A lot has changed over the years in college admissions. Given the rapid pace of change and the increase in the complexity of the process, there are some lingering myths I want to dispel. I speak with parents and students every day (except on Sundays usually) and these top 5 myths are taken from the most common misconceptions:
5. Brand name – The brand name of a college says nothing about your chances of admissions. So what if everyone’s heard of XXXX college? It doesn’t mean that you should apply or not. On the flip side, if no one in your school has heard of such a college, it doesn’t mean that it’s NOT a great college for you!
4. Location – Choosing a college is not about location, location, location, as it is in buying property on the Monopoly board. 🙂 Some students will only apply to colleges within 2 miles of their home; while others only want to apply to colleges in warm places. Whatever the criteria, whether you are happy in college will depend on more than where the college is located. (Unless, of course, you’re on a remote campus of 5 people stationed in the middle of nowhere…all of you will be miserable.)
3. Numbers game – Contrary to popular belief, you are more than your SAT score or GPA. Students with high scores are surprised when they don’t get accepted. Students with average test scores are even more surprised when they DO get accepted. There are recommendations, essays, school reports, and other supplements that play a role in college admissions these days. The colleges that surprise many students are the ones who accept students for their potential, not just their numbers.
2. Same ol’, same ol’– Sorry parents, but if you applied to college 20 years ago, it’s not the same application process anymore. It’s not even the same college anymore. Not to scare you, but the process is a bit more complex and time-consuming than it was back then. It’s even changed in the past 5-7 years.
#1 – There’s only one college for me – I love this one . . . there are over 3,500 colleges in the US. Really? There’s only one college that fits you? Rest assured . . . there are numerous colleges that are a great fit for you. Whether you want a small college or big, spirited campus; Kosher meals or sausage 4 times a day; rural or urban; pre-career track or philosophy major . . . . the list goes on. Each of these offerings has a range of selectivity as well, i.e. some college may accept over 70% of applicants. So let’s have some fun, please write in the one college that interests you and we’ll take a crack at posting comparable campuses.
I can’t wait to hear from you!
