Too often there is a disconnect between what families and colleges understand to be important in college admissions. I want to inform families about the collegeās point of view and its impact in the review of applications and determination of admission decisions. In the absence of that kind of information, families can find themselves reacting to all the noise and unknowns out there rather than acting to identify and pursue what is in their own best interest.
Various aspects of the current college admissions landscape are contributing to the stress and confusion that families, who are simply trying to make sense of how to proceed, are understandably experiencing. There are many different stake holders in the college admission process. While they should work in concert, their agendas often conflict. There is also a market place dynamic at play. Partly in the name of chasing after rankings and in what has been referred to as an āarms race,ā colleges are using enrollment management strategies to recruit a broad range of applicants. Confusion for students and families trying to understand and consider the opportunities for an education, the studentās needs and interests, and the differences between colleges too often ensues.
Students and parents often think that admissions decisions are based primarily on assessment of the qualifications of the applicant. Families are unaware of the institutional imperatives and objectives that must be realized and that may supersede the review of individual applications. Little do they understand how hard colleges work to enroll a full class and how deeply they worry about yield.
Families donāt know about the impact of ability to pay, what āneed sensitiveā means, and that early decision plans are advantageous to institutions since they enable them to increase their yield and control enrollment and are a critical part of their enrollment management strategies. Families donāt always know the importance of ādemonstrated interestā and that visiting a campus can be interpreted by the college as a proxy for ālikely to enrollā if admitted.
Families mistakenly conclude that the marketing materials that may fill their email and mail boxes are signs of collegesā targeted and informed interest in the student. And students and their parents worry incessantly about whether another 50 points on a standardized test or a different phrase on a college essay will render a completely different admissions decision.
Families are also unaware of the counseling role that good college admissions representatives play and often do not understand how available college representatives are to serve as resources. Students often donāt know that they can enter into a dialog, pose questions and expect to receive informed and enlightening responses.
I encourage colleges to more fully consider the perspective of students and families who are trying to make sense of the myriad opportunities for an education and the differences between colleges. That would do a lot to relieve some of the stress they experience and that too often defines and clouds the college search and application process. And I encourage students and parents to become well informed, recognize what they have control over, and focus on educational values, the studentās needs and finding the best college for the student.
Published in Larchmont Dish (www.larchmontdish.com) July 2011. Published in The Scarsdale Inquirerās Back to School edition 18 August 2011.Excerpt published in the newsletter of the NYSACAC Fall 2011.
