Free advice on getting into the right college
The newspapers are full of the latest college admissions scandal. It seems that a long list of parents, some famous and some not, paid large sums of money to get their children into their university of choice. SAT scores were altered and admissions and coaching personnel were compromised. Several have been fired and court cases are pending.
The two most famous people involved were Lori Laughlin (“Fuller House”) and Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”). The organizer of this disgusting situation was William Singer, who evidently enlisted admissions personnel and coaches from a number of colleges and universities to participate in his scheme. Amounts of money paid range from $15,000 to over $500,000.
Everyone can understand a parent wanting to do the best they can for their student. However, the saddest aspect of this regrettable dilemma is the fact that getting into a quality university is not the object of the university experience; student growth, development and graduation are.
An average student in a university full of superior students is a ticket for frustration and eventual personal disaster.
There are no “experts” in college admissions since every university has their own system and unique approach. However, after 40 years of working in higher education, the last 20 as an admissions consultant, I am about as knowledgeable as a “generalist” in the field can be.
So, what should a parent look for when their son or daughter is choosing a college? One starts the process by laying the best possible foundation. The most important necessity to succeed in college is to make a maximum effort in high school. High school grades, not test scores, are the best predictor of success in college.
Then you have a process to go through to choose the “right” college for your student, a college where they can be successful. The right college is not necessarily Harvard, Princeton or Yale. It isn’t even USC, Stanford or your high-quality state university.
The best university for your student is one where he or she can compete for graduation. Accepting that fact as reality is the most important factor in ensuring success in college.
John F. Kennedy graduated from Harvard and George H.W. Bush from Yale. Richard Nixon (Whittier, California), Ronald Reagan (Eureka College, Illinois) and L.B. Johnson (Texas State College) all came from small regional colleges. There is no “best” education for everyone, only the best education for your particular student. There are more than 3,500 credible colleges and universities in the United States. Every one of them have graduates who have been successful in life.
So, how do you choose the right college? I’m glad you asked.
• All colleges publish a summary of the qualifications of their students. Secure a copy of that information from the admissions office.
• Ascertain your student’s accomplishments and qualifications and compare them with the college’s published student qualifications.
• If your student’s qualifications do not rank at least at the 50 percent level of the institution you are interested in attending you should make another choice.
In the end, you choose the college where your student fits academically and where they can study what they have chosen for their career.
On this last issue, keep in mind that the average college student changes their major three times as they move through their college years.
After all, college is supposed to be a process of discovery and change. In the end, you are looking for the best opportunity for your student to be successful, to grow, develop and to graduate.
So, what about my own family? Did we practice what I preach? Two of my children started in two-year colleges. The third began in a regional state university.
Today, as midlife adults, one is an optometrist, another a college administrator and the third is an attorney. Our approach worked well for us. We commend it to you as well.
These are things the so-called admissions consultant hired by Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman should have told them.