Do you think a school's sticker price makes it out of your reach? (Never Assume) Do you think that public college is cheaper than that small liberal arts school? (Never Assume) Do you think your GPA locks in your admission to that school with a 50% acceptance rate? (Never assume) Do you think those C's are keeping you out of that selective University? (Never Assume) I sat down with the College Counselor at my oldest son's public high school. I was sure that all he would need to do to attend Stanford was to fill out his application. His grades were stellar, after all. When I mentioned this to her, she told me that even with perfect grades and SAT scores, he wouldn't get in. I called her the Simon Cowell of counselors. She laughed and said, "I'm not that bad, am I?" She was honest. College admissions are complex. It is more competitive than ever. It's a common myth that selective schools are looking for a well rounded student.
They are looking for a well rounded student body. They may be looking at displayed interest. They may or may not take your income into consideration for admissions. There are many variables that admissions officers look at during the application season. It could be that the top ten school you are looking at, is not the best for your major. The best for your major may be a school with an 80% acceptance rate! The best for your major may offer merit aid. You may or may not need to take standardized tests. There are some colleges that meet full financial need. Schools you may have never heard of like Pitzer, Swarthmore, Scripps. Some schools consider need to be making 150K or under. It all depends!
I have had three kids go through this process now. Each with different report cards and passions. I have read many books on admissions. I have read many books on writing a college admission essay. I have attended two conferences held at Stanford and personally spoken to admissions officers from top colleges such as Princeton, Notre Dame, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, etc. There are thousands of colleges in the U.S. and they are each unique and can get you where you want to go in life. I think it is well worth the investment for advising, if you don't have time to do the research yourself. My oldest son attended MIT. My middle son attended Berkeley. My youngest is going to be attending her dream college next year. I have my favorite schools as well that offered a lot of merit and perks. I think you should have as many options as possible. You don't know, what you don't know. Never Assume!
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