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

Is your child content with being good or inspired to be great?

This fall I worked with a wonderful young man.  He is so friendly and kind-hearted.  A good student and a good kid.  He earned good grades in high school, scored pretty well on the SAT and ACT, and had a nice resume.  He enrolled in Selective College Acceptance Counseling in the fall of his senior year.  When students enroll with us at that point, all we can do for them is help them put together the most compelling application possible given their backgrounds, experiences, academic records and test scores.  We cannot change these facts or add anything to the resume.  We cannot help students recognize, realize or actualize their potential. We cannot help them identify their passion and purpose. We cannot create a strategic plan to help students reach their goals. We cannot provide academic advisement. All we can do is wrap the box which has already been filled.  We cannot help to shape or fill the box unless students enroll with us much earlier. 

When we met this student he and his parents had already identified eight target colleges and engaged us solely to help with the application process.  As we began working with him, we discovered that he did not have a clear plan or goal for the future. One of the college supplements we worked on asked “What sets your heart on fire?”  His answer: “I have NO idea!”  He isn’t sure what he wants to study in college and really doesn’t really care where he goes.  He just wanted to apply to some colleges and see where he was accepted and then decide.  But, he also wanted plenty of time to make his decision so he applied early action to each college.  The result?  Four deferments to regular decision and four acceptances. All the deferment notification came in before the first acceptance letter, so the student and his parents called me in a panic.  They could not understand why this was happening.

Now even though our obligation to this student was over (based on the program he purchased), I saw an opportunity to teach him something that could change his life.  It turns out that he did admire two of the colleges that had deferred him.  But he was thinking that they didn’t want him because they had not admitted him early.  He was ready to withdraw his application from those schools and just choose from the colleges that had accepted him.  

I could hear the self-doubt and discouragement in his voice as we chatted on the phone. I recalled that on one of his college applications he had used the word “content” in every single essay. (I made him chose another word) He wrote a college supplement about his preference to cooperate with and help his classmates and peers rather than compete against them.  I told you he is a good kid.  He has a positive outlook and will make the best out of his college years no matter where he ends up.  Of this I am sure.  

However, I saw the situation as opportunity for this young man to learn the cosmic value of desire.  I firmly believe that we cannot get what we want out of life until we know what we want.  In fact, all of my students who had applied early decision to their dream colleges had been accepted.  The difference? They had clear goals, they were focused, and they did whatever it took to get in.  For the first time in this kid’s life it looked like he might have to make a deliberate choice and make an extra effort to obtain a desired outcome.  I asked to meet with him and asked him one question: “Do you want to be a good man, or a great man?  Good men wait and see what happens and make the best of things. They do not complain.  Great men decide what they want and do not stop until they get it.  Good men are patient; great men are persistent. It’s not the competitive mindset that drives truly great men; it is their determination to create the best life possible for themselves and their families. It is the desire to reach their full potential that separates great men and women from good men and women.  

We worked together to write follow up letters to the two schools he most admired in which he reaffirmed his sincere desire to attend.  We sent in his first quarter grades, an updated resume and an additional recommendation.  We will not know the result until March, but I am willing to bet that he will ultimately gain acceptance to both these schools because he finally demonstrated true passion and a willingness to go the extra mile in terms of attaining his goal.  No matter what happens, this student, his parents and my team are grateful for the lessons we learned through the process.

 At Selective College Acceptance Counseling we inspire kids to greatness!  I talk to parents all the time who tell me their kids are doing well and they aren’t sure if they need our guidance or support.  I always ask: Are they living up to their full potential?  Are they doing the BEST they can do?  Have they discovered their passion and purpose in life?  Do they have clear goals that shape their choices and motivate them to consistent daily effort?  Are they good students or are they great students? 

I believe that EVERY human being has the potential for greatness.  It just needs to be discovered and cultivated.  College used to be the place to go to “find yourself.” One used to be able to earn any undergraduate degree and have an advantage in the job market, but times have changed.  Our economy has changed and the job market has changed since parents went through the college application process.  Half of new college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. 27% are back living with their parents*.  In short, a liberal arts degree from a no-name college does not open doors. Who is succeeding in today’s job market? Students who have earned specialized degrees from top-notch colleges.  As the undergraduate degree represents the single largest investment you will make in your child’s education and development it is imperative that they have a clear direction and focus before they enter college.  At Selective College Acceptance Counseling we guide students through a process of self-discovery and personal development, which enables them to recognize, realize and actualize their potential beginning in sixth grade. 

Spring Session begins March 3, 2014 for students in entering grades 6-12 this fall. 

Email info@getaccepted.org or call/text (585) 233-9502 to schedule a FREE 20 minute consultation. 

Selective College Acceptance Counseling is located on the first floor of the East Cap Building in Brighton.  919 S. Winton Rd. Suite 111, Rochester, NY 14618.  Office hours by appointment. 

Citation: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57434159/half-of-college-grads-cant-find-full-time-jobs

When is the right time to start planning for college?

So, when is the right time to start planning for college? 

Did you think junior year or even senior year?

I bet some ambitious parents even thought sophomore year or first year.

Did anyone think middle school?

Well, if your child has Ivy League or Top 40 college aspirations, middle school is the time when planning should begin.

In order to be on an advanced math track for example, your son or daughter MUST take Algebra in the 8th grade.  That means he or she must take Pre-algebra in 7th grade and score well enough to be recommended for Algebra.  This means that if your child is struggling with math in 5th or 6th grade, you must intervene immediately. 

Three main factors influence admissions to highly selective colleges: academic record (or GPA), rigor of secondary school curriculum and standardized test scores (SAT/ACT).  I served as the director of a learning center for several years and I cannot tell you how many parents brought their children in for remedial skill work in the 10th grade. By that point, half of your child’s academic record has already been recorded and cannot be changed.  It may be too late!

Parents need to ensure that students have a solid academic foundation in middle school and the study skills to earn high grades.  Middle school sets the stage for an accelerated course of study in core subjects, as well as access to Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework in high school.  However, many Middle schools throughout the country do not have Guidance Counselors; even fewer have College Counselors.  Often students are “tracked” into regular or advanced courses of study based on teacher recommendations/observation alone.  Parents are not asked (or even told) which course of study their child will pursue.

Do yourself (and your child) a favor; talk to a college counselor as early as possible if your goal is to help your child gain acceptance to a top-notch college.  I suggest having your first college-planning meeting the summer before 6th grade.  A college counselor will work with your child to begin to assess strengths and weaknesses, recommend any needed remedial skill work, and complete interest and personality inventories to identify possible career pathways   

Remember, top colleges are looking for top students.  Give your child the opportunity to start high school with the skills and motivation to perform his or her best from day one.

Holly M. Asposto, Ed. M is an Independent College Counselor with Selective College Acceptance Counseling.  She has successfully guided hundreds of students through the college application process over the past 15 years.  Students who have worked with Holly are now attending Cornell, University of Southern California, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, Notre Dame, University of California at Berkeley, Boston University, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Call or email today for a FREE College Readiness Evaluation.  585-233-9502 or holly@getaccepted.org.