When I posted decisions last Sunday, two students were still mysteries…
Now announcing: they will attend Boston College and Baylor University!
Despite my work to “destress the college process,” our college admissions system relies on low admit rates to stir up thousands more applications to create revenue along with an inflated sense of “prestige.” Admit rates at large state universities make them no longer “possibles” for many students. With the exception of states like North Carolina and Virginia with legal limits, residents are often denied, and out of state students who may/may not–enroll, are admitted. Popular private and super-selective public colleges that used to admit between 20% and 40% of applicants have become “unlikelies,” admitting 15% or fewer.
Admission to college has never been “fair,” and it’s less so than ever. I remain committed to guiding my students and families by providing personalized counseling, up-to-date data, deep dives into colleges’ academic/social culture–and getting answers. Belonging to an international professional network allows us incredible access to college admissions offices and inside information. Next week, I’ll start filling you in on what I learned at the Independent Education Consultants Association Conference and details about the 14 colleges that Samantha and I visited between us. That’s not counting the “10 College Speed Dating” we did!
When I first began working with you, I said: “It matters less where you go to college than what you do while you are there.” See below, from the homepage of www.lesscollegestress.org:
Rest assured that your kids will gain admission to excellent colleges. Let's shift our outlook forward, when most of them will be happy at college. Take a long-term view, and encourage them--and ourselves--to believe that college achievements matter much more than which colleges they choose to attend.
I hope you all believe this now and are excited for the journey ahead. I am so excited for you. Please refer Less College Stress Consulting to family and friends who will benefit from professional college support, and share a brief testimonial I can add to the website. Happy Mother’s Day!
So happy for my students! No major is listed if the the student is exploratory, undeclared, or if the college does not admit by major.
Ball State University, Media (Sports Broadcasting)
Bard College, Written & Studio Arts
Bucknell University (2)
Clemson (2), Health Science/pre-professional Health Studies, Honors College; Engineering
College of Charleston, Business
Cornell University, School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Stonehill College, Early Childhood Education
Carleton College, Biology, pre-med
Fairfield University (3) Business (2); Elementary/Special Education/Psychology
Fashion Institute of Technology
Florida Atlantic University, Business
Florida Southern University, baseball recruit
Florida State University
Hamilton College, pre-law
Indiana University (3) pre-Business (2) and School of Global & International Studies
Lehigh University, Business
Loyola University Chicago, Business
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Purdue University College of Engineering
Quinnipiac University, Health Science, pre-med, Honors Program
Rensselaer Polytechnic University, Computer & Systems Engineering + soccer recruit
Rutgers School of Engineering
Santa Clara University
Syracuse University, Nutrition Science & Dietetics
Tufts University, International Relations
University of Arizona, Business
University of Central Florida, School of Public Administration, Urban Planning
University of Colorado at Boulder, Sociology
University of Delaware, Education
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Chemistry
University of Mississippi
Wake Forest University (2)
Next week’s blogpost will likely post final decisions from all (or almost all) of my students. There are several reasons for some students' hesitation. The delayed FAFSA has postponed financial aid packages so many families must wait to compare them. Political unrest on some campuses has some students second guessing an initial choice. It's stressful for everyone who would like to be done with the waiting and move forward.
While we wait, here's a political story that will please everyone:
