High school seniors are receiving their final admissions decisions this week as younger students contemplate their upcoming college application journey, that rite of passage so often filled with stress and anxiety. With all the media attention on shockingly low, single digit admit rates, one fact gets lost in the drama. There are over 2300 public and private, non-profit four-year higher education institutions in the U.S. and, despite the public and media focus on the most selective of these institutions, the vast majority of them admit more than half of student applicants. The seeming impossibility of college admissions is one of the “zombie ideas” in college admissions that Brennan Barnard, director of college counseling and outreach at The Derryfield School in New Hampshire, highlighted in a recent opinion piece in Forbes magazine. What other college admissions “zombie ideas” need to be exposed for the fallacies that they are to bring sanity back to college admissions?
- Students need to check a lot of boxes to look well-rounded. “[F]ar too often, students and families believe that breadth is more important than depth when it comes to the college application,” says Brian Troyer, dean of admission at Marquette University. Don’t check boxes. Choose extracurricular activities that match your interests, and spend time making a difference in your school or community.
- Standardized testing is an important measure of innate ability. “[T]esting is a narrow measure of performance, and maybe knowledge in reading and math, which says little to nothing about ability to learn or potential to succeed”, according to Akil Bello, senior director of advocacy and advancement for FairTest. Research has shown that standardized tests have a greater correlation to student family income and parent educational level than to a student’s success in college. While some colleges still require test scores or have temporary pandemic test-optional policies in place, a growing number of colleges are moving to test-optional or test-blind policies permanently.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. While affirmative action helps to level the playing field for students from underrepresented groups, it does not mean underqualified students are being admitted in place of others who are better qualified. Further, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) welcome all applicants regardless of racial/ethnic background. When student body diversity reflects the world we live in, college campuses offer richer educational experiences outside of the classroom by allowing students to share and learn from each other.
- Good colleges rank higher in commercial rankings. “Good” can mean many things, depending on the student. What’s most important is the fit between a college and a student’s needs. If someone told you the best vacation spot was a ski resort, but you hate cold weather, you wouldn’t enjoy vacationing there. Similarly, “[a] student’s ability to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them on a campus is what matters, and one does that best when they feel challenged yet supported and encouraged,” says Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment and communications at Ohio Wesleyan University.
- Secret sauce will guarantee admission. There is no magic recipe in terms of number of AP courses or type or number of extracurricular activities that a student must complete. “In a given year, institutions have varying priorities for what they are looking for in terms of demographics, characteristics, and experiences of applicants, but there is no silver bullet that will assure admission.” Your high school experience, both academic and extracurricular, should reflect who you are.
- College admission is out of reach to all but a few. A balanced list will ensure you have options when admissions decisions are released. “[T]he national average acceptance rate for four-year colleges and universities is over two-thirds.”
So relax, students. Do what you love, take courses that interest and challenge you, and, when the time comes, develop a balanced list of colleges that fit who you are.
Need help in developing a balanced list? Contact me!