The IDEAL College Applicant

What is the IDEAL APPLICANT?  What are colleges looking for?  Who is getting in to the top colleges?  Interestingly enough, most parents that I meet already know the answer to this question; PASSION!  But, they say it in a tone of voice usually reserved for “HOMEWORK!”  I can literally hear and feel their frustration.  Often parents will add “whatever that means”.  Some good humored parents will even laugh.  In short, the prevailing attitude is that it is nearly impossible for students to find and discover their passion in middle and high school.  Parents and students seem to feel that this is an unrealistic and unfair expectation on the part of colleges. 

True, that college used to be the place where you would go to “find yourself”.  But with college costs rising nearly 500% in the last decade, we need to change our attitude about the role of the undergraduate degree in student development.  The bachelor’s degree is the single biggest investment parents will make in their child’s education, but lately it has become a capital outlay with no significant return as nearly 50% of new college graduates earn a degree that is virtually worthless in today’s job marketplace.  And still our emphasis is on getting in rather than what our kids will get out of a college degree!  

I actually think that the current emphasis on passion in the college admissions process is good news for college-bound kids and their parents.  What colleges mean by “passion” is that they are looking for students who know who they are, know what they want and know exactly how hard they are willing to work to get it.  In my mind the college admission process is a wonderful journey of self-discovery and personal development.  It requires kids to search their hearts and develop an inner life of reflection, contemplation and mediation. It invites kids to examine their beliefs about themselves, their identity, their purpose, their intrinsic value and uniqueness. The reason why parents and students feel pressured by this expectation is that they take the wrong approach. 

Colleges are not looking for kids who are driven from without, but for those who are drawn from within.  More often than not in our culture our kids are so busy doing that they never learn how to just be, just breathe, just think… We have some vague and misguided notion that colleges still want “well-rounded” students.  So teens run around doing music, art, sports, dance, community service, etc. with no clear goal or direction other than making sure they have SOMETHING to put on a resume. 

The college admissions process has changed radically in the past 25 years.  Colleges are now looking for passionate individuals to comprise a well-rounded student body.  Colleges themselves have learned that students who begin a degree without a meaningful purpose are more likely to end up in the 41% of students who do not graduate within 6 years.  This make them look bad.  College admissions reps are looking for three things when assessing applicants; a demonstrated ability to handle college level work, an indication that the student will attend iff accepted, and some assurance that the student will eventually graduate.  Sure prestigious colleges are also looking for potentially prestigious alumni, but it is the discipline, focus and yes, passion developed in middle and high school that gives them a glimpse of a student’s potential for greatness.  No one person can be the best at everything, but anyone can become the best at something if they will direct their energy and attention toward a singular outcome.  So, here is the acronym for those of you who have come to expect them from me:  The IDEAL candidate to any college or program is:            

Internally-motivated

Determined

Enthusiastic

Aspiring

Leader