Stay Calm and Keep Your Balance

Balance and harmony are in my mind the hardest things for families to keep in check during the college application process.   Understanding the process from the get go, with all of its to do’s and deadlines, normally helps families organize themselves and put this in a framework so that it doesn’t take over their lives.  That’s easier said than done when the buzz in the school and social gatherings is all about college admissions.    Thus, I would recommend you and your parents to manage your anxiety and have downtime where this topic is not mentioned, to set firm deadlines and not follow up on a daily basis.   I would also encourage the family to do activities like a nice hike in the woods when this topic is not discussed.   Net, balance is key in life for good mental health and happiness.

Student Athletes School Choice

Student athletes have the unique need of counseling in a dual admission process which adds a level of complexity to the whole process.   To start, student athletes must meet NCAA academic and amateurism eligibility – a process that is documented from grade 10 and onwards – in addition to the colleges admissions requirements. D1 and D2 prospects not only must meet minimum GPA requirements, they must take NCAA approved core classes as stipulated in their website for your specific high school.    In addition, the admissions timetable is shifted up with student athletes reaching out to college coaches in 10^th and 11^th grade, attending summer training sessions, and applying ED with video supplements.  

The fact that only 6% of high school athletes play in college (including D3) and that 0.03%-0.5% of high school student athletes become pro should be an eye opener to most.  I would think that the main way that counselor can assist through this process is by having frank conversations with the student and parents about the balance between sports and academics and the alternatives available. If the student were to get injured or lost interest in playing -- would the college in discussion still be of interest?  what major/ careers will the student be going for in that particular college?    Also, the counselor can bring a reality check (along with the school coaches) about the chances of getting into specific sports programs/colleges so that the student develops a well balance college list in terms of academics and sports level.  Once the college list is firmed up, the counselor would help develop a strong admissions package along with the sports supplement.

To go Early Decision/Action or not to go Early Decision/Action, that is the question!

Early Decision and Restricted Early Action have become very popular among elite institutions and its applicants.  Why is that?  Early Decision is a binding application in which the applicant promises to attend this school if admitted and if the financial package allows him/her to attend.  Early Decision is appropriate for the applicant that is certain of his/her “dream school” and does not need to “shop around” for financial aid packages.   ED schools are filling up to 40% of their incoming classes with ED applicants and students know that the acceptance rates are significantly higher than regular admission.  While this may be true, it is a known fact that the ED pool is a self-selected group thus making this acceptance quite challenging.  Is a higher admit rate of a more selective group harder than a lower acceptance of a wider group?  That is the question.

Early Action on the other hand is no different to regular admission, except for providing an Early decision by Dec 15^th – one that  is not binding and the admission deposit is not due until May 1^st .  While Early Action may signal more interest on part of the student, Restricted Early Action is a true sign on interest because you are committed to apply to only one school “Early”.  It is a very interesting option because it shows interest yet it is not binding and you have the liberty to apply to other schools on regular admissions.

I think that Early Action is a must for all students that are interested because there’s nothing to lose and you can get an admittance decision before the end of the year.   Restricted Early Action is also a very good alternative if the student is interested in any of these universities.    For my students, I encourage them to do Early Action/Restrictive Early Action and regular admissions.   I would only encourage Early Decision if the student does not have a financial limitation and is 100% sure that this school meets his/her needs.

It is interesting that in my own family, I have had two children do regular admission because they were not  ready to make any decisions before Nov 1^st or did not have a “dream school” to go for.  However, I had my third child apply to his dream school and attempt to beat the odds by applying ED. He did and couldn't have been happier.

One myth that I discovered is that the students only need to write one ED application.  It happens that other applications (like UC system) are due prior to Dec 15^th when the ED’s decisions are out, thus you end up submitting these and withdrawing them if you get admitted on ED.  However, if you don’t get admitted on 12/15, it’s an intense scramble to submit all the regular admission or ED II applications before the holiday break.  Net the student needs to prepare most applications if she/he is admitted on ED or not.

Taking the Stress out of the College Admissions Process

The college admissions process is stressful for everyone because of the uncertainty of it all: where will my child go to college, how will we pay for it, what will it take to get there?  This onerous process starts in the middle school when students are told that advanced 8th grade classes count towards the “college transcript”.  This pressure is exacerbated in high school and students are pushed to take the most rigorous programs and by the standardized testing craziness especially when students take multiple SAT/ACT/SAT2/AP/IB tests in the Spring of their junior year.  Then comes the application process itself, overwhelming at times with choices, deadlines and stressful family dynamics. This gives the families, especially first timers, a lot of anxiety that permeates until the admittance letters are received.

To reduce stress, it helps to keep things in perspective.    While not everyone will get into the going in #1 choice they will find excellent alternatives.  Key to this is to do the right research and develop a well-balanced college list.  Every school on your list should be a #1 fit school.   Second, I would stress the need be well organized.   Keeping on top of due dates and developing a good schedule around it helps reduce stress.  Nothing worse than ruined holiday vacations because of college applications due on January 1st!    Third, I would encourage student to ask for help when needed.  The high school counselor is a great resource but so is the English teacher or a family friend that can help review essays, etc.  There’s always the opportunity to hire a college consultant or coach to help you through this process.

Standardized Testing: ACT or SAT?

It used to be that the SAT was predominant in the East Coast while the ACT was predominant on the West coast as per the origins of each test.   More recently, these tests started expanding and even test prep companies would even give a 50%-50% trial test to help students gauge their test aptitude and decide which way to go.  However, with the changes incorporated in the past year including the elimination of penalty points, the SAT and ACT are closing the gap between them and it would be interesting to see how will these will evolve through the years.

As I look at both exams and the areas which they test, seems like ACT still differentiates itself with its evaluation of data analysis/graph reading skills in addition to the core Math and English areas. The ACT also emphasizes language skills over vocabulary in the English section and in the Math section allows you to use a calculator and include basic Trigonometry.  Just these differences would suggest than non-readers and STEM driven students would do better on the ACT.   Nonetheless, I would recommend students to take the 50-50 trial test mentioned above and decide on one test to focus on for the testing season.  There’s no need to take both tests full blown multiple times -it seems like an overkill when there are so many other standardized tests (AP/IB/SAT2) to take at the time.