Steering kids through application maze of looming essays, 'hidden' deadlines
Catherine Mallette - McClatchy NewspapersIssue date: 6/19/08 Section: News
|
We took our first official college road trip in spring of '07 when Jack was a junior, and since then I've learned that while colleges remain somewhat similar to what they were a quarter of a century ago when I was a student, the process of admission has changed. Simply put: It's much more competitive than it used to be.
A story in "The New York Times" in early April gave some statistics to back up what many seniors and their parents had already heard - "the number of high school graduates in the nation has grown each year over the last decade and a half" and is expected to peak either this year or next, making this the most competitive year in our lifetimes for college admissions.
Add to that other new factors in the admissions race, such as "the ease of online applications, expanded financial aid packages, aggressive recruiting of a broad range of young people, and ambitious students applying to ever more colleges," and you've got a blueprint for a superhighway of national Admissions Angst.
As an example, the "Times" noted that 10 years ago Yale University received slightly fewer than 12,000 applications. This year, 22,813 applied. The acceptance rate was 18 percent a decade ago, and now it's less than half that.
For those embarking on the road to admissions, whether you're looking at Yale, the University of Texas or a small private school where you're assuming your child will be a shoo-in, take heed and get ready for the ride. While you'll hopefully enjoy the time you spend with your child, as I did, you'll probably discover that most of the ride itself isn't very much fun.
Here, some tips and strategies for fellow parents, gained from my long, strange trip down the Admissions Angst Highway.
Start early and visit as many schools as you can.
1. Our first visit was to Rhodes College in Memphis. Halfway through the tour, Jack whispered, "Let's get out of here," so we did. The school was too small, he said, and he wasn't crazy about the neighborhood.
I've heard lots of admissions representatives give this advice: Look at as many schools as you have time for. Take the tours. If you drive up and your kid says, "No way," move on. The more schools your child sees, the more she'll begin to see patterns in what appeals to her: big vs. small, urban vs. middle of nowhere, etc.
Be the first to comment on this story