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. An extensive listing of past articles as well as those written by other authors can be found in The College Planning Library, a feature of the Best College Fit Resources.
As you make plans to visit colleges this summer, be sure to inquire about opportunities for personal interviews while you are on their campuses. The interview gives you a chance to develop a relationship with a decision-maker, someone who will later be involved in the credential review process. While having such a relationship does not guarantee that you’ll get in, it should give you peace of mind that someone will be able to interpret your situation to other decision-makers behind the closed doors of the admission process.
That said, the prospect of having to talk with a stranger for half an hour or so may not seem too appealing. The fact that you’ll probably be expected to talk about yourself or that this conversation might have a bearing on your admission outcome doesn’t make the task any easier. The good news is that nobody ever died in an admission interview! It’s safe—and relatively harmless. The interview is not a test. The people you meet are really decent human beings who are simply interested in getting to know you better. Give them the chance.
As an interviewer, I always looked for opportunities to learn something new with each encounter. This led to fascinating conversations about the mental preparation actors go through as they take on stage personas, theories regarding the convergence of parallel lines in space (way over my head!), and the politics of poverty. I learned how to sail, followed the hand of an artist as it covered fresh canvas, and watched the sun in its early morning ascent from the top of Mount Masada through the eyes of students who had been there.
Each interview was an opportunity for me to meet with and understand a young person from a perspective that wasn’t scripted anywhere else. I could not have otherwise known the circumstances of the political exile who was understandably reluctant to reveal her family’s story. And I would not have met the homeless youth who came to my office with the simple plea: “All I want is a chance. I want someone to believe in me so I can get an education that will enable me to make a difference in the world.”
The interview is an opportunity to provide a conversational window into your world. Think about it. If there are things that need to be made known regarding your academic performance or your life experience in general, this is the time to tell your story. In reviewing your credentials, admission officers need to understand what’s going on contextually. Without explanations or interpretations of unusual circumstances from you, they are left to draw their own conclusions—and you don’t want them to start guessing!
So, you need to ask yourself, “What do I have to lose by going for an interview?” If a college offers the interview, it is a clear indication that it wants to get to know you better. Go for it!
Interview Tips
Do some research in advance. Be prepared to ask one or two thoughtful questions that relate to your areas of interest (for example, why not find out about opportunities for independent study or study abroad). You don’t want to waste your interview time with questions that can be answered easily from websites and viewbooks.
Dress comfortably. Don’t let your attire distract interviewers from the opportunity to get to know you.
Arrive early so you can become familiar with campus life. Check out the school newspaper and read activity boards to get a sense of what’s happening on campus so you are reasonably informed when you walk into the interview.
Take ownership. The interview is about you and your future.
Relax. Smile. Extend a firm handshake. Maintain good eye contact. Don’t slouch in your seat. You demonstrate your respect for the interviewer by your posture and mannerisms.
Eliminate the conversational “hiccups” (“like,” “well,” “you know”)—and stow the gum!
Be prepared to talk about your passions. Many interviewers are eager to learn something new. You never know when something you enjoy might lead to a broader conversation.
Have a resume handy, but don’t be surprised if the interviewer puts it aside to focus on having a conversation with you.
Tell your story. If circumstances beyond your control have adversely influenced your performance, now is the time to bring them to light.
Make sure you leave with the business card of the person who interviewed you. This person should be regarded as a key resource and you’ll want to make sure you know how to reach him/her with questions in the future.
Did you know that barely half of the students who enter college each year will graduate from any college at any time in their lives? The statistic is numbing when you consider the potential costs involved—your time, your parents’ money, and the lost opportunity to you as a wage earner upon graduation.
Over the last five postings in this space, I have provided ideas about how to find the college that is best for you—a place that is likely to attract and keep you through graduation. Before we wrap up this discussion, it might make sense to address some of the common pitfalls that lead to unproductive college choices—colleges that do not fit well.
Scenario #1: Love I hate to break it to you but the best college for you is not the place that your love interest attends! Before you and your boyfriend/girlfriend get too far along in planning the rest of your lives together, know that the odds of maintaining the relationship over four years of college are not in your favor. In fact, most high school romances break up before the end of the first year of college. Does it make sense, then, for you to commit to four years at somebody else’s college just so you can be together when there is a very good chance that before the end of the first semester she’ll find some other guy—and you’ll end up being a spectator on her campus. Would you call that a good fit?
Scenario #2: Friends The same logic applies to your friends. While you are ready to graduate from high school, you might not be ready to leave the people with whom you hang out. As a result, the whole gang heads off to college together—in many cases, site unseen. If anybody asks why you chose to attend that college, your response will probably be, “my friends go there.”
Now, how much sense does that make?! One or two of your friends have it figured out. They know the program and have made considered decisions. The rest of you just want to hang out. Now, you are on a campus that is strange to you except for the guys you want to hang with. A good fit?
Scenario #3: Parents The best school for you is not likely to be the place your parents attended or the place they want you to attend! This can become uncomfortable if your parents are already talking about the places you should attend. While you don’t want to disappoint them, you want to find your own college—a place that is the best fit for you. After all, you are different people. What worked for them might not work for you.
If you sense a conflict of this nature brewing, you need to find a diplomatic solution to it early in your search. The longer you allow your parent’s expectations of a destination to linger prominently in the picture, the harder it will be to extricate yourself from those expectations later in the process—that is, assuming you truly want to look in different directions.
Scenario #4: SportsThe best college for you is not likely to be the place that won the national championship. Everybody likes to be around a winner and there is something to be said for body painting and the crowd frenzy on crisp Saturday afternoons in the fall. Just remember, though, that whatever colors you bleed, you still need to be a student Monday through Friday.
Scenario #5: Prestige Finally, the best college for you is not necessarily the place that will give you the most impressive car sticker! Consider how the events are likely to unfold.
One day in the spring of your senior year, the “thick envelope” from XYZ, a very prestigious college, arrives in your mail slot. One of your parents is home and finds the letter. Instinctively, s/he rips open the letter to discover the good news and euphoria reigns—“We’re in!!” Before you know it, a car sticker has emerged from safe keeping (held there just in case) and is attached prominently on the family car so everyone can see where “we’re going to college!”
This will be an exciting time for the entire family because, of course, “we” got in. And good for you—if this is truly the place that you want to attend. Unfortunately, a lot of students and their families become more obsessed with winning the prize than finding the best fit. The student may have “won” the car sticker and all the bragging rights that go with it, but does the s/he have the right college? Maybe, maybe not.
Summing It Up
You need to remain reflective throughout the process in order to make sure a school, especially a high profile place, is the right one for you. (Would you buy a good-looking pair of shoes even if they were too snug in the toes?) As you move forward, resist the temptation to act impulsively or run with the herd. You must be able to live with your choice for the next four years and it needs to work for you in the years that follow. Invest in learning more about places that might be right for you—not your love interest or your friends or your parents. Now is the time to focus on you and what constitutes a good fit for you—so yours will be a successful four-year college experience.
Over the last month, I have written about elements of a good college fit—elements that are just as important when you are getting started with your college search as they are when making the final choice of a college. “Fit,” more than rankings, rhetoric or the emotional logic that is bound to emerge, is the greatest determinant of success in both gaining admission and completing the degree requirements at a given college or university.
As you know by now, the best college for you will be the place that:
Offers the course of study you want to pursue—and will provide opportunities for you to explore if you are undecided.
Provides instruction and learning opportunities in a manner that is compatible with the way you like to learn.
Is a good match for your level of ability and academic preparation.
Provides a community that feels like home.
It is vital that you give each of these elements equal regard in your college search. A place that “feels like home” but does not offer your intended program of study is not a good fit. Nor is the place that insists that you declare your major as an applicant if you haven’t come to any good conclusions about a major yet. The best fit will be the place that meets your requirements as defined within each of these elements.
If you have charted your college selection around these elements of fit, you are bound to discover many places that meet your criteria. Among them, the best place for you—the ideal college—will be the place that values you for what you have to offer!
Think about it. Wouldn’t you prefer to be at a college that recognizes your talents and abilities, interests and perspectives—and demonstrates its commitment to investing in your success? As you contemplate your educational experience, think about each potential college destination as a partner you might choose as you attempt to reach your goals. Do you want to commit yourself to a partner that barely acknowledges your presence or one that embraces you with a full sense of the possibilities?
Be discriminating as you look for evidence of the latter. Do you see it when you seek help in finding financial assistance? What is the response when you inquire about opportunities to pursue special independent study projects or to study abroad? Do you find yourself meeting with people who are eager to help you make things happen or are you left to figure these things out on your own? The manner in which a college engages you during the recruitment process is often an indicator of the way it will treat you as an enrolled student. In particular, colleges that value you for what you do well will:
Give you personal attention throughout the recruitment process.
Answer your questions about housing, registration and payment plans in a timely manner.
Provide financial aid to meet your need.
Recognize your talents with scholarships and/or special academic opportunities, i.e., study abroad, internships, research, etc..
Not surprisingly, this notion of “value” is pervasive as admission officers engage in the selective admission process as well. The question, “Who among the excellent candidates under consideration are of greatest interest to us—who do we value most?” frames the deliberation as highly qualified applicants are considered for limited places in the entering classes at selective institutions. Remember, such schools don’t have to admit you simply because you are good. If they admit you it is because they chose to do so.
The last two bullet points are especially important, then, as you apply for admission. Why? What better evidence that you have found a good college fit than to be admitted and extended the financial support you need in order to enroll?! The best college fit for you will be a place that seems to be saying, “among all of the really good candidates we are considering, we want you because of what you have to offer and we’re prepared to invest in your success.”
So, what does this mean for you? The secret to your success still rests in your ability to reflect honestly on “who you are” and “what you have to offer”—and to find a good college match for those qualities. Take stock of your gifts, talents and perspectives. What do you have to contribute to a new community and where might such contributions be valued most? Be true to yourself, then, and put yourself in a better position to experience a lasting relationship with an institution that makes sense for you.
“I need to get out of here!” It’s a feeling shared by teenagers almost daily that is expressed loudly to anyone within earshot. And “here” is wherever you are at the moment—home, school, community. Just about anywhere else would be better than where you are.
Perhaps you recognize the symptoms. It’s seems the older you get the more claustrophobic your world becomes. Everybody is in your business and you need space. You’re ready for a new look, a change of scenery. And right about now, college seems like an inviting destination.
As eager as you might be to get up and go, though, the chances are there is a quiet voice inside you (never to be heard by anyone else!) that says something like, “I’m not sure I want to go. They feed me and let me drive their car. Besides, my friends are right around the corner. I actually have a good life here. Do I really have to leave?”
The answer is “yes.” At some point you will need to find a change of address. And, if that place will be a college, why not find one that bears the qualities of your home environment that you like—a place that includes people with shared values and interests, a place where people will encourage you on bad days and celebrate with you the good days? Why not find a community into which you can settle in comfortably?
When you think about it, the best college fit will be a place that offers a community in which you will feel comfortable. It will be a place where you won’t be distracted by worries about how you fit in. You won’t worry about what people think about you—how you talk, what you say, how you dress or what you think. You won’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Instead, you can relax and focus on getting the most out of your college experience and that includes, by the way, your academic work. There is a strong correlation between one’s comfort level in college—and one’s grade point average!
So, how do you find such a place? It’s hard to search the Internet for such a fit. Chat room conversations can be deceptive, as they tend to reflect only the opinions of those who participate. And the images you see in videos and viewbooks are rarely unattractive.
As a result, you will need to do some original research. Specifically, you need to experience college campuses and, in the process, be sensitive to your “gut” reactions. Quite often students who believe they’ve found the college of their dreams are hard-pressed to explain the attraction, except to say, “It’s a gut feeling. It feels right—like I would be at home.” As you think about living apart from the comforts of home, finding your niche is vitally important, so let your gut go to work for you.
What “gut feeling” do you hope to find as you look at colleges? Look for students who come from similar backgrounds—who share your interests and your loyalties. While they shouldn’t be exact clones of you, it’s a good sign if they are people from whom you can learn and around whom you can grow personally. In all likelihood, your gut will tell you when you have found people you’d like to get to know better.
Moreover, what does your gut tell you about a college’s inclination to stretch and support you through various aspects of your college experience? Do you sense that people in a given environment will encourage and support you in your journey of self-discovery? Based on your experience on college campuses, where do you see evidence that interaction with others will help broaden your perspective—get you to take risks and think outside of the box periodically? What does your gut tell you about how an environment will respond if you struggle? Will anyone know? Will anyone care?
The answers to these questions will help define the ideal college community for you. At a time in your life when you may be aching to get away and have a different experience, it’s vital that you “land” well when you get to college. Be careful not to react impulsively, as you consider your college “home away from home.” Be sure to test your reactions. Until you can experience such a place first hand and come away with a really strong, positive “gut feeling,” that feeling only exists in your imagination. Be prepared to visit campuses—and revisit and revise your list—as your college search continues until one day you know—it feels like home!
How comfortable are you around water? Are you a strong swimmer or do you struggle to keep your head above water? Are you comfortable venturing into the deeper water or do you prefer to wade into shallow water as long as the bottom is visible and the footing is certain? Most people expose themselves to water and swimming situations according to their respective levels of skill and comfort—no more, no less.
The same might be true as you assess your comfort level with different academic environments in search of a good college “fit.” Just as you might study a body of water to figure out its temperature, depth and current (relative to your levels of tolerance) before venturing in, you need to investigate the rigor, pace and depth of an academic environment—and your ability to keep your “head above water” if admitted—before deciding to apply.
When assessing academic rigor as an indication of “fit,” you are likely to find that you have the capacity to “get the job done” academically in a range of college environments. In other words, to follow the metaphor, you are not likely to have difficulty with the water itself. You will fit best, however, in environments where your ability and preparation enable you to rise to new levels of challenge.
Your objective, then, should be to find academic environments where your levels of ability and preparation will enable you to achieve well as you stretch yourself intellectually.These places represent appropriate “bodies of water” for you academically. The best sources of insight regarding your preparedness to meet the academic rigor of various colleges and universities are your high school teachers. Their familiarity with your capabilities can be invaluable in identifying the colleges where you will be well served academically.
Assuming you are able to identify appropriate environments academically, you now need to assess the competitiveness of your credentials for admission to those colleges. How does your record stack up with those of other candidates, most (about 90%) of whom are just like you in that they can do the work, too?
A helpful guide in this regard is to compare your credentials with those of students who are already enrolled at the college you are considering. You can do this by looking at the Admission Profile for that school’s most recent entering class. If your scores and GPA fall within the top quartile of those reported on the school’s profile, it’s a safe bet you will be a competitive candidate for admission to that school. While not a guarantee of admission, it is reassurance that you are looking in the right place. Your chances diminish incrementally, though, as your credentials fall below the top quartile.
You need to be honest in assessing this part of the picture, especially if you are considering schools that can be highly selective. A lot of students get in over their heads competitively when they fail to consider the odds of gaining admission. While you might feel you are a viable candidate at schools that can be very choosy, the reality is you need to be in the top 25% of an applicant pool to have a fighting chance of being admitted. By the way, you don’t increase your chances of getting into at least one such school by applying to a dozen of them!
Be smart, then, about choosing where to apply. Put yourself on competitive playing fields that are most appropriate given your skills and preparation. Whether you compete in the pool or on the stage or in the classroom, you have the best chance of finding success when your skills prove your capacity to do the work and are competitive with those around you. Put yourself into competition where you fit best and enjoy the success that is bound to come your way both as a candidate for admission and as a subsequently enrolled student.
For further discussion on the essential elements of finding a good fit in the college search process check out the 2/15 webcast, “How to Find the Best College Fit” in the Best College Fit Webcast Archive.
Reality: This country boasts a broad array of more than 3,000 colleges and universities dedicated to providing post-secondary educational opportunities. Their personalities, curricula and institutional cultures vary, though, as greatly as 3,000 sets of fingerprints!
Think about what this means for you. While your educational needs can be met at many places, it would be a mistake to assume they will be met in the same manner—or, more importantly, in a manner that is well suited to your learning style. Choosing well, then, is essential to your eventual success.
Finding a good college fit begins with identifying places that provide the program you need and a style of instruction that is most comfortable for you. Just as students possess unique learning styles—they each process information differently—colleges offer different styles of instruction. Let’s suppose, for example, you want to study Biology. Some colleges will teach Biology in seminars that include 25-30 students. Some teach it in lecture halls of five hundred! Yet others will attach labs to the instruction or offer research opportunities.
In each case, the material is the basically same—bio is bio—but the experience is different. The important questions are, “How would you function in these different environments? What sort of interaction do you want to have with the information that is being presented?”
In order to find the learning environments that make the most sense for you, take stock of your learning style. How do you like to be engaged with learning? Who or what inspires you? Under what circumstances are you most likely to produce your best work? The more you know about how you like to learn, the easier it will be to make critical distinctions among the learning environments of different colleges.
Consider the following questions as you try to “get your arms around” your learning style. Be particularly attentive to the “why” part of each question.
Who is your favorite teacher—and why?
What is your favorite class right now—and why?
In which type of classroom setting (e.g., large group lectures, seminars, etc.) are you most comfortable—and why?
With what kinds of people and personalities do you enjoy exchanging ideas—and why?
As you reflect on your answers—especially the “whys”—you come to better understand the characteristics of a learning environment that would be the most appropriate for you in college. The next step is to look for colleges that mirror these characteristics. They will be the best fits for you.
If, for example, your approach to learning is to take good notes, read diligently and prepare carefully—all in the relative anonymity of the large lecture hall, then you are more likely to function comfortably in a larger, more expansive instructional setting. On the other hand, if you like the engagement of a small classroom where you can ask questions—where you can challenge and be challenged—then the seminar format will be more productive for you.
Now, consider the consequences of failing to be attentive to the information you are gleaning about your learning style. If you do prefer the large lecture hall experience—but you’ve chosen a college where most of your classes put you front and center around the seminar table, won’t you feel like the proverbial “fish out of water?” On the other hand, if you really like the engagement of the small classroom but find yourself in a setting that features lectures of 300 or more students—all the time—will that learning environment bring out the best in you? In the final analysis, you are more likely to get the most out of your ability when you find yourself in an environment that is well suited to the way you learn.
Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Take the time, then, to get to know yourself—and the circumstances in which you learn most comfortably. In doing so, you put yourself in a better position to make good choices that reflect your interests and needs.
Students often enter the college search process with specific academic programs or career interests in mind. And why not? If you know what you want to study in college, the best places are those that will accommodate your interests and support your strengths. For example, if you want to pursue chemical engineering, focus on schools that offer it. The same is true whether your interests lie in business, elementary education, or graphic design.
As you look at colleges, be careful not to compromise in your pursuit of such passions. If you want to pursue film studies, but a college you are considering doesn’t offer a very substantive program in that area, then you need to recognize early that it is not a good fit. You owe it to yourself to look into colleges that offer strong programs that meet your needs in your areas of interest.
In particular, don’t let emotional interests override your academic priorities. Embracing a college or university simply on the merit of its overall ranking or reputation, or because it has a great athletic program or is in a location you like, on the assumption you’ll be able to figure out the academic piece later, is not wise. When you do that, you become “destination-centered” and set yourself up for frustration down the line. Think about it. How often do you hear about students transferring because the colleges they have chosen don’t offer the programs they want to study?
If, on the other hand, you are still searching for that passion and you don’t feel drawn to a particular career interest or academic direction, don’t worry. You’re normal. It’s difficult to know at any age what you’ll do for the rest of your life, so relax. Don’t get hung up on what you don’t know—see those “deficiencies” as opportunities. You’ve got a lot of time to sort them out.
If you are “undecided,” the more important questions are, “Do you have the desire to learn—to discover the many truths that define you and the world in which you live?” and, if so, “Can you find the relevance of what you are learning to the various pathways you might choose in life?”
Hopefully, the answer to both questions is, “Yes.” If so, look for places that will encourage you to explore various perspectives and draw from diverse experiences that will form the building blocks that are foundational to your future direction. Whatever you do, don’t succumb to the notion that there is something wrong if your future plans are not laid out in great detail.
You’ll be fine. Hundreds of institutions across the country—liberal arts colleges as well as universities with robust general studies programs—are eager to embrace the undecided student. You just need to plan accordingly to give yourself options. (For more insight into dealing with indecision, check out my April 13, 2011 blog, “Seize the Opportunity in Indecision.”
In summary, go into the college selection process with your eyes wide open! Be true to your passions. Don’t abandon your academic needs in favor of factors that will have little or no impact on your learning experience. Be careful about adding schools to your list that don’t offer academic flexibility if, indeed, what you really need is the opportunity to explore. If you are undecided about your future academic directions, yet find yourself looking at an application for admission that requires you to declare a major as you apply for admission, you are looking at an institution that is not a good fit for you.
Did You Know…
You will probably change your major in college? Most college students do at least once.
Most students enter college “undeclared” with regard to a major?
The odds are that you will change jobs at least four times and change careers twice?
Many colleges report that 80-90% of the people who graduated more than 25 years ago are now in careers that did not exist when they graduated?
At this time of year, a new batch of college applicants is gearing up for the next admission season. Despite great expectations, happy outcomes will be largely dependent on the student’s ability to stay focused academically while avoiding some of the common mistakes that doom otherwise very promising candidates. Keys to successful management of the process involve making good choices, building relationships with colleges and managing expectations.
Make Good Choices The mistake: Many students assume they don’t have to worry about the admission process until they formally become applicants in their senior year.
The reality: Students become college applicants the day they become high school freshmen. Everything counts. In fact, every day presents opportunities for decision-making that will have a bearing on how you live the next day—and beyond.
The key: Key areas of choice involve academic preparedness, extracurricular engagement and the application process itself. While it is not healthy—or practical—to obsess on any of these, students need to understand their accountability for good decision-making. Choosing well at every turn strengthens the student’s credential and reduces the potential for discriminating admission committees to say “no.”
Build Relationships with Colleges The mistake: Students don’t take advantage of opportunities to get on the “radar screens” of college admission officers before they submit their applications.
The reality: Admission officers are looking for evidence of engaged interest. In fact, they are keeping track of a student’s interest from his/her first contact through the end of the admission process.
The solution is to demonstrate interest. As you get to know colleges, make sure you get credit for the things you do. Get credit for attending information sessions and visiting campuses by filling out information cards/forms. More importantly, take advantage of opportunities to demonstrate your understanding of the “fit” that exists between yourself and the institution.
The key: A key person in this equation is the admission officer responsible for recruiting in your area. Turn to this person with important questions that are bound to emerge as you learn about the institution and begin to prepare your application. Ask thoughtful questions. Be respectful and judicious as you extend yourself. While you don’t want to come to be regarded as a pest, the last thing you want is for admission officers to question the depth or sincerity of your interest.
Manage Expectations The mistake: Students assume that the more “reach” schools to which they apply, the better are the chances of getting into at least one.
The reality: It rarely works that way—especially if financial aid is needed. Not only is applying, somewhat arbitrarily, to a long list of schools likely to be an exercise in futility, it distracts students from giving quality attention to the applications they submit to colleges that represent the best fits for them.
It is important to avoid confusing admissibility with competitiveness at a given college. The odds are that you will be admissible—you can do the work in the classroom—at most of the colleges that materialize on your long list. Will you be competitive, however? Do you possess credentials that make you among the most highly valued candidates?
The key: The key is to manage expectations. Target places that make sense for you: colleges where your credentials put you in the top half—if not the top quartile—of the admitted student profile from past entering classes. This will be an indicator that you are squarely on the competitive “playing field” at that school and you are more likely to be valued for what you have to offer academically.
In the final analysis, there can be no outcome guarantees in college planning—and it is not healthy nor constructive to regard the process as a matter of acquiring a prize or a particular “destination.” You can, however, be careful to avoid some of the common missteps that plague potential applicants each year and, in the process, remain diligent in searching out places that represent good fits for you.
