Warning: The subtitle is this blog is “That
you may not like to hear.” And unlike most of my intros, we’re not going to
waste time or words on analogies, personal anecdotes, or admittedly
stretched parallels. Instead, after watching this cycle repeat itself, here
are the three direct messages/ primary hopes I have for juniors entering
the college admission experience.
Don’t apply to a college you would not actually attend.
Seniors did this. I know, right? They basically walked into a store looking
for jeans and went to the section three sizes up from theirs and were like-
“Yea, I'll put those in my cart just to have a few extra.” Does that sound
dumb? It is. Think about it this way- there are 2000+ four-year colleges in
America, not to mention the thousands of other post-secondary options
around our country and abroad. I’m guessing if someone lined up that many
pairs of jeans you could easily find 7 or 9 or 11 that you could afford,
fit well, and you would be excited about/proud to wear. Many application
fees are $50 or more. Need suggestions for better uses of that money?
Donate to a local non-profit, take your mom out to lunch, Venmo me,
basically do anything with it except what the seniors just did. Want more
details and insight? Check out this podcast with Rachel Hernandez, vice
provost for student affairs at Johns Hopkins University. Not a podcast
listener? Ok. Then hear this: Don’t
apply to a college you would not actually attend!
The “College Search” is internal.
See, the seniors heard “search” and they went looking like a Survivor
contestant scouring the island for immunity idols. This ain’t that. How do
you know what to plug into a Google search if you haven’t taken time to
reflect on what you value, or your hopes and goals for college and life
beyond? So, yea. I’m going to be that guy and tell you to get off your
phone. Worse still- I'm telling you to go somewhere quiet on your own and
really listen to yourself...more than once. And too really go overboard
here, maybe even bring a pen and paper and right stuff down about what you
really need and want. Again, the subtitle is, “that you may not like to
hear.” Promise made- promise kept.
Look. As a talented student and a relatively good person, an
annoyingly large number of people are going to have opinions about where
and why you should visit, apply, or attend certain schools. Oh... and they’re
going to tell you whether you like it or not. At the end of the day, we
live in a noisy, busy world. My hope is that you will consistently pull
away for a few hours to listen and be honest with yourself. The truth is
that these decisions just keep getting bigger- where to apply becomes where
to attend. Where to attend becomes what to major in. What to major in
becomes job, city, community, family. Oh, yea. I can draw a throughline
from today to one far in the distant future based on how you approach this.
But hey- you are a junior and we are just on #2, so let’s start with and
commit to this. Don’t do what they seniors did! Don’t begin by searching
Google with criteria someone else told them was important. Don’t start by
looking at rankings or lists of colleges that a marketer developed to sell
ads and peddle clicks. The
college admission search is internal.
Nothing happens to
you in college admission. Read that carefully. I
did not say “nothing happens.” Just that nothing happens to you. Now, to be fair
to the seniors, this has been a tumultuous and unprecedented year,
particularly in light of the FAFSA situation, the first cycle
following a landmark SCOTUS case, and noise and variance in testing
policies around the country.
Still, there was way too much why did this happen to me mentality and
not enough why did this
happen for me? inquiry. Here’s the truth- next year there will
also be change, unexpected events, personal and macro challenges, and
general unpredictability. This spring, as admission and scholarship
information has come out, a lot of seniors (and their parents) have
effectively said: “What did I do wrong?” or “What else could I have done?”
or (directly or indirectly) “This whole thing is broken and unfair.” Well,
in the spirit of “messages you might not like to hear,” that’s college
admission, that’s college, and really that’s life.
As a junior, however, you have a choice. When things don’t
go exactly as you hope/plan, i.e. you get deferred, denied, waitlisted, or
you don’t receive the amount of money you need to attend a particular
school, you can cry/wallow/point fingers/ take your ball and go home OR you
can re-frame from why
is this happening to me? to why
is this happening for me?
Ok. I got deferred. “Why is this happening for me?” Now, I
get to decide if I’m still really interested in this school. If so, I get
to send my fall grades and submit updated information.
I didn’t get admitted. Or I didn’t get into the honors
program. Or that scholarship amount is just not enough to make it
affordable... why is this happening for me? Now, I get to pivot. I get to
figure out another way or explore a different option. I get to show up
somewhere else committed to succeeding, building a network, maximizing my
opportunities. Nothing
happens to you in college admission.
What messages do we like to hear? I can help you control
this. I can make this easier for you. You are special and amazing and it’s
all going to work out. I get it. I’m human. That all sounds good to me too.
But it is not true (well, you’re kind of special and amazing). And you best
believe you can find (often for $$) lots of people who will guarantee you
things in college admission. If you see an ad online or have someone
approach you claiming to have the magic formula, the secret sauce (or some
other noun preceded by a descriptor), RUN!
So, I will not make any guarantees, but I will make you a
promise. If you will only apply to places you really want to go and would
be excited to attend; if you will begin with asking yourself big and tough
questions; and if you will adopt the mindset that the year ahead, while
absolutely not predictable or fully in your control, will be one of
formation, transformation, growth, discovery, and opportunity; then on the
Ides of April 2025, you will have been truly successful in your college
admission experience.
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