Rigor Matters, but Embrace Your Strengths

I’m deep into helping students in the course selection process, which means answering questions about what colleges want to see on a transcript. Just as we don’t need to read about the latest diet to learn that eating fruit and vegetables has a better nutritional return than munching on Smartees, we know the answer: competitive colleges, which includes all colleges with less than a 50% admit rate, want to see rigor above all.

There are four big “on paper” factors that students can control: rigor, GPA, extracurriculars, and test scores (these last two are not set in 3rd and 4th place–the most competitive colleges receive a plethora of high test scores though they are officially “test-optional,” and some large state schools focus more on rigor, GPA, and test scores than an impressive extracurricular list).

That’s why I will generally recommend challenging yourself regarding rigor.

So should you take every AP course offered? Think of it this way: AP courses are like college courses, and you typically take no more than 4 or 5 courses per semester in college. Your schedule and activities are much more demanding in high school, so 4 or more AP courses are likely too many. Double up in an area of interest instead.

Are AP courses the right choice for everyone? Of course not. Approach rigor at your own level, meaning enriched courses for some, honors courses for others. The maximum number of AP courses offered is appropriate for some students. Contact me to learn what the colleges on your list want to see–there is no one answer to the rigor question.

What about overriding recommendations? Challenge yourself, but know the rules. Can you drop the course early on, or must you wait a whole marking period or semester first? Only override recommendations in your areas of strength!

Trust in your ability to rise above your limits while you trust in yourself to know what's best for you.

Let’s Be Honest About Fun

This week, I asked a student what matters to him most about college. His answer was “having fun.”

Was this the wrong answer? Since students have fun at many colleges, it’s an easy requirement for me to fulfill as I build a list. Of course, I need to know more than that–but what if the student doesn’t know themselves? I appreciated this answer from a very authentic 17-year-old.

So I don’t need to dwell on the “campus life fun” aspect of building a college list too much. I prefer to focus on the colleges’ priorities–engagement with academics.

If you’ve spent your high school (and maybe middle school years or earlier) developing an interest in aspects of science (COVID has encouraged a wider interest in epidemiology and the history of pandemics), then immersing yourself in this information is one type of “fun.” Are you enthusiastic about following the markets and learning about companies in a particular sector? That’s your type of “fun,” whether you’re investing real money or not. Do you want to pursue a degree in Computer Science because you love to play video games and enjoyed a CAD course? Dig deeper into how the parts of the games you love come together, build an app or even a computer (lots of great how-to youtube videos), and create a website–it will provide hours of “fun.” I could go on with examples from many fields, but you get the point.

Going to parties and attending or playing games is fun. But the fun described above reflects curiosity, perseverance, critical thinking, and goal setting. These components are pure gold in your essays and applications–they literally jump off the page. That will make our work together smoother, easier to complete–and certainly more fun.

No one likes planning more than me, but…

I was contacted by an 8th grade parent to help her son prepare to apply to BSMD programs. Beginning to think about the college process early in high school makes sense for some, yet this seemed extreme. BSMD programs, which leave little room for any type of college experience desirable to most students, offer a direct path to medical school, sometimes eliminating the MCATs and the stress of applying to medical school. Is a 13 or 14 year old ready to make that choice?

That’s an unusual example. Yet many of my freshmen and sophomores are sure that they will study medicine, law, or business at the graduate level immediately after earning an undergraduate degree. Some do and are satisfied with their choices, but more change their minds. Instead, most grad students I work with arrived at their decisions after an epiphany well into their college careers.

There is a good reason to hold off–most notably the benefit of internships, fellowships, assistantships, and work experience gained in a year or two (or more) after graduation. These efforts make students stronger candidates. The arduous graduate school application process, which can include many stressful interviews, standardized testing, and longer, deeper essays than those undergrads must write, may be better spent later than during the senior year of college. Of course, the opportunity of a first year assistantship or fellowship may be tough to turn down.

Think honestly about burnout: would you rather immerse yourself in research or work experience without the stress of senior year courses and exams?

Finally: I think of a friend who had completed all the requirements to apply to medical school until the moment of graduation, then realized it wasn’t for him. Students should give themselves time, regardless of outside pressure, to figure out who they really are, and what makes them happy and fulfilled. The path is often less linear than we like to think.