The College Admissions Process An attempt to dispel some of the myths and assumptions that have created a culture of fear over reason

The Problem of Competition USC – 52,000 applied, 9,181 accepted (18%) UCLA – 92.728 applied, 16,016 accepted (17%) UC Berkeley – 78,918 applied, 13,321 accepted (17%) Harvard – 37,305 applied, 1,990 accepted (5.3%) Cornell – 41,907 applied, 6,234 accepted (14.9%) Yale – 30,237 applied, 1,963 accepted (6.5%) Statistics based on 2015 admission cycle

Some of the Beliefs in the Culture of Fear They’re looking for reasons to reject you. One B means you’re out. Your SAT score is of paramount importance, and there are certain scores you must attain. Certain activities look better than others. There is a recipe or formula you can follow to get into that school of your parents’ dreams.

A Mantra to Help Us Deal with the Culture of Fear: We have to trust that admissions officers in all of these competitive schools are smart people expending a great deal of effort in their search for other smart people. BUT… we also have to recognize that the process is ultimately beyond your control. So… what can you control?

What Can You Control? Transcript It is true that good grades are important. Nothing is a better predictor of your success on a college campus than your performance over three years in challenging high school classes. Key word – challenging. You should take the most rigorous course of study you can handle while also maintaining sleep and sanity.

What Can You Control? Transcript Straight A’s are nice for sure, but a few B’s in demanding classes are more impressive than perfect grades from a student who shies away from challenge. Don’t take every honors and AP class available if it will overwhelm you or result in grades that don’t match who you are. Senior year should be just as challenging as junior year. You should be preparing yourself for college, not resting on your laurels.

What can you control? Testing The SAT should not be worshipped the way it is in some communities, but it is true that a good score can improve your application. You should take the PSAT junior year (10th as well for practice) and the SAT toward the end of junior year and the start of senior year. You should study out of a book or take an SAT class to A) familiarize yourself with what will be on the test, B) improve your speed and efficiency, C) improve your skills, and D) build your confidence. You should take at least one SAT and one ACT. If schools accept either one, why wouldn’t you take this opportunity?

What can you control? Testing You should take at least one of those tests at least two times. The UC’s have publicly stated they will only use your best score, so why wouldn’t you optimize your chance of a score you like? Why would private school admissions officers look on one low score negatively when they know about Score Choice as well as you and I? You should NOT chase a specific number. Take the steps listed above to optimize your chances, but then be done with it. How many youthful summers have been lost by someone who has become convinced that a certain SAT score will equal admissions success?

What Can You Control? Activities Extracurricular activities enhance a student’s application because they provide insight into who the student is beyond the good grades. You can’t fake this. Find something you’re passionate about – sports, clubs, music, scouting, etc. – and go for it! While it is nice to pursue an interest for several years, that shouldn’t be your reason for staying involved. If it doesn’t make you happy and you’re only staying involved for college applications, it’s not the best use of your time. There is no extracurricular activity that looks more impressive than achievement in the classroom. If your grades are suffering, pull back your involvement.

What Can You Control? Volunteering & Leadership Community service enhances an application because it shows you are a contributing member of society, that you’re looking beyond yourself and gaining compassion for others. Of course, these are also the real benefits for you and your soul. One volunteer activity doesn’t hold more influence than another. No one needs someone who dislikes sick people working at the hospital because she believes it will “look good” for college. Leadership is impressive because it shows that a group trusted you to guide them, and for the same reason, it can’t be faked. No one wants to follow someone who is not passionate and is only doing something they believe will help get them into college.

What Can You Control? Essays Be sincere, and write about who you are. Try to share pieces of you that can’t be conveyed in your transcript, test scores, and lists of activities. Reflect on your life, like adults often do. Real introspection and insight into who you are is impressive, but you need to spend some time. If you try to create what you think the reader “wants to see,” it will turn out just like that – someone trying to create what the reader wants to see rather than an honest reflection.

What You CAN’T Control A Good Application Can’t Be Manufactured Not all students can earn straight A’s. Not all students can handle all the most rigorous courses available. Not all students can earn the score they desire on the SAT or ACT. Not all students can star on the track team. Not all students can truly enjoy working with special needs peers. Not all students can serve as president of a club. Not all students have the good fortune to have a traumatic incident in their lives that makes for a good essay. Ultimately, your application is in someone else’s hands.

Work Hard, Get Involved, Prepare for Testing, and Trust in the Mantra We have to trust that admissions officers in all of these competitive schools are smart people expending a great deal of effort in their search for other smart people. You have done what you needed to do, and controlled what you can. Now you just have to see where it leads you. GOOD LUCK!