Getting In: College Admissions in 2010

Getting in: College admissions in 2010

By Nicole McLaren

Sunday, August 15, 2010

EACH year, Harvard University hosts a gathering of senior admissions officers from America's leading colleges and college counsellors from the best prep/boarding schools in the world to talk about the topic on every parent's mind: getting into college.

Recently, the Harvard Institute on College Admissions was led by Deans of Admission from Harvard, Princeton, Spelman, Brown, Wellesley, the University of Miami and the University of Michigan, to name a few.

The 'gate-keepers' addressed various issues in admissions but one message was communicated clearly to us college advisors — college admissions in the US is as competitive as it has ever been. Chances are if you've got your eyes on a spot at a US college, so do tens of thousands of parents and students all over the world.

Why has it become so competitive? And how do parents and students navigate the often murky, increasingly confusing world of college admissions? The explanation for the competitive admissions environment involves an interaction of factors.

There are more US college bound seniors graduating these days than ever. Before the 1950s, 20 per cent of high school graduates went on to college; today it is 65 per cent. Then there's what the Dean of Admissions at Princeton University, Janet Rapleye, calls the "Chindia effect" — an explosion of applications from China and India. While applications have been on the rise, the number of spaces students are vying for has remained relatively unchanged. The result - competition, student stress levels and parent hysteria has reached a fever pitch. Misinformation on the admissions process is pervasive, leaving students confused and parents anxious. Where should you start?

* Think about who you are.

Students should begin the process by thinking about what their strengths, interests and needs are. This evaluation should form the basis of the college list. Unfortunately, here is where many parents and students make the biggest mistake. An inappropriate or otherwise unrealistic college list can be the kiss of death in the admissions process.

* Be realistic.

Many parents are unrealistic in their goals and must realise that while their child may be involved in multiple extra-curricular activities, at the top of his class with great SAT scores, so do thousands of students all over the world. That is just not enough to get him into Harvard, Princeton or Brown these days. This year, Harvard rejected about 2/3 of its applicants with perfect SAT scores.

* Balance.

The college list should include schools for which the student has probable, highly likely and less likely chances of admission. Again, parents and students are advised to be realistic. Take a look at the profiles of admitted students -- what are the SAT scores and GPAs of admitted students? Scores and grades count, but for many schools those aren't enough. Princeton just doesn't have enough beds to admit all 13,000 of its applicants who had perfect SAT scores. Parents must figure out what kind of student the college is looking for and determine whether their child is a good fit. With over 3,000 colleges in the US alone, there are many great schools that deliver quality education and are not highly competitive.

* Start Early. Work Hard.

I start working with students as early as third form or grade nine. Why? It is critical for parents and students to have college on their radar when many key variables -- selection of subjects for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate, grades, extra-curricular activities -- are still in their control. Again, knowledge is power. Parents should understand what general college requirements are and plan accordingly.