College Planning Blog

A critical element of just about every application is the student’s ability to bring clarity to the interpretation of his/her academic record. In other words, when there are irregularities in a student’s program and/or performance, s/he has a “story” to tell. The context for such stories, or explanations, often rests in factors that are beyond the student’s control, i.e injury, illness, family moves, parental difficulties, etc. In the absence of explanations, though, admission officers must guess about the circumstances–and that rarely bodes well for the candidate as admission folks are more often cynical than charitable in their estimations!

A circumstance frequently raised as consequential in this regard is that relating to a student’s documented learning difference. Specifically, families often wonder if or how the presence of “Individual Educational Plans” (IEPs) in the student’s academic experience should be conveyed in the application for admission without prejudicing the candidacy. While there are few solutions that fit all situations in this regard, it is important to consider the manner in which information is shared with the institution, first, with regard to the student’s candidacy for admission and, then, as it relates to securing necessary support for the student once enrolled.

In terms of admission, I would err on the side of meaningful disclosure. Give the admission committee the full picture so it can make a balanced evaluation of your credentials. Places that value you for what you do well will try to find ways to admit and support you. Providing an awareness of a learning difference for which you are compensating may give them greater confidence in their respective abilities to help you find success. On the other hand, you can’t worry about schools that might not admit you. The odds are that they would not have been good fits for you in the long run anyway.

That said, you cannot count on the admission office to pass along the documentation of academic support needs to folks in the academic program. While that can and, in fact, does happen at some schools on a “need to know” basis, such information is routinely purged from applicant files (in the spirit of confidentiality) after a student makes the decision to enroll. Regardless, plan to present documentation of disability and need for support to the counseling center/disability office after you have enrolled. Don’t assume they will have gotten the information from the admission office.

According to educational consultant, Allen Tinkler, in a note to colleagues on the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) listserve, “one of the biggest errors kids/ families make…is the assumption that just because the documentation was sent, whether to admissions or to disability support services, the college will provide accommodations and services. This is not true. The student must…self-identify and go through some kind of intake interview, discuss accommodations requested, sometimes negotiate, and learn the procedures at the college. This is done with CURRENT, COMPLETE and APPROPRIATE documentation.”

Allen further observes, and I agree wholeheartedly, that students need to learn to be “strong self-advocates.” At his former school, “each student with an IEP or 504 plan was given a complete set of documentation…at a final meeting with parents present (and) instructed that it was now up to them to take the responsibility of receiving accommodations at college. They were instructed that sometime between the distribution of those papers and the beginning of classes at college they needed to contact the disability coordinator, present themselves and their papers. We were literally passing the baton over to them.”

Ownership and the assumption of personal responsibility are vital to your success in all aspects of life. So seize the opportunity! During the senior year, and certainly by the time you graduate, step forward and accept responsibility. Make a difference with regard to the direction you will take during your college years and beyond!

In preparing your applications for admission, it is important to remember that the application you are submitting is a personal statement. You are saying to the admission committee, “This is who I am and what I have to offer.” In a tight competition, your ability to make a compelling statement in this regard can make all the difference. The following excerpt from Chapter 8 “Reveal Your Talents” of Winning the College Admission Game: Strategies for Students provides additional insight that will be helpful as you contemplate the messages you want to send to colleges in your “personal statement.”

“If you have a clear sense as to what you do well and have discovered colleges that are likely to value you for the things you have to offer, the next step is to make a strong connection with these colleges. This is especially true at colleges that must make fine distinctions between hundreds of talented students. You need to make your gifts and talents known so when they ask the question, “What do we get if we admit you?” the answer is clear.

Bring your talent to life. If you are a musician, make a studio quality recording (tape or CD). Audition if you can. If you are an artist, attend portfolio days or assemble a slide collection of your work to submit with your application. This demonstration of talent will be required for entry into highly selective conservatory or specialty programs in the arts. It can also make the difference for you at schools that value the arts but are not pre-professionally oriented. You do not need to have professional aspirations as an artist, musician, actor or dancer in order for your talent to give you a competitive edge in the selective admission process.

By demonstrating your talents in this way, you go beyond the listing of activities and achievements on your application to reveal the nuances of tone and texture that distinguish your performance from the rest of the competition. Just as athletic coaches want to see game tapes to determine who will be competitive, music directors, drama coaches and art instructors observe closely to identify those who will contribute to their programs.

Consider also how evidence of your gift(s) might give flavor to the overall presentation of your application. Take advantage of an interview or email exchange with the recruiter in your area to talk about the things that excite you. Use the personal statement or mini-essays to expound upon them. Make sure the people who write on your behalf can bear witness to your personal growth and commitment through your passions.

You do need to be convincing, though. It is one thing to present an application that includes activities you have pursued extensively with listings of honors, awards and positions held. That type of presentation is important in validating your commitment. It is quite another when you list every club for which you have attended at least one meeting! Students who do that are not unlike the kids who were somehow able to sneak into all the group photos that appear in your yearbook. It’s clear they don’t belong. Admission officers look for substantive involvement over time that is marked by achievement and leadership. It is up to you, then, to reveal your gifts in such a way that those who read your application are easily persuaded that your passion and commitment are real.

Between the Lines: Win An Advocate
When you present evidence of your performance, you put those who view it in the position of imagining what it would be like to have you in their programs. If you can convince them that you would make a difference–that you would add value to their existing efforts–you will win them over as advocates. While having a talent advocate does not mean you are sure to be admitted, it can make a big difference in a tight competition.”

Important Reminder: The Straight Talk About College Admission teleseminar series features two programs in November. Join Sam Barnett and me on November 20 for “How to Find the Best College Fit” (8 PM ET) and “To ED or Not ED: The Pluses and Minuses of Early Decision” (9 PM ET). Go to http://www.TheAdmissionGame.com/teleseminar_schedule.php for more information about how to register.

A question I hear more frequently as application deadlines draw near is one that relates to the relationship between admission and financial aid. Specifically, parents want to know if checking “yes” or “no” to the question on the application for admission: “Will you be a candidate for financial aid?” will effect their student’s admission status. It’s a fair question given the way the world of college admission is spinning these days.

Unlike the relatively laid back admission process that most parents experienced, the present-day deliberations at many colleges are strongly influenced by the desire to enroll the most impressive entering classes possible and, thus, increase their standing among their peers. As institutions seek to burnish their reputations by increasing their selectivity and enrolling high profile students, the role of financial aid has shifted from that of “enabling” students who need assistance to “leveraging” the enrollments of those who possess talents/interests that are valued most highly by the institution.

A student’s ability to be self-supporting financially, then, has become an important credential in the eyes of many admission officers. And, yes, the fact that a student can indicate that s/he is not applying for financial aid can only help. On the other hand, checking “yes” to this question on the application for admission should not hurt. Why? While colleges may, in fact, discriminate based on financial status, they are foolish to do so at the front end of the process before they have seen any real data that demonstrates a student’s need. It is often the case that up to one-third of the students who check “yes” (that they will be applying for financial aid) either never apply for aid or they do apply and demonstrate that they don’t need it. As a result, admission officers are likely to wait (usually until early March of the admission process) so they can see all of the financial aid data for all of the students whom they might admit before deciding, albeit discretely, who will get what.

Years ago, before colleges became concerned about improving their admit ratios and yields (percent of admitted students who enroll), it was not uncommon for them to recognize the strength of a student’s credential by admitting him/her even if they were not going to offer financial aid to meet that student’s need. While consistent with the notion of “need blind” admission–the belief that a family’s financial circumstance should not influence the admission outcome–such a strategy would prove counter-productive for colleges that are concerned about improving their respective yields and becoming more selective.

While claims of “need-blind admission” status continue to emanate from many institutions, they should be regarded somewhat cynically. Institutions, both rich and poor, are becoming increasingly adept at strategically deploying their financial resources in order to leverage the enrollments of students whom they value most highly. When they make decisions to admit and to aid students, with either need or merit-based assistance, they are “resource aware.” In effect, they are making business decisions intended to benefit their institutions. An absolute concept, “need-blind admission” can only exist when it applies to every student in every circumstance of the admission process. When there are exceptions–and one doesn’t need much of an imagination to see the possibilities–institutions fail to meet the “need-blind test.” Unfortunately, “need-blind” is a great idea that is rarely, if ever, achieved.

This brings us back to the original question of, “How do we check the financial aid box on the admission application?” The answer: respond honestly. If you need assistance, say so. At this point, it costs nothing to express an interest. Besides, the simple fact of the checkmark in the “yes” box doesn’t provide sufficient information for an admission committee to discriminate one way or the other.

If you know you don’t need assistance, say “no.” Answering with a checkmark in the “no” box doesn’t eliminate a student from merit scholarship consideration nor does it preclude him/her from receiving assistance from government sources. In fact, there is nothing binding at all about the checkmark. In my experience, the checkmark serves of little value to admission officers except to alert them that you might be submitting a financial aid application in which case they can help to make sure it is complete.

In light of the revelation about “resource aware” admission, it should behoove the student to focus on finding the best college fit. Critical to the discussion of good fit is the notion that the college that is a good “fit” will value the student for what s/he does well. In this instance, a good college fit will not let a student’s financial status stand in the way of admission.

This is an important topic for many families and I will address it at greater length during the December 19 Straight Talk telesminar, “Inside the Financial Aid Application Process.” I look forward to having you join us with comments and questions.

If you are preparing applications for admission and you plan to use the Common Application, you need to be aware of changes to the form (and its use) effective immediately.

On Friday, October 19, Rob Killion, Executive Director of The Common Application, announced that “students will again be able to create and submit alternate versions of their Common Application, in much the same way they did last year.” Killion further points out the “the feature will ‘go live’ overnight this evening (Friday), and be available over the weekend and through the end of the current admission cycle in June.”

Killion acknowledges that, at this critical juncture of the application process, there are bound to be questions: How can you access this feature? What if you have already submitted your Common Application to all of your colleges? How will this affect your ability to articulate an academic interest or an intent to apply for financial aid at different schools? To answer these and many other questions, the Common Application has posted an FAQ on its website:
http://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/AlternateVersionTechnologyFAQ.pdf.

This is an important development for users of the Common Application (CA). The primary advantage of the CA is the opportunity it affords students to use a single application form in applying to multiple institutions that are members of the Common Application group. Prior to this year, students had been able to customize the form for submission to each of the schools to which they were applying. For example, it was possible to make unlimited copies of a CA after it had been submitted, then edit the copies before resubmitting them to other colleges. According to Killion, “The ‘copying’ feature was added a few years ago in an attempt to help early applicants (ED/EA/REA) who were denied or deferred, and wished to submit an updated RD (regular decision) application to another set of colleges.”

Expressing concern that this tendency by students was not consistent with the original intent of the CA and that students were, instead, encouraged to use supplemental forms to submit as much college-specific information as they’d like, the CA had eliminated the customizing feature on the 2007-08 form.

As you can see, the CA membership has, in response to concerns raised by guidance counselors, revised the rules regarding the use of the Common Application. I would advise you to visit the CA website to learn more about how these changes might affect you.

I recently received a note from a parent asking about the appropriateness of attaching a resume to the student’s application for admission. It’s a good question and one I’d like to explore briefly in today’s posting.

Composing a resume can be a really good reflective exercise for a young person, especially early in the process–end of the Junior Year–when doing so helps her get her arms around the sum of her accomplishments. Identifying and giving priority to these accomplishments allows her to develop a broader sense of the “big picture” as it relates to how she might be regarded by those with whom she comes into contact. Long before applications for admission need to be submitted, the resume can help give focus to thoughts about essay topics while serving as a useful “leave behind” document for any interview opportunities that might develop.

It also makes sense to have a resume ready to hand to the people who will write letters on the student’s behalf. While the resume should not take the place of a face-to-face conversation between the student and recommender about the pending application process, it can serve as a point of reference for teachers and counselors as they begin drafting letters.

On the other hand, the resume as an attachment to an application for admission is a far different matter. In fact, you will find mixed (and strong) reaction from admission officers regarding the attachment of resumes to applications. While some may welcome the additional information, others are actually interested in seeing how students give priority to their involvements in the rather limited space on the application form itself. If there is any question in your mind about how a resume might be received by a college, it can’t hurt to ask the admission representative with whom you have had contact for an opinion.

Should you decide to attach a resume to your application, keep in mind that “more is rarely better.” Concise wins the day. Admission officers are deluged with applications that typically include 16-18 pages of information. Quite frankly, they don’t have time to go through everything carefully. That’s why many regard the resume as redundant and will dismiss it categorically. Focus on accomplishments that reflect growth and have emerged from long-term involvements. And don’t worry about including information that will otherwise appear on your academic transcript.

If you truly believe you have enough substantive material to take up 2-3 pages of a resume, then talk with your counselor and/or one of your teachers about how to condense that information in order to convey the core messages that reflect who you are. As you do so, consider the possibility that much of what you might want to report on a resume is more important to you (or your family) than it will be to colleges.

In general, keep in mind that you have a very short amount of time in which to make an impression with your application. Substance, not volume, will make that impression.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the college application process is the application itself. You’ve done everything else–the thinking, talking and planning. There is nothing left to do but complete the application! Much as that might seem like a “no-brainer,” when it comes to actually filling out the forms, a lot of students can’t seem to “find the time.” As important as the pending competition for admission might be, there always seems to be a good reason why completing the application is put off to another day.

If you are like many other teenagers, this is a familiar scenario. Procrastination, or the ability to put things off until they really need to be done, is a strategic element of your survival plan, so no worries there. After all, why stress out on a project any more than is necessary especially when you know you can do your best work under pressure? Why should your college applications be any different?

Well, you might consider the consequences. For example, waiting until the application deadline means that you are in a hurry and you are stressed. As a result, you won’t have much patience for questions on the application that require reflective thought. You won’t be as likely to tidy up grammar and spelling-and you certainly won’t be inclined to ask anyone to look over your work.

So, what are you left with? Typos? Grammatical mistakes? Poorly developed ideas? Errors of omission-and the very strong impression that you, the candidate, didn’t care enough to invest time and effort in preparing your application? Remember, to the reader your application is you. Do you want to risk presenting yourself in a bad light that might cause an admission officer to lose interest?

As you prepare your application, then, do the little things well. Be thoughtful in your approach. Invest in yourself. When everything else is equal, you want the reader of your application to come away feeling: “Wow–we need to take this one!” So, take a deep breath and get ready to tackle your applications!

The above is the introduction to Chapter 12 of my book, Winning the College Admission Game entitled, “Time to Apply: Get It Done.” If you find yourself stuck in a rut as application deadlines draw near, check out the book for more tips on how to work through the troublesome and potentially annoying details that might be bogging you down.

Speaking of deadlines, an interesting discussion is taking place on the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) listserve. It seems there is a question as to whether an application needs to be postmarked or actually received by an institution’s posted deadline in order to be considered for admission. The consensus is that the date the application has been postmarked is the one that will be observed by most institutions.

That said, try to work ahead of deadlines by at least a week. In doing so, you accomplish at least two things. One, you put your credentials into the hands of those who must process them ahead of the deluge of paperwork that descends on admission offices at the deadline–it is less likely that things will be lost/misplaced along the way. Two, you give yourself peace of mind knowing that you have completed everything on time.