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

Common App Core Question Topic Selection: Tip One

Last summer, I was working with a student at the Huntington Learning Center who attended a College Application Essay writing class at a local high school. The class was taught by a high school English teacher, ran for two weeks and resulted in a final draft of a response to the core question. So, I asked to see it.


The essay was technically perfect and followed all the conventional wisdom on what college admissions officers want to see. It was written in the active voice, full of active verbs, and was free from grammatical and spelling errors. The student wrote in his own voice on a topic of his choice. Flawless: and yet all wrong.

The essay was about an experience the student had with bungee jumping. It described in vivid detail his ascent to the top of a bridge, painted a picture of the panoramic view before him. You could here his heart pounding as he looked down and experienced true fear for he first time in his life. The essay moved to the student’s inner conversation as he struggled to find the courage to jump; and finally the climatic leap off the bridge; flying, soaring, breathless. This student had learned to overcome his fears! A life lesson to be sure. The essay was thrilling, engaging, memorable…surely this would make and impression on college admissions officers. It made an impression on me! In fact, Selective College Acceptance Counseling was born as a result of reading this essay.

I asked the student how he chose his essay topic. Did the teacher give him any guidance? No. Did she review his transcripts and test scores? No. Did she look over his completed Common app as if she were in college admissions? No. She left the topic up to him. But, his theme seriously missed the mark. Why?

The student carried a 2.5 GPA at the end of his junior year. With Huntington’s help, he was able to increase his ACT score to a 27. Admissions officers will view him as a smart, unmotivated kid. Not good. I happen to know that he surprised himself with how well he was able to score on the ACT. Prior to that, he had no idea that he had that kind of potential. He also had a 504 plan for ADD/ADHD and took medication to help him focus. What he actually learned at Huntington was that if he put forth a consistent effort, he could produce amazing results. This should have been the topic of his essay. He needed to address the glaring discord between his GPA and test scores. He needed to talk about overcoming adversity and learning to become a good student. He needed to prove to admissions reps that he was a mature young man who is ready for college and would excel in that environment as a result of what he learned about himself the summer between his junior and senior year. Did his essay on bungee jumping accomplish that? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

I implored the student to revise his essay, but he had spent two weeks on it and it was done! It was then I decided that I had something to offer to students beyond SAT/ACT Prep. I decided that an effective college application essay begins with a review of the Common app as a whole to identify the questions admissions reps will still have about the student after they have read everything else. I decided students need guidance and direction in selecting a topic that will enhance their application and not detract from it. I decided students need to work with a counselor (not an English teacher or writer) to develop a persuasive essay rather than a narrative. The Common app core question is a student’s ONE opportunity to speak for himself about his unique perspectives and experiences. Clearly, they need someone with expertise in the college admissions process to direct them. Thus Selective College Acceptance Counseling was born.

Selective College Acceptance Counseling provides individual academic and extra-curricular guidance to students seeking entrance to highly-selective universities. We understand the current college admissions landscape and provide keen insight, clear direction, moral support and strategic planning to students in Rochester, NY. Our services include:

• Individual College Counseling

• Summer Workshops

• International Student Packages

Call (585) 233-9502 for a FREE Initial Consultation to include: Review of transcripts, activities, test scores, fall schedule and recommendations for the fall.