College Preparation, Admission and Beyond

College admissions and the preparation process looks very different today than in years past. This can be a stressful time for students and their parents as they move toward this new phase of life. Parents who haven’t navigated the process since their own applications—or ever!–may be seeking guidance on how to support their students and keep their own sanity.

In today’s increasingly competitive college admission landscape, factors such as extracurricular activities, challenging courses, and college essays have gained heightened significance. One pivotal change in the college admission process is optional standardized testing. This has led to greater competition and a larger applicant pool at most colleges (fed, as well, by the “common app” through which the click of the return key sends applications instantly to as many colleges as a student wants, and wants to pay for). Consequently, the percentage of applicants accepted has declined at a lot of colleges, reaching unbelievably low numbers (one school in the northeast had an acceptance rate under 1%).

Due to this competitive landscape, when should high school students start looking for colleges and how many schools should students be applying to? What are the most important things to look for in college admissions? What if students have an average GPA? What can students do to set themselves apart?

To answer these questions and more, we spoke to Andy Greenspan, Director of College Advising for International College Counselors. Andy works with students on choosing an appropriate curriculum, differentiating their extracurricular involvement, selecting constructive summer opportunities, refining their college lists, and editing their essays and applications.

Here are some insights he provided:

• It’s never too early to begin preparing for college. Creating a balanced college list with dealbreakers is a great starting point.
• Colleges previously sought after well-rounded students, but this has done a complete shift. Colleges are now aiming for a well-rounded freshman class—meaning instead of an athlete with musical ability and a 4.0 they may wish to have an athlete, someone with musical ability, AND someone else with that 4.0.
• The most important factor in the college application process is academics; colleges look at grades from freshman to senior year. High school students should take college level courses (AP or IB) and excel in these to demonstrate their capability to succeed in college classes.
• In addition to GPA, participating in school clubs or activities outside of school is an equally important factor. Students should find something they are passionate about and really interested in. Colleges are really looking to see what students have done with their involvement.
• College essays should be authentic to the student and tell the college something about who they are. Letters of recommendation can further aid in telling the student’s story.

For more insights, including examples of how students have successfully prepared for college, watch “College Preparation, Admission, and Beyond.” Come away with tips to ensure expectations are managed and the freshman year of college is a success. Also, please know that you can reach out to us at any point during this journey. Decisions around college can be extremely stressful for students and parents alike, and we are here to help with the financial implications and beyond.

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