to increase the Classics department. And one year, the college may just need to fill the slot of the left handed tuba player. This case illustrates how some college admissions decisions are not necessarily based on who is the best all-around applicant, but based more so on a mixture of individual student characteristics and the college's specific needs. This is a complicated equation that is out of students' hands to a certain degree. One where applicants and college admissions professionals must balance institutional demands, emotions, personal passions, and financial needs. There is a holistic nature to the process.

In this blog, I intend to examine several aspects of the college admissions process - testing, applications, trends, rankings, technology, and more. I plan to comment on contemporary college admissions literature and use this forum as a way to dispense information. Enjoy!