Collegewise

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Southampton are part of the "University" centers of the State University of New York.  I was invited to attend a Counselor Visitation Day that was attended by guidance counselors from Massachusetts and Connecticut.  Stony Brook actively recruits non-New Yorkers for this very impressive institution.

College Essay Do's and Don'ts

Even the most stellar applicant is comparatively boring when reduced to just grades and test scores. That's why admissions officers will use your college essay to get to know you better. Here are some Collegewise do's and dont's to make sure they like what they read.

1.  DON'T try to impress admissions officers.
Don't inject deep, philosophical meaning into your tenure as junior class treasurer, or try to extract life lessons from your time on the wrestling team. Instead, just tell the truth. If you got the snot beat out of you on the wrestling mat, but still liked wrestling anyway, say so. It's more important to be honest than it is to be impressive.

How to Ruin Your College Application

Jay Mathews of the Washington Post does it again.  We love Jay's take on the college admissions process because he's a member of the press who takes every opportunity to inject a healthy perspective, not fear, into his writing on education.  In fact, we like his book Harvard Schmarvard so much that we give it to our Collegewise families as a thank-you when they refer a friend to us. 

This week, Jay's column offers up Ten Stupid Ways to Ruin Your College Application.  From posting questionable photos on Myspace to letting parents get too involved, all of his "don'ts" are mistakes we've actually seen kids make. 

October News for Friends and Family

Back from NACAC

Kevin, Arun and Alex enjoyed our stay at the annual NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling Conference).  Some people get excited about seeing Angelina Jolie or Leonardo DiCaprio on the street, but NACAC lets us meet and learn from people like Parke Muth (at left), an admissions officer from University of Virginia and the inventor of the McEssay analogy we've cited hundreds of times in our Collegewise essay seminars.  His session for counselors about writing letters of recommendation was standing room only.  We caught up with Lloyd Thacker from the Education Conservancy (at right) whom we've really come to like and admire for his organization’s efforts to remove commercial interference in college admissions.  And most importantly, we were able to spend time with admissions officers and counselors who over the years have become friends as well as colleagues.

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The best part about NACAC is that we're annually reminded just how many smart, good people there are  working in the world of college admissions, and how sincerely they all want to do the right thing for kids.

Five Things Every College Wants You to Be

It’s that time of year when seniors begin sitting down to fill out college applications.  And when they do, a lot of those seniors will be wondering, “What do these colleges want to hear?” and “What are they looking for ?” and “Would winning the presidency of a small but quickly-developing country improve my chances???”

While colleges aren’t looking for just one type of student, there are certain things every college would like you to be, especially when you’re filling out applications.

1.  Be focused.

When you fill out your applications, remember that more information isn’t always better.  Admissions officers are inundated with material at this time of year. If you send them a five page resume listing everything you’ve done since birth, they won’t be able to tell who you are and what you really care about.  Focus on activities that really matter to you.  Don’t include extra materials unless the college encourages you to do so.  And most importantly, remember that you have a limited amount of space to use to help them get to know you.  It's better to use that space to share a lot about the most important parts of your life than it is to share a little about everything.  

(Not) Playing the Numbers Game

There will be a lot of fighting in admissions offices across the country this winter.  Not fisticuffs, but verbal bouts as admissions officers lobby with their fellow committee members to win admission for the students they want to be part of the freshman class. Sometimes, their arguments get pretty heated and can last for hours.  I experienced the exact same thing when I was in their shoes.

But in my years as an admissions officer, I never once fought for a student because I loved his high SAT scores.

I fought for Rochelle, who wrote an essay about how dancing was the only way she was able to make people really understand her.  I was giddy when she was finally admitted. And I spent two weeks fighting for Andy who had been a student at a military high school where he didn’t fit in—his essay about haute couture clothing gave me goose bumps. That was a fight I lost.  I cried at my desk (and ate a whole bag of candy corn) when he was denied admission.

Lake Forest

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest is not Wake Forest. Just ask anyone who’s applying there. The rhyming names are often mixed up and prompt conversations like, “Lake Forest? Are you sure you don’t mean Wake Forest?” This can quickly turn the conversation between a student and her parent into, “Yes, mom! I think I know where I’m applying to!”

Alas, we’re here to talk about Lake Forest College today—the charming, liberal arts college that’s situated about 30 miles north of Chicago. It’s a great choice for students who are interested in a big city atmosphere, but aren’t quite sure they want to live in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Discovering a school like Lake Forest is music to students’ ears who’ve only heard of selective schools in the area like Northwestern and the University of Chicago. In fact, the test-optional admissions process (yep, you heard me right—students decide whether or not to have their ACT or SAT scores considered in admissions process) is a great perk for students who thrive in the classroom, but might not fair so well on standardized tests.