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College Planning Blog
Welcome to The Admission Game (TAG) College Planning Blog, an ongoing discussion of the factors that impact the college planning process. This space will keep you abreast of critical planning strategies, introduce you to key resources and comment on timely issues that relate to your college planning effort. I look forward to staying in touch and seeing your comments as we progress through the college planning process together.
It’s that time of the year when college entrance testing tends to dominate the thought process of many would be college applicants. This is too bad as students should be concerning themselves with far more substantive matters than whether they have test scores that will get them the prized admission offer they so desperately seek.
As I have noted before in this space, testing does not have to be the bane of a young person’s existence. Most colleges would confirm (ask to see their validity studies) that the testing is not terribly useful as a diagnostic (the purpose for which it was developed) and its usefulness has been reduced to, more than anything, that of a competitive credential. That said, I continue to be encouraged by the number of colleges that are making the submission of tests optional for some or all of their applicants. In effect, they are acknowledging, “We can make good decisions about whom to admit with test results.” According to Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director for FairTest.org, the number now stands at 757 colleges and universities. His website lists each of these schools in alphabetical order.
When I made reference to the test optional opportunity that exists at a growing number of schools during a presentation earlier this week, a parent asked, somewhat incredulously, “Won’t colleges assume that it you don’t submit scores that you are trying to hide low results?”
Good question. In fact, I have heard the assertion that the test optional schools are simply using the option as a marketing ploy to attract applicants and raise their institutional testing profiles (because, presumably, low test scores are no longer reported). While those might be secondary outcomes for such schools, it is my experience that the rationale for going test optional runs much deeper. Many schools with test requirements feel obligated to admit students according to their respective institutional testing profiles. In the process, they rather arbitrarily dismiss candidates who are otherwise very compelling, but whose scores would “hurt the profile.”
The removal of the testing requirement frees admission officers to focus their deliberations on the personal strengths and attributes of the student without concern for how a score might affect their institutional academic profiles. The day that my school went test optional in the admission process was like a day of liberation for my colleagues and me. Free from the “tyranny of numbers,” we were able to admit the students who were most compelling to us.
Interestingly, when we studied the records of all the admitted (and enrolled) students after the fact, we found that the testing profiles of the non-submitters was almost identical to that of the submitters–and it included a number of kids who elected not to submit perfect scores presumably because they wanted to be valued for the other things they did well! Did we admit kids who benefited by not having to submit substandard scores? Sure–and they did very well in college and in life after school. Similarly, we admitted more than a few students over the years who submitted high test scores but relatively modest high school records who did not find the same success.
The bottom line is this: if testing is not your thing or you are philosophically opposed to its place in the admission process, you should feel more than comfortable exploring the 757 colleges and universities that have made the submission of tests optional. They have defined a different paradigm for decision-making that, quite frankly, is student-centered. And that’s a good thing!
Stay tuned for more discussion about the topic as the December 19 Straight Talk About College Admission “Getting Started” Teleseminar (8 PM ET) will focus on “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep.”
Posted in Testing/Test Prep, What Colleges Want | No Comments »
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.
Posted in Application Info | No Comments »
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.
Posted in Application Info, What Colleges Want | No Comments »
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.
Note: If you find the information on this blog useful to your college planning process, tell a friend. We’d like to make sure that as many families as possible can take advantage of good advice when it comes to finding and getting into the colleges that fit them best!
And don’t forget to check out the Straight Talk About College Admission teleseminar series. Registration (http://www.TheAdmissionGame.com/members.php) for tomorrow night’s program, “The Biggest Mistakes Made in Applying to College,” closes later this afternoon (10/16/07).
Posted in Application Info | No Comments »
Not long ago, I posted a blog that featured an email exchange regarding the merits of applying Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA). This has prompted a number of other conversations including one that explores the real advantages to applying EA. Here’s the question:
If I apply to a college that offers Early Action, would this be an advantage as my application would be seen earlier and, possibly, be considered more carefully? Also, I heard that a lot of colleges accept a decent percentage of students who apply early action. Can I apply to more than one school that offers early action? I’m not sure what I should do in this case.
The writer is clearly very perceptive about the potential advantages to being seen earlier in the competition. However, as you will see in my response, I am not sure that you can infer accurately that earlier reviews will be more thorough or advantageous to the applicant. The following are my responses to what really amounted to three questions:
Your Early Action question is a good one. My hunch is that applying EA won’t give you much of an advantage if any at all. If you were applying Early Decision, then you would probably have an advantage as ED is a strategy used by colleges to boost their yields and become more selective. In such situations, they tend to cut applicants breaks in order to get the number they want.
Since you are not obligated to enroll if accepted EA, admission committees are less likely to cut you a break. And, believe it or not, many committees tend to proceed cautiously early in their reading as they don’t want to “set the bar” too low. I have not seen any statistics that support the notion that schools accept at a higher rate in EA (as would be the case in ED).
You need to be careful about applying to more than one college EA. Most schools regard that as unethical and some are explicit with “Single Choice EA” application requirements. This means that while you may apply to multiple colleges concurrently, you can only submit one EA application. If you have a clear first choice and that school offers the EA option, you have nothing to lose. If they say “yes,” you’re all set. If they don’t, then at least you know you need to take your other options more seriously.
If you are a college applicant, you are no doubt feeling a great deal of pressure to narrow your list of schools and consider strategies that will help you get in. Using the ED option as a strategy is not a good idea unless you are dead certain that you will enroll if admitted (and that means you have put to rest any related financial concerns). I can’t tell you how many students get in ED and are already beginning to re-think their selections by April of the senior year.
Using EA as a strategy is not as risky largely because you are not committed to enroll if accepted. That is why, however, schools that offer EA are not as likely to think expansively about the applicants they might tag with an EA acceptance. Just make sure you read the not-so-fine print that describes the EA agreement at the school you are considering.
The “Getting In” Track of the “Straight Talk About College Admission” teleseminar series on November 20th will feature a further discussion of Early Decision. Go to http://www.theadmissiongame.com/college_planning_teleseminars.php for more information about signing up.
Posted in College Planning, Early Decision/Action | No Comments »
I had an interesting conversation earlier this week with a colleague regarding college entrance tests and, in particular, which of the tests might be used to the greatest advantage by students. After reflecting on the pluses and minuses of the SAT and the ACT, we came to the conclusion that the ACT was a bit of a best kept secret.
Think about how testing is used at most colleges. No longer a meaningful diagnostic-the purpose for which college entrance testing was intended, the standardized test has become a competitive credential in applications for admission. For better or worse, college entrance testing–in particular the SAT–is the most commonly recognized metric associated with quality at colleges and universities. Whenever institutions are compared, whether at the water cooler or in college ranking guides, their respective testing profiles are central to the assumptions of quality, as big numbers seem to reflect the presence of smart kids.
This brings us to the ACT. A product of the Midwest, it is a test that has just begun to show up on the radar screens of students on the coasts where the SAT has long been the coin of the realm. (The subject-based ACT is now accepted by every college and university in the country, including SAT-dominant schools–schools for which the SAT is the test result submitted by the majority of the applicants.) It is also worth noting that the test used in the majority of the admission decisions at an institution is also the test result that factors into the ranking of that college by U.S. News and World Report. And it is in the competition for admission at these schools where the ACT can be a strategic option for students.
Consider, for example, the student whose academic and personal credentials say to an SAT-dominant college, “take me,” but whose SAT results would not “look good” on that college’s Freshman Profile. Such a student is well-advised to give that college options with regard to his/her testing by providing an ACT result in addition to the SAT. With a solid ACT score as a point of reference, an institution that might be inclined to admit a candidate (except for modest SAT results) can, instead, rationalize the offer to admit on the ACT result. Moreover, if the school in question is SAT-dominant, it is only obligated to report that student’s SAT to USN&WR if it was the score that factored into the offer of admission.
So, think strategically about your testing profile. If test results are required of you and you have struggled to achieve a competitive SAT result, do what you can to eliminate the specter of a relatively weak credential. Give the ACT a try. While there are are no guarantees, the presence of the ACT result in your application gives many colleges the opportunity to look beyond the SAT in making their decisions. When that happens, you will have removed a barrier to admission.
To learn more about your options with regard to testing, plan to join the December 19 Straight Talk About College Admission teleseminar entitled, “The Role of Testing and the Value of Test Prep.”
Posted in Testing/Test Prep | No Comments »
I had just presented “The Admission Game” to a group of students and parents in Colorado when a group of seniors gathered to ask questions about the application process. Given the time of the year, it didn’t come as a surprise that college essays were on their minds. In fact, the essay or personal statement is perhaps the most vexing of the application requirements faced by applicants to college. And these folks wanted to get it right!
The question of length is a good one if you are an applicant who is sensitive to meeting the expectations of those who will read your essay. My initial response to the student who asked this question was, “Your essay should be as long as it takes to get your message across–no more and no less.” That said many students tend to become preoccupied with the letter of the instructions. If the essay prompt asks for a “500-word statement,” they assume the final product needs to be 500 words. As a result, they lose their focus on the subject and worry more about meeting the word count.
As a college applicant, you need to know that, more often than not, the number of words referenced in the essay prompt is intended to be a target rather than an absolute requirement. Word counts are less a test of your ability to be succinct–although you should strive to achieve that distinction with your essay–and more about giving you a set of parameters within which to work. Believe me, there aren’t many college admission officers who will take the time to count the words in your essay!
Assuming, then, that you have found a topic or inspiration for a college essay, your first objective is to craft a statement that will be compelling to the admission committee. Focus on the development of ideas rather than meeting a word count. Believe it or not, it is much easier to edit “down” than to find yourself trying to manufacture new content in order to arrive at a desired word count. That said, what can you write that will give the readers insight into who you are? (I talk about answering the “why” questions in the essay chapter of Winning the College Admission Game.) Take time to create a really strong draft that delivers the desired messages. And then put it away for a week or two.
Putting the essay away for a while will allow you to clear your head–which isn’t a bad thing if you have been laboring over the essay for an extended period of time. This reprieve from writing will also give you much needed perspective so that when you pick it up again, you can dive into the next stage of critical editing. When you start to edit again, don’t be surprised if word choices and structural developments that may have made sense when you wrote the first draft look different now. Work through your draft to make the changes that will strengthen your message.
And then, when you think you are finished, look at the word count. If you are close to the number targeted in the instructions, you are in pretty good shape. On the other hand, if you have 1,500 words and the admission committee only wants to see something in the neighborhood of 500, it’s time to take a serious look at your content. How much of what you have written is essential to the points you are trying to make–and how much of it is there because you fell in love with a passage that doesn’t really add to the strength of your presentation? If you don’t need it, cut it!
Finally, if you really want to make your essay better, take a stab at cutting 10% from your final draft. Work through every sentence of every paragraph to find opportunities to say more with less. Take the time to make a good essay great! In the end, if you have written a compelling essay, the reader won’t even notice that it is longer or shorter than the targeted word count. Good luck!
Posted in Application Info, What Colleges Want | No Comments »
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