Blog Posts
Four Strategies to Jump-Start Your Teen’s College Search
Most parents feel overwhelmed by all the changes to the post-pandemic college admissions landscape. Historically high application numbers coupled with a myriad of books, webinars, and online videos all promising to unlock admission secrets leave parents wondering, “How and where do we start?”
Truth be told (and this is one of the maddening aspects of the college search and application process) is that there is no one right way. There are a number of different entry points to this journey. How your child undertakes the process is largely reflective of their personality. But, even with that in mind, there are a few effective action steps that can help to jump-start the process:
1. Encourage your child to visit three different types of college campuses first.
I typically suggest that my clients visit a large urban university, a suburban mid-size or small campus, and a rural-ish campus. It doesn’t matter if the colleges are ones that your child is actually interested in attending - although that would be great if they do (but, probably too early for them to know that). The goal with these initial visits is just to do a gut check on questions like the ones below:
Do they like the energy of the big city or do they like a small-town feel?
Does the campus feel cloistering-ly small or big and just too big?
Do they like granite, limestone, or red brick buildings?
What is the vibe of the students on campus?
What do they FEEL is missing?
Can they see themselves there or at a school with similar qualities?
What do they like most about the campus and its location, size, and energy?
These visits could be done on one or two midweek afternoons or weekends. They don’t even need to include an official tour if that makes visiting them too complicated; the point is to start with a few of these visits so that your child starts to identify the school characteristics that resonate with them. This is a journey and as such, it takes time. Clarifying the school characteristics that resonate with them will take more than 2-3 visits, but starting this way is much more fun as visiting colleges creates a sense of optimism and possibility. It’s much more engaging than reading a book filled with statistics or reading about colleges online. Trust me!
2. Read Frank Bruni’s Book, Where You Go Is Not Who You Will Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania.
While Frank Bruni’s book was written prior to the pandemic, it is very relevant today. The premise of the book is that your child’s success is much more dependent on what they do while they are in college as opposed to where they go to college. He has lots of case studies to support his position.
For a shorter and still impactful read, you might find Rick Clark’s blog entitled, “Is That A Good School?” helpful. Rick Clark is an author, blogger extraordinaire, and the Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech.
3. Encourage your child to start researching colleges, using online/web databases, and school resources. Identify those colleges that offer the best academic, social, and financial fit.
In Rick Clark’s blog to which I refer above, he states that he often finds “it surprising and disconcerting that on average people talk about restaurants with more nuance than they do colleges.” To avoid this phenomenon, I provide my students with a form on which they track a variety of data points, including three-to-five unique and intriguing facets of the academic program as well as two-to-three facets of the social/co-curricular program that make the school a good “fit” for them. Keeping notes on their college tour experiences, the information sessions they attend, and details found on the college’s website enables students to determine which schools should remain on their college list. The notes they keep will also prove helpful later in the process when they write school-specific application essays or when answering interview questions.
4. Once your child has a broad initial college list that interests them, tour those campuses as early as you possibly can!
Most families think they can wait until the summer or fall of their child’s senior year to start visiting campuses. DON’T WAIT! Use the winter and spring school breaks and weekends to visit campuses and then finish visiting campuses over the summer. These visits should be more purposeful than the initial visits I proposed above. When touring, students should consider these strategies. To help students assess colleges for “fit,” they should consider these forty questions.
It is very challenging to visit ALL of the schools on your child’s initial college list over the summer. A number of parents have shared that they wished they toured schools earlier than they did. Also, missing a day of school during the fall of one’s senior year might not be possible due to the demands of challenging classes or of fall co-curricular commitments. Visiting campuses early in the process accelerates the development of an understanding of one’s criteria for “fit” and allows students to accurately assess if a particular college will meet their needs. It’s a win-win!
As parents, we advise our children to just take that first step in any multi-stepped process. Doing so feels very empowering and fills them (and us) with a sense of agency. While your child needs to take the lead in the college search and application process, parents can support their children by encouraging them to take these initial steps.
JMT College Consulting strives to simplify the college search and application process. To learn about our services contact us for a free initial consultation and to receive a free College Application Task Timeline.
Pause To Celebrate The Moment: A Letter to High School Seniors and their Parents
High school seniors, put down your pens! Walk away from your laptops! Go outside! Go for a walk, connect with friends, laugh, binge your favorite show, or have a dance party! For today or the next few days, don’t think about college applications at all, if possible. Celebrate all the work you have just completed in order to submit your EA/ED applications. Even if it’s just for a moment.
Parents, congratulate your child on completing an EA/ED college application. Even completing one application takes a significant amount of introspection, research, time, and energy. To complete all of that work on top of sports, jobs, and school is a significant undertaking.
Seniors, let’s take stock of all that you have accomplished. Since last spring you have completed the tasks listed below:
You have engaged in a number of exercises to develop a greater sense of yourself, your interests, and your career goals.
You have studied for and taken a standardized test.
You have researched 15 or more schools to develop a balanced college list.
You have participated in virtual or in-person campus tours.
You have watched virtual information sessions of all kinds for each school in which you are interested.
You have scheduled and participated in one or more interview(s).
You have vetted a number of different Common Application Personal Essay topics, written a draft, changed your mind, chose another topic, and wrote another version.
You have revised the Common Application Personal Essay…..again.
You have managed all of the communication between your school’s registrar, your recommenders, your parents, and your school counselor on a myriad of application-related details to meet various deadlines.
You have also managed multiple online platforms that are intended to help you keep elements of your applications organized and submitted to the correct organizations, including the Common Application, Naviance, College Board, FAFSA, CSS Profile, school-based application programs for non-Common Application schools, and now, get ready to manage the various college student portal accounts for each school to which you apply.
You have deciphered what each school’s supplemental essay question(s) really were asking you to write about and then wrote all of those responses.
You have revised all of those supplemental essays- probably more than once.
You have completed the Common Application for each school to which you wanted to apply in this early round of application submissions.
Each of these tasks was completed while you were also taking 5-7 classes, working part-time or summer jobs, taking care of siblings, playing sports, and/or vacationing with your family. You have managed a significant amount of stress with grace and aplomb. It’s easy for those not involved in doing this work to easily dismiss the degree of work you have just completed. Or, for parents to equate your experiences with their own that took place under very different circumstances 20-30 years ago. Your process is not the same. It’s much more complex and stressful to manage the college process now. Please take this moment to celebrate all the work that you have completed.
It’s just a pause, but an important one. Next week or in just a few days, you will exhale while reaching for your laptop again. You will resume your college research for the next batch of applications as you turn your attention to your EDII or regular decision schools. Round two will be easier, but it will still require your conviction and commitment. So, take a celebratory moment now! Go ahead - enjoy! You deserve it. Congratulations!
Five Tips for Writing a Great Common Application Personal Essay
The Common Application personal essay is a 650 (max) word opportunity to illustrate that you are a compelling applicant. It’s the one section on the Common Application through which your voice is able to shine. Here are 5 tips that will help you write a great personal essay:
1. Make it personal.
Before you write anything, think about what you want the admissions committee to learn about you. Do you have a unique personality trait, quality, or skill? Does your family have a particular tradition that you really value? What do you truly value? While you should review the Common Application essay prompts to see if there is a prompt that particularly resonates with you, identify a topic that you want to share with the admissions committee and write about it.
Try to avoid trendy or controversial topics because you don’t know the reader’s personal biases, but stay true to yourself. Do be vulnerable enough that the essay has a genuine personal quality to it. Be sure that the reason your chosen topic is important to you is clear to the reader.
Do not just write a narrative - this is not an English paper! This is your chance to share a story that reflects who you are and what is important to you. Share the “why” behind the story; include your insights. Lastly, if your essay subject includes other people, make sure that the majority of the essay is still about you or what impact the people or incident had on you, and not too much about the other individuals.
2. “Show, Don’t Tell”
Admissions officers have very little time to read through your application. And remember, they read your essay (and hundreds of other essays) on a computer screen. Make your opening paragraph compelling so that they will want to scroll down to learn more about you. Writing a strong first paragraph, using visual imagery and/or a strong hook is important.
To make your essay stand out “show, don’t tell.” Use actions, thoughts, senses, and feelings to allow the reader to experience your story. Paint an image through your words. The reader should be able to envision what you are writing about. Use language to evoke a response in the reader as opposed to using descriptive language to explain what happened. Here is a short example:
Telling: It was late fall. Showing: Leaves crunched beneath his feet.
“Showing” and using an “active voice” are two writing techniques that help the reader to envision the scene that you have written. It enables them to experience what you experienced, thus creating a more engaging reading experience.
3. Make the essay strengths-based: Be the victor, not the victim.
Many students will choose to write about an obstacle they had to overcome (essay prompt #2). That choice can provide great fodder for a strong essay. However, limit the challenge’s description to about ⅓ of your essay. A common mistake that students make is spending too many words writing about the challenge or obstacle and then devoting very few words to explaining how they overcame it. As a result, the structure of the essay causes the writer to be framed as a “victim” instead of a “victor.” Instead, balance the essay so that an equal amount of the essay, or more, focuses on how you tackled the challenge, and on how well you are doing currently. For instance, one could structure the essay as follows:
⅓ of the essay on the obstacle/challenge/setback/failure
⅓ should address what the student did to address the challenge
⅓ of the essay should share how the author has grown from the experience.
4. Use the essay to share new information.
Ideally, you will use each Common Application section to highlight your different strengths and experiences. The essay is another opportunity to share with the admissions committee a talent, skill, trait, or value that makes you both prepared for college life and a good “fit” for their school. Try to avoid revisiting the same information in your essay that you have highlighted in other parts of your application.
5. Make sure the essay is well-constructed
Many college admissions officers have shared that, while really using the essay to get a better sense of who you are and how you will contribute to their college’s culture, they also are using the essay to gauge your “college readiness” as reflected in the quality of your writing. With that in mind, be sure to have someone else read your essay to assess the overall essay development and construction as well as for proper grammar.
Most importantly, just start writing once you know what you want the admissions committee to know about you! Brainstorm or free-write to help you play with different ideas. Have fun with it! Do not feel confined to the typical 5-paragraph narrative essay if you feel like a different format would better represent you. Just make sure the essay reflects who you are and that your voice and experiences are front and center!
To learn more, or to secure Common Application Essay support, contact JMT College Consulting,
4 Key “Student Data” Sources used in College Admissions Decisions
Top-tier colleges and universities are reporting record-high application numbers resulting in record-low, single-digit acceptance rates this year. This trend is evident across the country including all the Ivies (Harvard, 3.19%) and many selective colleges such as Vanderbilt (6%), Amherst (7%), Swarthmore (7%), Rice (8.56%), Williams (9%), Northwestern (7%), Duke (6%), Colby (7%), and Tufts (7%). With rates this competitive, prospective students and their parents might feel lost when attempting to generate a college list that minimizes the likelihood of deferrals, waitlists, and rejections, as experienced by high school seniors in the 2022 admissions cycle.
Wouldn’t it be great to know what college admissions counselors consider when making their decision? At Tufts University admissions counselors separate information from the application into two categories: student data and student voice. The student data sources are used primarily to complete the applicant’s academic review
With colleges making the shift to holistic, test-optional application review processes, college admissions counselors repeatedly identify that the rigor of a student’s academic program, in the context of what that student’s high school offers, is one of the most important components of the academic review. Rigor is not defined as you may think; determining rigor is much more nuanced than just noting a student’s GPA.
Admissions counselors evaluate academic rigor through the following student data sources:
School Profile
Student Transcript
GPAs: Weighted vs. Unweighted
Class Rank and/or Class Performance Deciles
Let’s examine how the student data sources are used to determine the degree of rigor in a student’s academic program during the applicant’s academic review.
School Profile - Course offerings differ widely from high school to high school. In order to assess the academic strength of a high school’s curriculum, the college admission reader examines each high school’s School Profile form. Every parent should read the School Profile to better understand the context in which their child’s academic program will be evaluated. When doing so, note the information that the School Profile provides about the school’s curricular offerings such as:
How many Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes does the school offer?
What unique academic programs are there?
Is there Dual Enrollment offered at the school?
How many National Merit Scholars are there in this class?
How many students earned a 3, 4, or 5 on AP tests?
What percentage of the graduates attend a 4-year or 2-year college, take a GAP year, or enter the military?
What colleges/universities do graduates historically attend.
Academic Transcript - Admission counselors compare what the high school offers with what classes the prospective student selected, noting how well that student performed, as indicated on their student transcript. The student’s transcript specifies grades, cumulative GPA, course names, and course levels (honors, unleveled, college prep, accelerated, Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB)). Please know that if a high school offers 22 AP classes, a highly rigorous student academic program might include six to eight AP classes at the most. Very few students qualify to take AP Art or AP foreign language, for example. And, most students cannot start to take AP classes until their sophomore year.
Grade trends are very important as well. Did the student maintain a level of high achievement throughout all four years of high school? Or, was there an upward trend over the four years, culminating in a rigorous set of senior year classes in which the student is successful? Throughout the transcript analysis, the admissions counselor is looking for evidence of “college readiness.”
GPA: Weighted vs. Unweighted - I recently read a Facebook post exclaiming frustration that a student with a 4.0 GPA did not get into school X when school X had accepted a student with a lower GPA. Yup! This happens all the time. In this case, it’s not known if the GPAs are unweighted or weighted. And, remember that holistic admissions decisions factor in much more than just GPAs.
Some high schools, as well as colleges or universities, will recalculate the high school GPAs to “weight” those classes that they see as more rigorous. For instance, a school might award an extra 0.5 point to an honors class and an extra 1.0 point to an AP class when recalculating an applicant’s unweighted GPA. When you hear of a student earning a 4.8 on a 4.0 GPA scale, that GPA is “weighted” to reflect what the school perceives to be additional rigor. Even on an unweighted scale, students can earn 4.2+ if the high school gives “A+” grades. The takeaway here is that unweighted GPAs do not reflect rigor.
Class Rank versus Class Performance Percentile - Students are asked to enter their class rank in the Common Application’s Education section. Class rank denotes where a senior falls on a senior class GPA list organized from highest to lowest. It is another tool used for determining student performance and college readiness. However, many high schools have moved away from reporting class rank because it breeds unnecessary competition and doesn’t reflect the rigor of one’s academic program if the school generates class rank using unweighted GPAs.
While many schools won’t share class rank, they might share a student’s GPA-based performance decile. Has that student earned a GPA that puts them in the top 10%, 20%, or 50% of their class? Many colleges/universities will report that “X percent of our admitted students for the Class of X were in the top 10% of their high school class.” Pandemic-related grade inflation could lead to lower student decile performance too. Noting where a student falls within the decile ranking is helpful to understanding how college admissions counselors will view that student’s academic performance relative to other students in the same school.
Take-Aways for Parents:
1. Tailor your child’s college list to support their goals, strengths, interests, and potential using your new understanding of how to interpret the student data sources. You know that a college list should have reach schools, targeted schools, and those that are most likely to accept your child, but when considering academic rigor, be sure that the colleges you think are within reach actually are. Be realistic about the rigor of your child’s high school academic program in order to generate a college list that is filled with schools in which your child will thrive. That list will look different for every student!
2. Share the reasons behind your child’s academic course selections. Paul Sunde, Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College shared, “I want to know why students made the choices they did when selecting classes.” Provide your child’s teacher and/or school counselor with the reasons why your child chose the classes they did and ask them to elaborate on that topic in their recommendation letters. Include things such as time-consuming hobbies outside of school, family obligations, or class scheduling conflicts that may have influenced the academic load your child took. This helps admission counselors understand your child’s academic choices and avoids unfavorable assumptions.
3. Encourage your child to take some academic risks while in high school. For instance, college admission counselors have shared that it’s not in a student’s best interest to have straight A’s in all their classes if more rigorous classes in the very same subjects are offered. Admissions counselors are trying to ascertain how college-ready a student is. If they stay in their academic comfort zone throughout their high school career, then they can’t project their potential with any accuracy. In such a case, encourage your child to pursue high school courses that stretch them while also taking into consideration everything, in and out of school, that they have on their plates.
Lastly, remember that rigor of an academic program is just one factor, albeit an important one. Colleges and universities desire students who are going to diversify their campus in a myriad of ways and who will actively contribute to a rich learning and living environment. Extracurricular and community engagement activities are very important in the admission process too! Remember, that the Tufts admissions counselors examine information derived from both student data sources AND student voice sources. Part Two of this blog will examine the role of student voice data sources in the holistic college admissions process. Stay tuned!
If you have more questions about academic rigor and how it’s being used in the college admissions process, please reach out to JMT College Consulting at https://www.jmtcollegeconsulting.com/contact-us
9th/10th Grade Course Selections: Find the “Sweet Spot”
Scheduling decisions made now can have an impact on college options later. Parents, know your child’s options!
As colleges shift away from using standardized test scores to evaluate applicants, admission representatives are scrutinizing the “rigor” of your child’s academic program relative to what their school offers more. As such, the choices they make in their 9th and 10th-grade years can impact their college options later. With this in mind, some parents might think that they should encourage their children to take all the hardest classes a school offers. But, it’s not that simple, and too much rigor is not good either. A better option is to collaborate with your child to find a good balance, the “sweet spot,” between the rigor of their academic program and everything else on their plate.
Each spring your child will select classes for the upcoming school year. While graduation requirements might dictate some of their choices, they may have the ability to choose a class’s level (honors, AP, college preparatory, accelerated, etc. Please note: some schools don’t level their classes.) and to choose their electives.
In many schools, the course selection process starts with your child’s teachers making class recommendations. Teacher recommendations are important. The teachers know your child’s academic strengths and challenges. But, the teachers won’t necessarily know how your child spends time outside of school. Perhaps your child has a part-time job or participates in a time-demanding activity. Collectively, the teacher recommendations might be too ambitious because the teachers don’t know what recommendations all the other teachers are making for your child. So, while striving for academic rigor in one’s program is good, there is a larger context to consider. Spending some time to find that “sweet spot” between academic rigor and extracurricular commitments/interests, will allow your child will learn more, develop more confidence, and be happier.
Your child’s School Counselor has a good sense of how challenging and how much time Honors Geometry or AP US History, for example, will demand. If you have concerns that your child’s proposed schedule is too rigorous, or not rigorous enough, please reach out to your child’s School Counselor! If your child hopes to play NCAA Division I or II athletics, you will want to be sure they are taking classes that enable them to be “academically eligible.” Some classes might not meet the NCAA’s eligibility criteria. The School Counselors will have this information. JMT College Consulting can assist you and your child with academic planning and determining athletic eligibility as well.
Having worked as a School Counselor, I would see students each year who would try to sign up for courses that, as a group, were far too ambitious given everything else that they had on their plates and, some students who would try to sign up for classes that wouldn’t challenge them enough. Taking appropriate academic risks is good! Colleges like that! Your child will grow and learn more by being appropriately challenged. Finding that balance of classes that play to their strengths and interests while also challenging them, leads to optimal learning conditions. And, remember to encourage them to leave time for friends and extracurricular interests. Stretching a bit is good, being super stressed-out is not!
Think “sweet spot!”
If you have questions or want to learn more, please reach out to JMT College Consulting
Campus Visits, Part II: Forty Questions to Help You Identify your “Best Fit” School
Ask these questions to current students while you are visiting a campus:
General:
Why did you choose this school?
Are you happy here? Why or why not?
What do you really like about the school?
What were you most surprised or disappointed about?
How accessible are the administrators, registrars, and/or financial aid officers?
Academics:
What are the most popular majors?
What are the strongest academic programs?
How much access do you have to your professors?
What is your favorite class?
Do professors or graduate students/teaching assistants teach most of the classes?
Were you able to take most of your first-choice classes, even in Freshman year?
Are the classes lecture or discussion-based?
How much time do students spend doing homework?
Are there a lot of group presentations or collaborations required?
Are there writing centers on campus and/or is tutoring available?
Are there academic advisors? If so, how accessible are they?
How large are the classes?
Can students do research with professors?
How helpful is the school with setting up Study Abroad programs or internship opportunities?
If there is a co-op program, how much help does the school provide to help you access those opportunities?
Campus Life:
What support does the school provide for freshmen during their first-year? (orientation and/or on-going advisory sessions)
What is a typical day like?
How do students spend their time when not in classes?
What is there to do on weekends and generally, for fun?
Do students frequent town businesses or organizations or do they largely stay on campus?
Do you feel safe on campus? What kind of security is there on campus?
How are the dorms?
Does the school offer housing for four years and if you do an internship or co-op, can you continue to live in school housing?
Which clubs and student organizations are most popular?
Are there fraternities and sororities on campus and how much of a role do they play in the college’s social life?
Where do you like to study?
Are sports popular? And, is there a lot of school spirit?
Do the facilities support student learning well - WIFI, Tech support, plenty of labs, space for the arts, theaters, libraries, gyms, etc.
Student Body:
How would you describe the students who attend this school?
Is there a generally friendly “vibe” and a good sense of community?
How diverse is the student body?
Does the school create a sense of community on campus as a whole or how do they organize the campus into smaller communities within the college/university? (ie: honors programs, themed housing)
Career Services:
Are there any experiential programs that are career-oriented? - co-ops, internships, service learning?
Is the Career Services Office helpful with career exploration and preparation?
Does the college help with summer jobs?
Review the colleges’ website and watch/read their online resources before or after your campus tour. The colleges and universities have created some terrific online resources for those of you who won’t be able to visit a campus or who just want to learn more about a school prior to a visit.
Campus Visits, Part I: Ten Strategies To Glean the Most From Campus Tours
Campus visits are the most effective and efficient way to identify those colleges or universities that are the “best fit” for you. In order to glean the most information from your campus visit, consider these strategies:
Attend the Admission Office’s on-campus information session. Listen attentively when they tell you what kind of students they are looking for, what their school’s values are, and what programs or school characteristics make their institution unique.
Try to visit when the college is in session. By doing so you can ascertain the campus’s “vibe.” A college campus might feel pretty quiet in August when only a few students (and faculty) are there.
Talk to students (other than your tour guide). The current students are the experts on the student experience.
Read the school newspaper and scan the bulletin boards to learn about hot topics on campus, activities, and student organizations.
After the tour, meander around campus and throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Be sure you feel comfortable. Remember that the tour will highlight the campus’s best aspects. Take some time to visit the facilities you think you might frequent that are not part of the tour.
Take Notes! Yes, I know this sounds super geeky, but you will be glad you did so when you sit down to write your supplemental essays months later. The details of what excited you about one college will be forgotten or mixed up with those of the other colleges if you don’t take notes.
Identify those school characteristics that you like and those that you don’t like. Then compare all the colleges on your list using that framework of likes and dislikes.
Get the Admission Representative’s business card or contact information and the name of your tour guide. Contact them directly with follow-up questions and/or to thank them for their time.
Try not to judge a college too quickly. Keep in mind those factors that could influence your feelings about a campus (like the weather on your visit day), and most importantly - trust your gut.
Trust your gut! Trusting your gut is on this list twice because that “I can see myself at this school” feeling you might experience when walking around a campus tells you everything you really need to know!
Denied or Deferred from your ED I School? What Now?(...and, what the heck is ED II anyway?)
Congratulations to all of you who received good news from the college or university to which you applied through the Early Decision I program (ED I)! But, what about those of you who were deferred or denied admission in this early round?
First - Give yourself a moment to be disappointed. You put a lot of energy into getting those applications out the door in November. And, you really had hoped to know what next year would look like by now. It’s okay to be disappointed.
Second - After taking that moment to process your emotions, shake off the disappointment and remember that you have lots of options. Things happen for a reason! Now you have the opportunity to explore other options. This also is a good time to revisit your application materials to ensure that you have presented yourself well (i.e., no grammatical errors).
Third - Review your college list to see if there is a school among the remaining contenders that really excites you compared to all the others. If so, you might consider applying to that school using an Early Decision II program (ED II) if that option is offered. Is it worth doing? Let’s see.
Early Decision II - What is it?
Early Decision (ED) II is a relatively new application program that a number of colleges, including all of the NESCAC colleges, have begun to offer in addition to their already existing ED I option. Because both of these application programs are “binding”, they help the colleges to better manage their applicant yield numbers. In this context “binding” means that an applicant must matriculate at that particular college if accepted and the college meets the student’s financial need.
Take Note: Most EDII application deadlines fall between January 1st - 15th. That tends to be either on or just before the college’s Regular Decision deadline.
Why apply ED II?
Since EDII is “binding,” like EDI, colleges do tend to accept a higher percentage of students from this applicant pool as compared to those students applying through the Regular Decision program (RD). EDII offers a great opportunity for those of you who were denied admission to their EDI college or who just needed more time to complete your applications. Maybe you needed more time to research and visit schools in order to find that best “fit” college. Maybe you needed more time to demonstrate academic strength in your senior year. Either way, EDII can offer the same admissions benefits as EDI. Just what are those benefits? In 2021, American University had an ED (I & II combined) acceptance rate of 83% compared to a 39% acceptance rate overall. The College of Holy Cross (Worcester, MA) reported a 76% ED acceptance rate versus an overall rate of 38%. George Washington University’s acceptance rates followed the same trend, reporting 65% ED versus 43% overall. Colleges seem to favor those students who are willing to commit to them through one of the “binding” application options.
Why not to apply EDII?
As is the case with EDI, you must be sure that the school to which you are applying is one that you would really be thrilled to attend. You might hear the results of an EDII application before you find out about RD applications. As a result, you probably will not be able to compare financial aid opportunities as you would if you only applied through RD or Early Application (note: EA is not “binding”). And, you still need to complete your Regular Decision applications as you will not know your EDII status in time to avoid completing more applications.
Everyone’s situation is different. If applying through ED II seems to be a good fit for you. The benefits might make it worth your while. Good luck!
If you want to learn more, please reach out to us at JMT College Consulting.
Is This a Good School?
Rick Clark, Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech, penned this informative article. JMT College Consulting concurs whole-heartedly with the author’s sentiments!
On Sunday after lunch, I was watching college football highlights, when the back-and-forth battle in Happy Valley between the University of Illinois and Penn State came on. At the time, my 10-year-old daughter was stretching on the living room floor next to me (something I often see but rarely participate in).
With her head literally touching the ground next to her foot, she asked, “Penn State? Is that a good school?”
Without hesitation- “Yes.”
Now standing with foot pulled behind her and toward her shoulder, “How about the University of Illinois?”
“Absolutely.”
Over the next 15 minutes, we saw about six games recapped. Private colleges, land-grant public schools, military academies, and teams covering every geographic region of the country. Each time the announcer moved on to a new game’s highlights, Elizabeth, after a few questions about mascots or comments on helmets, would ask the same question, “Is that a good school?” And each time (including one where my wife scrunched her nose and tightly closed her left eye), I’d respond definitively, “Yes!” Ole Miss? Brown? University of New Mexico? Gonzaga?
Yes is both accurate and appropriate to tell a double-jointed, 10-year-old who is too busy touching the bottom of her foot to the back of her head (what?!) to listen much beyond that anyway… but it is not a satisfactory or complete answer for you!
Is that a good school?
Whether you are a parent, counselor, high school student, or an adult supporting a student, this is likely a question you’ve either heard or asked recently.
While the question is simple, it is no longer acceptable to settle for simple answers (or make telling facial expressions) like “No,” “Yes,” “It’s ok,” “It didn’t used to be,” or “it is ranked X (variable not Roman numeral 10),” because doing so absolutely ruins the opportunity to learn, research, grow, continue the conversation, and promote exploration.
Instead, the answer to, “Is that a good school?” is not an answer at all, but instead an invitation to ask many questions in return.
Adult Warning: Asking a high school student, particularly one who is hungry, to pause, reflect, and ask some deep and weighty questions may initially be met with grimaces, grunts, or departures from the room.
Student Warning: Not accepting one-word summaries of colleges or reducing schools to numerical rankings or admit rates will lead to a deeper understanding of yourself. Small print: People bold and thoughtful enough to take this route have experienced clarification of their goals, an underscoring of their values, and an enhanced sense of control, excitement, and purpose. Do not take this path if you are more concerned with the opinions of others than your authentic self, are scared to diverge from the status quo.
Is it good school… for you?
Adding these two words changes everything. First, it invites the ever-important question, “Why do you want to go to college?” Too few students take the time to actually consider and write down at least a two-sentence answer to this question, but it is imperative to do so. Don’t skip this step. Crawl before you walk. Here are a few prompts to get you started.
Who do I hope to meet, connect with, and learn from in college?
What opportunities do I want this experience to provide in the future?
What type of people and learning environments bring out my best?
What do you want the time and space to do, discuss, explore?
Defining why, and making decisions to surround it will quickly lead to other big questions, but let’s take it slowly.
Once you have your why written, revised, and clear, take some time to list the aspects of a college that are necessities, desires, and bonuses, or as you can see in the headings below, your:
NEEDS, WANTS, and WOULD BE NICE-S.
Is that a good school… for ME?
Do you want to be able to get home quickly to celebrate holidays and birthdays, or access health care and other services?
Do you know you would flourish by going to college with a few people you know from home? And conversely, when you are honest, do you know the best thing to do is break away from certain people or the image/reputation you have had in high school?
Are you going to have to take loans beyond what you and your family are comfortable with?
Asking the question this way, and checking it through your filters of WHY, as well as your Needs, Wants, Would-Be-Nices grid provides a valuable litmus test. And this is not just valuable for considering where you might visit or apply, but it will be essential to re-visit once you have been admitted and are weighing your options as a senior in the spring.
Well, I see you listed “cold weather” and “mountains” in your want column. That place is known for heat and humidity, and most folks would not define 806 feet above sea level as a “mountain.” So, are those aspects really wants or are they needs?
Is that a good school for me? You listed small, discussion-based classes as important. Let’s research if that is the norm there, specifically in the majors you are considering.
Adding two additional words helps get past rankings. If you are someone who struggles with Seasonal Affect Disorder and would not be emotionally or mentally healthy when it gets dark around 4 p.m. for several months, then regardless of the world-class faculty, impressive list of alumni, and the fact that you look good in their colors, the clear answer is NO- that school is not good for you.
Is that a GOOD school?
I find it surprising and disconcerting that on average people talk about restaurants with more nuance than they do colleges.
“Is that a good restaurant?” is almost never met with a simple Yes/No. Instead, people are far more apt to make statements like, “Well, their pizza is great, but I am not a big fan of their burgers.” OR “If you are in a hurry and don’t want to spend much, it’s a good spot. But don’t expect a five-course experience.” OR “It didn’t used to be, but they’re under new management now and things have changed.” I’m sure you can add a few others to this list. “Good” for certain things. “Good” at a certain price. “Good” depending on what you are looking for.
As an aspiring college student, you should start acting like one when you seek to answer this question.
Research: Check out the programs certain colleges are known for, rather than simply their overall ranking or historical stereotype.
Explore: Look into the faculty who are teaching in the majors you are interested in studying. What are they curious about and researching currently? What have they published, and which companies/board/organizations do they consult with or advise?
Run the Numbers: Plug in your family’s financial data to an online calculator to understand likely costs and gauge affordability. What is the likelihood you would need to take loans to attend a particular college? Check out their financial aid site to understand how students off-set costs, juggle jobs and school, and so on.
Network: Who has graduated from that institution and what are they doing now? Don’t just Google famous alumni, but also read their online alumni magazine and look at profiles and the opportunities graduates are receiving.
Value Your Values: Read their mission and vision statement or even their strategic plan (executive summary is fine). Does it resonate? Does what you fine align with who you are and what you want to be a part of? Ultimately, Do YOU CARE?
Culture Check: Read the online student newspaper to understand what current students are excited about, mad about, pushing to change, or snarky about in general. Check out the social media accounts of clubs, academic majors, and others on campus. While it’s fine to look at the admission or main handle for the university, your goal is to get the unvarnished look at what’s really happening at each place you consider.
Is that a good school? Is that a good school for you? Is that a GOOD school?
My sincere hope is going forward you wont allow yourself or anyone around you to answer this question with one number, one word, or one facial expression. Are we good? GOOD!
Look Beyond Class Size When Determining “Best Fit.”
When considering the “best fit” college size for you, noting the average class size is just not enough.
During a conversation with a fellow faculty member, I was surprised to learn that at the large university (Ivy League) he had attended he only took science tests comprised completely of multiple-choice tests. The science professors at the small college that I had attended never gave the upperclassmen students multiple-choice tests. I only had open-response/short essay tests. Having been a science teacher, I know that multiple-choice tests are easier to correct. If one has a significantly large number of students, it becomes necessary to assess their knowledge through tests that are easier to correct. In addition to the different style of assessment, the science department at my small college allowed the upperclassmen to take their exams whenever their schedule allowed within a five-day period after the assigned test date. The department’s approach was remarkably respectful, enabling students to avoid having multiple tests on the same day. That conversation about different assessment styles within the same academic departments at different colleges highlighted one of many characteristics of a large university and of a small college that aren’t readily apparent at first glance. However, such differences are important considerations as a college list is developed.
While many prospective students might limit their college selection criteria to more obvious characteristics, I encourage you to delve deeper. For instance, you might not think to look beyond a college’s average class size, but I would challenge you to inquire about the professors’ instructional and assessment practices as well. If the classes are large, ask how much access you will have to the professors outside of class? If you need support outside of class, will you meet with a graduate student/teaching assistant or the professor? Think about the teaching practices that best match your learning style.
A student of mine shared that he was having trouble deciding between two seemingly similar colleges. I asked if he had read the schools’ course catalogs? He had not. Course catalogs don’t tend to be riveting reading, nor do many people recommend that you read them, but they are highly illuminating with regard to an academic department’s focus. For instance, does a college’s business department embrace an entrepreneurial philosophy, or is it heavily focused on business basics such as accounting or marketing? Does a college’s science department offer classes in environmental sciences, sustainability, aquatic ecology, or forestry, or is the department’s focus mainly on pre-med? You can capture the essence and philosophical underpinnings of an academic department, if not of the entire college itself, through reading the course catalog. I highly recommend reviewing the course catalog before deciding whether a college is added to your “college list.”
Remember to ask more questions about your possible experience outside of the classroom. At a large university, one could feel isolated, while at a small college one might feel that the social opportunities are too limited. Listen to your gut on which you prefer. When determining what school size is the “best fit,” you might want to note how the university creates opportunities to develop a greater sense of community. Do they offer community-building within residential halls? Do they offer themed housing? Is there a freshman orientation program? How many clubs are there and how are they publicized? How much school spirit is there? What opportunities are there to pursue interests you have developed before arriving on campus and/or to learning new ones?
Determining the school size that offers the “best fit” for you is a highly personalized and nuanced process. Be sure not to be overly influenced by your peers, and remember to ask lots of questions about both the classroom and social experiences that a school offers. You don’t want to be at a multiple-choice test college if you are an open-response test person.