In Sapiens, anthropologist Yuval Noah Harari examines the uniqueness of human development among other creatures. Many types of animals can communicate with one another, but only humans can communicate with specific language about what cannot be seen with the senses. Here’s an example:
“As far as we know, only Sapiens can talk about entire kinds of entities that they have never seen, touched, or smelled. Legends, myths, gods, and religions appeared for the first time with the Cognitive Revolution. Many animals and human species could previously say ‘Careful! A lion! Thanks to the Cognitive Revolution, Homo sapiens acquired the ability to say. ‘The lion is the guardian spirit of our tribe.’ This ability to speak about fictions is the most unique feature of Sapiens language…You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.”
One of my favorite books is Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth. I’m fascinated that myths from every part of the globe tell similar stories, like the hero’s journey and how humans do battle with higher powers. This book was a mainstay in my syllabus when I was teaching. I certainly didn’t expect “the power of myth” to come up in my work as an independent education consultant as often as it does.
While myths add much to our lives, they can lead us astray. It’s a myth to say “(fill in the blank) is a great school for everyone,” “(fill in the blank) is the best university,” or “(fill in the blank) is a terrible college.”
Most families understand the importance of fit in the college process, and it’s sad when the prestige myth pushes that knowledge aside. The myth of that “great school for everyone” may fall flat when it leads to anxiety for the shy introvert who prefers to hike and socialize in small groups. That myth is based on its brand, not on a college’s suitability for all. A few weeks ago, I pulled the curtain on the myths the USNWR weaves to market its prestige-focused rankings.
A currently-popular myth is that big state colleges with large percentages of Greek life and huge athletic cultures are perfect fits for all students, and every learning disabled student, those with emotional challenges, and those who thrive in smaller environments will figure it out and be happy when they get there. I work to dispel these myths with real information gleaned from my personal experiences, current students and alumni, or those of trusted colleagues.
Our myths sustain us by allowing us to believe that the unlikely (like admission to colleges with sub-10% admission rates) is possible. Let’s keep our good myths, but keep the misleading ones in perspective.
Several colleges have essay prompts that start with the words “I believe” or “This I believe.” Students then have to fill in the rest of the sentence.
I hate this. Many students figure that they must say something profound, which is never original or deep when read by an admissions officer lost in a sea of thousands of applications. Students are also apprehensive when I suggest saying something funny. Creative thinkers, like my jazz drummer from last year, used the line, “Drum machines have no soul.” This was a perfect window into his character; however, I understand that this prompt is a real roadblock for many students.
How would I respond to this prompt myself? Would I really say, “Aliens are stealing my socks?”
(I likely heard that somewhere else and it stuck in my brain, which is why I give it as a “funny” example to students.) I probably wouldn’t.
At this moment, just one week into August, here is my response:
I believe my students are amazing and many of them are exceeding expectations.
My college process philosophy is to reduce stress by completing as much essay and application work as possible in the summer. This way, students can begin senior year with less pressure as they take on the demands of senior year courses, sports and other activities.
Regarding the college process, my students’ only concerns should be requesting transcripts from guidance and letters of recommendations from teachers, which requires clicking a few keys on Naviance and perhaps filling out a few forms. As soon as the high schools reopen Naviance, Genesis, Schoology, or whatever programs they use, students will be able to enter their grades for the colleges which require that. A few still need to have their senior year courses confirmed. But that’s it.
They will be ready to submit their applications early in the fall because all the time-consuming parts of the applications will be complete by then.
I admit that I worried when I tallied up over 300 essays that needed to be written. Now I have total confidence in my students. Colleges should know how impressive they are!
What a treat to be on a college campus again! I visited Vassar, Marist and SUNY New Paltz yesterday--my first college trip since going to the University of Tampa and the University of South Florida in February of 2020.
Colleges are still being careful: Vassar and SUNY New Paltz are offering limited tours and none on weekends. My Marist tour was fabulous: the beautiful campus nestled on the Hudson River looked impeccable. While nearly the entire SUNY New Paltz campus was under construction, every Marist building and field is ready for the Fall semester. A very well-attended infosession yielded great info about Marist’s top study abroad programs, including those at its own Florence campus and smaller options in Washington DC, New York City, and London, as well as other affiliated study-abroad programs all over the world. The NY and interim NJ admission rep Megan Fergus filled us in on the many five year dual-degree options, the opportunity for students to work on the Marist Poll, and the school’s excellent relationship with nearby IBM in Poughkeepsie. My tour leader Pavel, a native of Berlin, was double majoring in Computer Science and Business, swimming for the D1 team, and of course, working for admissions. If you have questions about Marist, this is a good time to ask me!
Each August, two of my wonderful colleagues share data on ED admissions percentages, both the percentage of students accepted early decision, as well as the percentage of the incoming class accepted early decision. They also share valuable data on which schools give merit aid to students who do not qualify for need-based aid, and what percentage of students receive merit aid overall.
But this year, I have a large supply of data shared from consultants all over the US about individual colleges’ 2021 admissions: who they admitted by region, numbers (including those submitting test scores vs. test optional), major, gender, and any outstanding characteristics about a given student.
Looking forward to a smooth admissions season with less procrastination and less stress!
Pamela