Congratulations to the Class of ’22!

Congratulations on your college acceptances! This was a very challenging admissions cycle, with applications significantly up at many institutions. Give yourself credit for all the hard work you have put in throughout high school, and start getting excited about the schools that really want you to join their community. 

If you applied to reach or ultra-selective schools, you likely have received some disappointing news in addition to offers of admission. Colleges select applicants not based solely on students’ achievements but also based on the colleges’ institutional objectives and subjective criteria that we cannot predict. Remember that there is not just one great school for you where you can be successful. There are many, and the path to success is paved in many directions, not just a few.  

As you are deciding between your options, don’t let emotions take over your decision-making. Instead, try to objectively judge how well each college meets the needs and goals you initially established when making your college list. If you put together a good-fit college list, the cost (over four years) might be a driving factor in your decision-making at this point. Make sure to ask your colleges for the average tuition increase per year, as most colleges increase tuition. Here is a free cost comparison worksheet from Edmit.

May 1st has traditionally been Decision Day, the final day to submit an enrollment deposit, letting a college know your decision to accept their offers (of admission, scholarships, and special programs), but some colleges may give you a later deadline. It is critical to know your colleges’ enrollment deadlines and deposit policies. Some colleges require an enrollment deposit before you can apply for housing; housing deposits may or may not be refundable. Read each of your colleges’ “admitted student checklist” with your parent(s) and contact colleges if you have any questions.

Take advantage of Admitted Student Day events, especially if you are mourning a denial from another school. Seeing firsthand where you can learn and grow is the best way to move on from disappointment. If you can’t visit in person, the next best thing is to attend the Virtual Admitted Student Day events hosted by your colleges. Both versions help you talk to current students and engage with professors and department staff so you can learn more about your academic interests as well as social life on campus. Here is a great article about one student’s realization that their safety school was actually their dream school.

Suppose you know where you want to enroll. In that case, it can often be beneficial to commit and submit your deposit before the deadline, as many colleges have a priority housing process that starts earlier. Every school has different housing deadlines, admission deposit steps, and class registration procedures. Again, you need to read all of the communication you receive from your colleges and follow their suggested steps. 

While you might be able to submit multiple housing deposits to different colleges to hold your place in the housing line (i.e. if a college does not require you to submit an enrollment deposit prior to submitting a non-refundable housing deposit), it is not ethical to submit more than one enrollment deposit. In fact, students who submitted their applications via the Common App signed that they agreed that the only exception to this is if they are offered a spot off of a waitlist. Additionally, your high school counselor is encouraged to only submit your final transcript to one college. Please read more on why you should not double deposit here. 

Read on for how to accept an offer of admission and why it’s important to notify the colleges you won’t be attending of your decision. And, remember, you are now in the driver’s seat. All of the colleges that admitted you really want you to come to campus. Take time to compare your offers, then buy all your college swag and celebrate!

Photo by Buro Millennial on Pexels.com

Admission Strategies & Updates

The results from Early Action and Early Decision (Round 1) are in. The data shows selective colleges are continuing to use enrollment strategies like Early Decision to fill large portions of their classes and are relying on waitlists to fill their gaps. But new trends have emerged, like deferring top applicants from early to regular admission rounds or denying (vs. deferring) more Early applicants than in the past. The pandemic brought uncertainty about where students would enroll, as well as significant increases in applications (in part due to test-optional policies). With the current “holistic admission practices trend,” selective college admissions is no longer simply about admitting the most talented students. Colleges are using these tools to fill (but not overfill) their classes with high achieving students that also offer diverse backgrounds, experiences, or talents.

Fall 2021 data shows an increase in Early Decision (ED) acceptances to fill up selective colleges’ classes. Barnard, Tulane, and Wash U in St. Louis, for example, filled more than (Barnard), just at (Wash U) or almost (Tulane) 60% of their class via Early Decision. Colleges are using ED to lock in hard-to-get, highly desirable candidates (students of color are reported to be—by far—the top priority, then first-generation, specific talents, etc.) Note: Legacy status is losing its impact at many colleges.

The data also shows a decrease in Early Action (EA) rates at a number of highly selective colleges. You can see EA rates for 2021 using the link above and compare this to Fall 2020 data. Northeastern University, for example, went from admitting 20% of Early Action applicants in 2020-2021 to only 6% this cycle! Note: many colleges are withholding Early Admission data because they don’t want to discourage students from applying.

In the past, many colleges would defer Early Decision applicants rather than outright deny them, giving them a “soft” denial. The trend this year is more colleges are denying (vs. deferring) more Early Action/Early Decision candidates than in the past (knowing that Regular Decision application numbers will likely be high). Some highly selective colleges deferred early applicants simply because they were understaffed and couldn’t get through all of the applications in time. Others are deferring applicants to compare them with the rest of the pool. Waitlists will likely remain long, but waitlist admission rates will continue to be unpredictable. Beyond simply filling seats, waitlists can also help schools address demographic or interest-based deficiencies in their admission pool, allowing admissions officers to balance the incoming class across demographics and interests.

UC Selectivity Rates are Likely to Change

Despite a budget agreement in 2016 that the UC would limit its share of nonresident students to 18% at most of its campuses, Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego were allowed to keep their nonresident enrollment steady at about 23%. Other top public universities in the U.S. average closer to 30%. However, this is about to change. In addition to the UCs being incentivized by the state government to enroll more in-state applicants and fewer out-of-state students, UC Berkeley specifically will likely have to cut admission offers considerably this year.

A county judge ordered the campus to keep its enrollment flat (at pandemic enrollment levels equal to the 2020-2021 academic year) after siding with community groups suing the school over the environmental impact of its increasing footprint. If the order is not overturned soon, Berkeley will be forced to trim its enrollment by 3,000 students (equating to over 5,000 fewer admission offers). This enrollment freeze comes at a time when UC Berkeley again topped its record-breaking number of applicants, with more than 128,100 high school seniors applying for the fall 2022 freshman class, according to a UC Berkeley press release. 

This is not great news for out-of-state applicants, but essential to know before you receive your admission decisions or add a UC to your college list. The trend of decreasing the number of out-of-state students will continue, as the California Senate recently unveiled a plan to reduce the non-resident share of UC undergraduates down to 10% by 2033.

What do the trends and changes in UC Admissions mean?

Selective college admissions have changed, and students should not compare their admission outcomes to the outcomes students had in the past. Colleges are focusing on having diverse classes, admitting students they feel are very likely to accept an offer of admission, and, in some cases, prioritizing in-state applicants.

Future applicants have to shift how they create their college lists. Students can no longer weigh down their lists with mostly highly “selectives”. Instead, students should focus on a few highly selective colleges that are great fits, and give them lots of attention, research time, and well-crafted essays. They should also consider applying Early Decision to one school if it offers an admission advantage and if it makes financial sense.

Then, students must spend equal time finding target schools they love and giving these schools a good amount of attention. Both “target” and selective schools are paying more attention to demonstrated interest. Selective schools in the midwest, for example, are paying attention to whether or not students visit, and the yield rates from certain states. Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, knows that it only yields 20% from California. Case, like many other schools, wants to protect its yield (the % of students who accept an offer of admission), so they pay attention to demonstrated interest and think carefully about offering admission even to strong applicants. 

Key Takeaway: Colleges are demanding more of students in the research, contact, and application process, which means your list needs to be refined, tightened, and possibly, shortened.

Early Decision Acceptances & FAQs

Congratulations – you’ve been accepted to your top-choice school! This is no small feat, as you can see from this year’s Early Decision admission data. 

Because Early Decision (ED) is a binding agreement, this means your college admission process is complete. You cannot wait to hear from your other colleges and you cannot compare financial aid or scholarship offers. You need to follow the instructions provided in your offer letter directing you to submit a deposit by a specific deadline (usually early January for ED1 and early March for ED2).

Here is your checklist of things to do: 

• Follow the school’s instructions on how to officially enroll. 
• Accept financial aid and/or scholarship offers (if offered and desired).  
• Contact any other schools to which you’ve applied to inform them that you won’t be attending – your ED college requires this! Plus, alerting your colleges opens up spots for other deserving applicants. Please do this immediately, as you would want someone to do the same thing for you! The easiest option to withdraw an application is usually through your college portal. If not, you can send a brief email to the admissions office saying something like, “I am writing to inform you that I have accepted an offer of admission from another institution to which I applied early decision. Thank you for considering my application.” 
• Thank your high school counselor and teacher recommenders who helped your application be successful. 
• Buy your college sweatshirt and celebrate! 
• After your first semester of senior year, focus on applying for private scholarships and/or get a job to help pay for college expenses.

Is Early Decision Really Binding?

ED is a morally and ethically binding agreement. Families should know their anticipated Net Price before applying, and they sign a contract agreeing to attend if admitted. A student’s high school counselor also signs off on the agreement and will be aware if a student continues to apply to other colleges. Even though there are no legal ramifications if a family withdraws from an ED agreement, schools do not look kindly on students who change their minds.

What Happens If You Back Out?

Even without legal ramifications, bowing out of an ED acceptance can hurt your chances of acceptance elsewhere. There are colleges that share lists of early decision acceptances, and other colleges will not look favorably on an applicant who doesn’t honor their Early Decision agreement. Rod Oto, the associate dean of admissions at Carleton College, will first try to follow up with a student to discover why they want to withdraw their agreement. Oto said he might call the high college counselor or other colleges where the student has applied. While it isn’t his intention to get every college to withdraw their offers of admittance, he does want to make sure the student knows that Carleton College is not happy. Additionally, the ED college or university will blacklist the student so they will be unable to reapply to that institution at a later date (even graduate school). Here is what Cornell University has to say about students’ obligations: 

In addition, we remind you that your admission to Cornell as an early decision candidate is binding. As part of the agreement, you must withdraw any applications you have filed at other colleges or universities. Cornell, as well as other colleges that participate in early decision, take the early decision commitment very seriously. If we learn that you have not withdrawn your applications to other institutions, you will jeopardize those applications as well as your place at Cornell. If you have concerns about keeping your early decision commitment, please contact us immediately.

Pulling out of an ED agreement doesn’t just reflect poorly on you; students in subsequent years could have a tough time gaining acceptance to your ED college if you withdraw. Chris Ajemian, from CATES Tutoring, says that one of his students was recently the first from his school in eight years to be admitted to a particular top 10 university. “Why had it been so long? Although we cannot say with complete certainty, we do know that a former student from the school had rescinded on their ED commitment. And from what we could gather, this single student had impacted the chances for both early and regular decision candidates for almost a decade,” says Ajemian. 

What If Something Unforeseen Happens?

There are a few (rare) exceptions to the ED agreement being an obligation: if the financial aid package doesn’t meet the family’s financial need or if financial or life circumstances drastically change from when the student applies to when they are admitted. 

Issues that might impact your acceptance could include a parent losing a job, sudden health issues for you or an immediate family member, or a natural disaster wreaking havoc on your home. Colleges aren’t going to hold unforeseen circumstances against a family. 

In these situations, families should immediately share their concerns with the college admissions office and high school counselor. Colleges will often try their best to help find more money for the student. But, if after talking with the school, a family cannot make the college affordable, they can request a release from the agreement. There is a difference between not being able to pay and not being willing to pay, however. Colleges will know the difference, as they ask for documentation to support a student’s claim of financial difficulty.

How Can I Negotiate?

Parents can explain in a letter that they need more financial aid to make attending possible. It is also advisable to set up a meeting with the college. Parents should be able to demonstrate that they need a more significant financial package to make attendance possible and share specifically how much money is required. The college can choose to reject, negotiate or accept the parents’ offer. Then, it is up to the family to decide what is in their best interest.

What’s Next?

If you’ve pulled out of the early decision agreement and were released from your commitment by the institution, then you are free to carry on with the college process, assuming you have other applications in the works (most final application deadlines are early January).

But if there are no major life events and you’re just having second thoughts, take some time to consider your options. You could attend your ED school and apply to transfer for your sophomore year. 

Alternately, you may apply to take a gap year to work or travel and reassess your ED school with greater perspective. Students will have to write a compelling letter explaining why they want to take a gap year, however, and the college can reject or accept an enrollment deferral request. 

If even after a gap year, you decide your ED school isn’t for you, you can reapply to colleges the following year. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to explain your course of action on your second round of applications. 

Whatever factors prompt you to reconsider your early decision acceptance, it’s important to approach this situation with caution and open communication. Talk to your family and high school counselor about your concerns and consider all of the factors before making a decision.

December Admission Decisions

December is a big month for seniors who applied for Early Action or Early Decision, as admission decisions will be announced this month. Students who put together well-balanced lists that include some “reach/lottery” schools should understand that a denial from a school(s) should not be unexpected.

Even if you know a school is selective, rejection from a college hurts. To have the courage to apply, students have to be optimistic about their admission chances. Still, it is a good idea to mentally prepare for all possible results. It is also wise to complete your remaining essays before you start hearing from your selective colleges. Writing a solid essay for another college will be difficult after hearing “no” from a dream college.

If you are waiting on an Early Decision or a selective school’s Early Action result, take a few minutes to think about how you want to find out about the college’s decision. If you are on the West Coast, decisions will likely be released during school hours. But, you do not have to look at the result during school. You do not have to share the outcome (good or bad) with your friends instantaneously. You can wait to log into your college account until you get home. How and when you read an admission decision is entirely up to you. Just be prepared for all possibilities. If it is great news, you should celebrate, but please be mindful of classmates who may not have good news to share. But if it is not the news you want, continue reading for advice.

If your top choice school deferred you, rest assured, you are not alone. And there’s good news: you are qualified, and your application will be re-evaluated for regular decision. When you are deferred, you may be asked to submit mid-year grades. In most cases, you are allowed and even encouraged to share new information, such as additional leadership positions, standardized test results, an updated resume, a new letter of recommendation, and updates on honors and awards.

Some schools allow for additional written personal statements that support your interest. But some colleges do not want to hear from deferred students. Do your homework to find out. Start by reading the information shared in your deferral letter, then look at the school website and contact your admission rep if the directions are unclear. If the college is your first choice, let them know. But don’t overdo it by continuously contacting the college.

It is also essential to keep your grades up. Colleges will often call counselors to get updates on the current grades of deferred students. Those calls can come as late as March, so it isn’t time to get senioritis.

Many more qualified students are rejected from selective schools than are admitted. Resilience is an important life skill, and rejection by a college offers students the chance to practice this. If a school denies you, remember that selective college admissions are about colleges’ needs and priorities for creating well-rounded classes of diverse students. Just make sure you have schools on your list where you would be happy to attend and you know you will be admitted. 

Take comfort in knowing that many famous people have been rejected by their first-choice colleges, including Warren Buffet, Steven Spielberg, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, and Barack Obama! Where you go to college can open doors, but what you do in your college is just as critical: get involved in major-related clubs, do internships, make relationships with professors, etc. And consider reading Where you go is not who you’ll be by Frank Bruni. Here is an excerpt:

 “There’s a widespread conviction, spoken and unspoken, that the road to riches is trimmed in Ivy and the reins of power held by those who’ve donned Harvard’s crimson, Yale’s blue and Princeton’s orange, not just on their chests but in their souls. No one told that to the Fortune 500. They’re the American corporations with the highest gross revenues. The list is revised yearly. As I write this paragraph in the summer of 2014, the top ten are, in order, Wal-Mart, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Berkshire Hathaway, Apple, Phillips 66, General Motors, Ford Motor, General Electric and Valero Energy.

And here’s the list, in the same order, of schools where their chief executives got their undergraduate degrees: the University of Arkansas; the University of Texas; the University of California, Davis; the University of Nebraska; Auburn; Texas A&M; the General Motors Institute (now called Kettering University); the University of Kansas; Dartmouth College and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Just one Ivy League school shows up.”

Do not let a selective college’s decision affect your self-worth. As you wait and receive results, trust that you will have good choices and that things will work out in the end. 

The Role of Major Selection in College Applications

Colleges often ask in their applications, “What are your future goals, and how will the resources at our school help you reach those goals?” They also might ask, “Please tell us about your interest in the major you selected.”

Although 1/3 of students switch majors in college and 1 in 10 switches twice, it is valuable to explore and select areas of interest before entering college. Additionally, choosing a major is required for some schools, even if colleges know students will likely change their minds once they start exploring subject areas. 

Even if you are unsure, applying to a school with one or two target majors, AND having the classes and activities that support your interests, will make for a stronger application. 

If, after research and exploration, you are still very undecided, choosing the major with the hardest entry requirements out of the majors you are considering (i.e., engineering, nursing, business, physical therapy, computer science, the arts, or architecture) is a good strategy as they require specific courses or portfolios at the time of your application or are often difficult programs to transfer into once you are in college (you can more easily transfer out if you change your mind). 

Another strategy is choosing a major in the liberal arts, where programs are designed for students to investigate different majors in the first two years. 

It can be daunting to commit yourself to a course of study between now and the beginning of your senior year. As big of a deal as it may seem, choosing a major is not the same as a career. A history major might enter many fields, from teaching to law. Even future doctors can enter medical school with many majors, as long as they meet the pre-med required courses. Your major is not what you will do for the rest of your life. Besides veterinary sciences, pharmacology, engineering, computer science, or architecture, it is more important what first job you have after college than what major you have in college. In most cases, you will have plenty of time to sort out your career choices as your interests and goals evolve during your college years. 

Think About What You Like to Learn and Do

As a first step, identify what you enjoy learning—and what you enjoy doing outside of class. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

• What subjects and activities fascinate me at school? Outside school?
• What do I tend to work hard on because I enjoy it?
• What am I naturally good at?
• What careers interest me, if any?

How do you think about and understand the world?

• Do you like to study the human expression of ideas through the arts, language, literature, and philosophy? Check out Arts and Humanities.
• Are you curious about societies, nations, policies, commerce, media, and individuals who form them? Check into the Social Sciences.
• Do you have an interest in the structures and patterns of living creatures, environments, and the physical world? Check into the Natural Sciences.
• Do you think quantitatively and want to learn how to measure, design, and numerically describe ideas and objects? Check out Engineering, Computer, Quantitative, and Technical Sciences.

Here are two additional tools to use in your major and career exploration: 

1. Big Future (to explore different college majors and the courses you will likely be required to take)
2. The Occupational Outlook Handbook explores different careers, entry requirements, and job outlooks. 

Ask your parents and school counselors for people to contact for informational interviews, job shadows, and career-related learning experiences. And, have fun while you explore! You can change your mind, but it’s a good idea to have a plan to change in the first place.

Should I care about the PSAT?

by Kristen Miller @ College Bound & Ready 

The PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is being offered in high schools around the country this month (10/13 or 10/16). Sophomores are usually required or are strongly encouraged to take the exam, and juniors have the option to take it.  For each group of students, the PSAT is worth considering and taking seriously.  Even though college admission offices will not use the scores to assess admissions applications, the PSAT is important and students should familiarize themselves with the test ahead of time. Here’s why:

For sophomores and juniors alike, the PSAT is great prep for the SAT and a diagnostic tool for determining which college entrance test to take (SAT or ACT). If students come out of the PSAT feeling like the test was doable, they should focus on studying for the SAT.  If the test proves too challenging, students might consider the ACT or the ever-growing list of test-optional colleges.  

The PSAT is slightly shorter than the SAT (165 minutes vs. 180 minutes), but the structure and content are the same.  Even though there are slightly fewer questions per section on the PSAT, the amount of time allotted per question is also the same (except for math, where PSAT takers have a few more seconds/question). The main difference between the two tests is the scale (the PSAT is out of 1520 points; the SAT is out of 1600).

With the PSAT, students will get a feel for the no-calculator math section, the “great global conversation” passages in the reading section, and the charts and tables in the writing section. Students should gain a better sense of which sections present pacing problems, as well as an awareness of math or grammar content they need to review (get ready to re-learn semi-colons!) With this knowledge and score results (released in December), students will be better prepared to decide either to take the SAT or switch tests and prepare for the ACT, since both are accepted at colleges without preference. PSAT scores can also give students insight into how competitive an applicant they are for their college list.

Even in the post-pandemic, test-optional world, I advise students to try taking standardized tests because there are still a lot of unknowns surrounding colleges’ future test policies and preferences. The great thing about the ever-increasing presence of test-optional policies is that students have more control over how they present themselves to colleges: if a test score adds to their application, they should send it; if it detracts and it is not required, they don’t have to share it. 

In addition to exposing students to the content and pacing of the SAT, the practice of taking the PSAT under testing conditions is great conditioning for taking any standardized admissions test.  Part of being a successful test-taker is being able to work at peak capacity for an extended length of time, without getting too nervous or too fatigued. It is natural to feel nervous about taking a test that carries such weight, as it appears to in selective college admissions. As with many things, being successful at taking college admission tests requires practice in order to improve concentration and control anxiety.

Advice for Students

To help calm nerves, do some preparation between now and the PSAT to ensure a more positive experience with test-taking. Download the two, free practice PSATs from the College Board website and devote time over the next two weekends to working through some timed sections. You might consider guessing on the last few difficult math problems to save time for the low-to-mid level questions if during your practice sections you are unable to answer all questions in the allotted time.  If there are specific question types that trip you up, go to Khan Academy for tips and practice problems. Practice annotating the reading passages in order to catch as much detail as possible during the first read-through. 

For juniors, the PSAT is used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) as an initial screen of candidates for the National Merit® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Recipients and finalists must score in the top one-tenth of one percent. The cutoff scores to become eligible for the corporate scholarships and college-sponsored scholarships offered by some colleges and universities varies by year as well as by state (Oregon’s Class of 2022 cutoff was 220). In some cases, these scholarships cover full tuition, in other cases, $2,500. For more information, visit NMSC’s website (or see the FAQ below).

There are many free resources to familiarize yourself with the PSAT test.  A few hours of preparation can make the 2-hour and 45-minute test less painful, and perhaps even profitable (by earning a scholarship). Overall, the PSAT is great practice and a great launching point for college planning.  

FAQ:

What is a good PSAT score for sophomores?

What is a good PSAT score for juniors?

What was the Oregon NMSQT score for 2018?

How is the NMSQT cutoff score calculated?

(Virtual) College Interview Tips

Colleges do not require interviews for admission, but many schools make it optional. If you are outgoing, a well-prepared interview could work to your advantage. If you get extremely nervous when answering questions out loud, your written application might not be enhanced by an interview. Not interviewing won’t hurt you, but a poor interview could.

If you have decided that admissions or alumni interviews could benefit you, here are tips for putting your best self forward.

Do Deep Research

A college interview is not an introduction to what is unique about a school. You should have learned more than the basics before the interview so you can use your time with an admissions rep or alum to dig into what you cannot learn elsewhere. Show your investment in the school by coming to your interview with notes and specific questions about the school that you couldn’t answer in your research. 

Practice

It is essential to practice with another person so that you feel comfortable talking about yourself. The most difficult interview question to answer is usually the most common and first thing you have to answer: “Tell me about yourself.” 

Think about 3-5 key things you want to share with the interviewer, and practice sharing those things in a 60-90-second answer. Then be prepared to have your interviewer ask you more in-depth questions about the key things you mention in your introduction.

If your interview is online, then your practice also includes technology. Do your practice interview with someone online to see what your interviewer will be seeing. 

• Film yourself against a plain wall if possible. Regardless, use your real background, not a virtual one, but make sure it is free from clutter or distracting materials (no passing people, no animals, no piles of laundry, no cell phones nearby to distract you). 
• Make sure your face is well-lit. Set up a test beforehand to find the best light—not too bright or too dark. Do not position yourself with a window behind you. 
• Test sound quality. Find a quiet space and use headphones if needed to avoid unexpected background noise. Alert your family that you need it to be quiet (no interruptions or people entering/exiting the room) during your interview. Make sure your microphone is working (computer settings set for audio). Speak normally, but clearly and not too fast, so that you are easy to hear and understand. 
• Internet Connection. Test your Internet connection and make sure the link works well before the meeting!
• Notes vs. Knowing.  It’s great to have key selling points you want to make and questions you want to ask written down, but the interview should be a conversation. Prepare for the interview so that you do not NEED your notes, but they are simply reminders if you get nervous.
• Eye Contact and Body Language. This skill has gotten a little lost with virtual learning, but this is perhaps the most important tip: keep eye contact with your interviewer by looking at the camera. Your eyes can watch the interviewer when they speak but then regain eye (camera) contact when it is your turn to speak. 

If looking at yourself is a distraction, research platform settings beforehand to learn how to turn off self-view (here is how to turn off self-view in Zoom). And have a smile on your face (at least some of the time) and great posture (all of the time)! 

• Seek opportunities to make connections. Pay attention to what your interviewer says and ask questions to understand their relationship to the school. Did they mention they are an alum? Ask about their favorite tradition/class/experience. Or ask how long they have worked in the admissions office and what are the must-do experiences on campus. 

If you are participating in a group interview, use the names of other participants when following them in conversation, e.g. “As Jack mentioned…” 

Make a Positive First Impression

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression! Factors like your clothing, posture, handshake, smile, and eye contact all contribute to your personal characteristics and how you are perceived. 

Dress: Smart casual should be your goal; not so dressy that you feel uncomfortable, but not your everyday casual. If your interview is virtual, the advice is the same—at least from the waist up.

Handshake (for in-person interviews): Follow the lead of your interviewer when it comes to shaking hands; with the coronavirus, many people don’t want to shake hands. 

Eye contact: When you are at a face-to-face interview, look directly into the interviewer’s eyes as you introduce yourself. Virtual eye contact tips (covered above) are different and take extra practice.

Answer Honestly

Don’t package your responses to fit what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Be authentic. Colleges don’t expect teenagers to have everything figured out in their lives! If you can’t think of an answer immediately, state, “That is a great question. Let me think about that for a minute. But I can tell you…” (and talk about some of the key points you want to make in your interview.

Send a Thank-You Note

Send a thank-you note immediately following your interview. Handwritten is more memorable than email, but email is better than nothing. Thank the interviewer for taking the time to share information about the college and mention something specific they shared with you that matches your interests. 

Final tips

In most cases, interviews make very little difference. A fantastic interview can help you, and a horrible interview could hurt you, but most make very little difference. If you have done your research, have a few key points to share about yourself and a few questions to ask, then simply be open and honest in your answers. You will do just fine!

The above tips have been adapted from Indeed.com’s Online Job Interview Tips and Big Future/College Board. 

Returning to Campus

Colleges want students back on campus because they know students who visit are more likely to attend.

For some time, in-person campus tours have been scarce, with the high school class of 2021 essentially having to make a college choice without campus visits to guide their decisions. Colleges want students back on campus because they know students who visit are more likely to attend. However, they have to prioritize keeping their enrolled students safe, and therefore, official tours are still limited (read here). Given the current COVID variant spread, it is wise to prioritize visiting schools sooner rather than waiting until later.

While there is so much you can learn online, “feeling” a campus (in person) is invaluable. 

In-person visits help you observe the temperament of current students 

• Do they look happy or stressed? 
• Is everyone walking alone listening to earbuds, or are there some pairs and small groups? 
• Are students studying in groups or just alone? 
• Are they friendly when asked for directions or a question about their experience? 
• Are there diverse groups of students sitting together on the lawn or in the dining halls, or do similar demographics seemed clumped together?
• How are students dressed?
• What kinds of social activities are promoted in the dorms or school newspapers?

In-person visits also help you get a sense of the surrounding community

• Does it feel safe and welcoming just off-campus? 
• Where can you eat/shop off-campus?  
• Where do students live off-campus? How expensive is off-campus housing?
• How easy is it to get around? 
• How accessible are businesses that offer internships or off-campus jobs? 

Ask current students on campus about their experiences

It might feel uncomfortable at first, but after doing this once, you’ll see how easy it is and how most students will be happy to share their experiences and advice with others. I suggest you approach a pair or small group of students (vs. an individual) that you see on campus. Tell them you are a prospective student visiting campus and you have a few questions you’d like to ask of current students. Ask if they have a minute to talk. If so, ask some of the following questions:

• What do you love about your school? Why did you choose “x” school?
• What is your major and how easy is it to get advising or register for your classes?
• Did you know what you wanted to study right away? If not, how did you the school support your exploration?
• Do you like your professors? Are they easily accessible?
• Do TA’s teach any of your classes? How big are your classes?
• What surprised you the most about this school? Anything you wish you would have known before arriving?
• What is on-campus living like? What are the best dorms?
• What is off campus living like? Is it easy to find off campus housing?
• What are weekends like? Do you need to have a car to have fun? Do you need to be involved in Greek life to have a social life?
• How has this college prepared you for life after graduation? Have you had an internship?
• Have you done on-campus research? Or a capstone or thesis project?
• Any special advice for a new student?

How do you know which campuses to prioritize visiting? 

Students should do some online research to make sure a school meets their needs and goals before investing in a trip to campus. 

Financial Goals: 

• Run the net price calculator to verify it is a school that would be in your budget range. 
• If the Net Price doesn’t include an academic merit scholarship and you (or your student) think you qualify for one, check collegedata.com (search for a college, go to the “financials” tab, then go the “Profile of 2019-2020 Financial Aid” section.) See screenshot below.

• Evaluate whether or not you still think you/your student would be in that group. For example, at Claremont McKenna College, 1.8% of students without financial need receive an average of $24,447 in merit scholarships. A generous scholarship, but only for six students! A student would want to be in the top 1.8% of recently admitted students (grades and rigor) to feel confident about scholarships. Note: merit scholarships are often awarded based on other factors, including leadership, community service, and diversity (a student’s unique qualities they would bring to a campus). 

Academic Goals: 

• Does the college offer the programs that interest you (research majors and minors offered)? 
• If you want to explore multiple interests, can you do that at this college (and still graduate in four years)?
• Is the environment collaborative or competitive (first-year courses graded on curves)? 
• Are your academic credentials in line with recently admitted students (search “admitted student profile” on the college’s website)?

Social Goals—To learn about the social “vibe” before investing time and money in a visit, use Student Review resources to hear what current students like and dislike about their schools. Here are a few of my favorites: 

• Fiske Guide to Colleges
• College Niche or Unigo
• Big Future College Board>Search for College>Campus Life (to see school location, diversity, % students living on campus/in Greek life)

Once you have done some initial research and articulated your perceptions (what you like, don’t like, have questions about), research which schools track demonstrated interest, as this is where visiting in person can make a big difference. Prioritize visiting those schools first.

Doing Something…

Last month, I attended an industry conference where Henry Winkler (aka “The Fonz”) was one of the keynote speakers. Before becoming an Emmy award-winning actor, director, and author, he struggled terribly in school. He felt he was constantly disappointing his parents (it wasn’t until after high school that he found out he had dyslexia). Thankfully, he had one teacher who told him, “Henry, if you can just get out of high school, you will be fine.” He used this one positive message to motivate him to pass his classes, finally graduate, and pursue the path that made him happy. To this day, when he meets young students, he asks them, “What are you really good at doing?”

While listening, I thought about students who have been struggling with school, stress, or lack of motivation during the pandemic. This past year is not necessarily indicative of who you are and your best work. If that is the case, ask yourself, “Where do I show my best self/effort/work?” Find more of those opportunities this summer, and make sure your colleges see in your applications evidence of where you are “really good” at doing something.

Over the last several weeks, I have been guiding my rising seniors through the college essay brainstorming and drafting processes. As we brainstorm, I explain how the essay is all about self-reflection and being able to show vulnerability and self-awareness, among other key characteristics. I remind students that colleges don’t want students who are perfect but rather those who have a growth mindset and who view stumbles and criticism as opportunities for improvement. 

I encourage all high school students to take time to reflect on how the pandemic has affected their learning and use that self-assessment to create an academic success plan going forward. In fact, colleges ask students if they would like to share how COVID-19 negatively impacted them in the Common Application (this question was added last year and will remain for at least one more year). 

After this challenging year and the expected learning gaps it will bring, it is imperative that students prepare to start the academic year strong. Summer is a great time to get back on track by getting extra support on subjects where students struggle. Prepping for the SAT or ACT is an excellent way to brush up on math and English skills, and reading for pleasure is one of the best ways to improve your writing skills. If you consistently struggled with motivation and organization during remote learning, you might benefit from developing study and executive function skills.

With the current test optional and holistic admissions trend, colleges are looking for evidence in a student’s application of their character. This can come across in their activities (Do you spend time helping others?), in their essays (What are your values, what matters to you and what do you do about it?), and in letters of recommendation (What do you contribute to your school community?). So in addition to showing colleges that you are really good at doing something, show colleges that you really care about something.

College Essay Advice for Parents

Summer is the best time to be reflective and creative, and the coronavirus has given everyone a chance for both. It has also been extremely challenging. Before rising seniors forget their struggles, lessons learned, revelations about who they are, how they think, and what they care about, encourage them to write these thoughts on paper.

The college personal statement is drastically different from high school research or expository essays. The process for brainstorming, structuring, and crafting these essays takes time and many more drafts than students are used to creating. But, the rewards are great. Not only can a thoughtful, insightful, and well-written essay open doors for students (to colleges and better scholarships), but students almost always feel empowered at the end of the process. Having a piece of work that represents them and their values builds confidence, self-worth, and self-efficacy. 

I will be working with rising seniors on the college essay writing process beginning this month and throughout the summer. If you are interested in learning more about my summer essay workshops, contact me here. Regardless, I like to share some important essay rules with parents to help make the process go smoothly. 

Parent Essay Rules

1. Let your student share their thoughts about stories (and the values and qualities) they want to share with colleges. Ask if they would like to hear some of your ideas before settling on their topic. 
2. Often, the ideas you think will be the best are not because they are forced and don’t come from the student. If you have heard about a successful topic from friends or in the news, it is already overused (or will be soon). Please read this article about why the best essays are often not the ones parents like.
3. Be sensitive: This process asks students to be vulnerable and demonstrate who they think they are to a stranger. Maybe the topic isn’t the one you think they should be writing about but ask yourself if it highlights something unique and wonderful about your child.  
4. Be patient: Give your student time to work on her essay before asking to see a draft.   Wait until they are ready to share it. Check-in only once a week on college stuff.
5. Don’t rewrite the essay! If asked, review for grammar and tone, but be careful not to over suggest content. Essays need to be written in the student’s words, and colleges know when adults have overedited student essays. 

Things to do to support your student:

• Ask them what they want colleges to know about them. See if you find examples of these qualities in the essay.
• Encourage them to self-reflect on what they care about in the world, who they inspire to be, and what makes them who they are.
• Praise your student for being brave, creative, funny, or insightful enough to tell their story.
• If you need something (college-related) to do, search for private scholarships for your student!
• Ask your student how you can best support them through the writing (and college application) process. I am sure they will have a few thoughts to share!

You might also read this blog written by the Director of Admissions at Tulane University about things you should do to help your student and things you should not do to undermine them in the college admissions process.