How do you decide which college to say yes to? With so many students submitting 10-plus college applications, this pleasant quandary is a real dilemma.
Students who have received multiple offers from colleges now find the shoe is on the other foot. Accepted students may be heavily recruited by colleges and are receiving telephone calls, numerous e-mails, small gifts, enticing merit-based scholarships and admission to prestigious honors programs.
Admissions offices are trying to increase their yield (the number of students who accept their offer of admission) and solidify their numbers for next year’s freshman class.
So how do you choose when more than one school wants you?
Jeff Brenzel, Yale’s dean of admissions, posted his thoughts: “For the past year, you have likely focused heavily on where to apply, and then how to win the hearts of admissions officers. Oddly, this effort may have left you surprisingly unprepared for a task that is just as challenging, but far more important: deciding where to go now that you (undoubtedly) have choices.”
He goes on to share his advice:
1. Don’t dwell on the rejections.
2. Wipe out all assumptions. “Throw away the U.S. News & World Report. Stop obsessing over selectivity or prestige.”
3. Don’t be blinded by what you thought you knew and what you thought was your first choice.
4. Visit or revisit as many of the colleges as possible. “When you walk onto campus, try to avoid finding reasons not to like a place – things that turn you off. Instead, try the much more useful exercise of trying to picture yourself there as a student, thriving and enjoying both the educational opportunities and the campus scene.”
5. Ask your parents for their opinions, and ask them to be specific. “You may need to call a physician to revive them if you follow this piece of advice,” he quips. “Most parents will be quite surprised if a son or daughter approaches them directly, asks them to provide a detailed rundown of exactly what they think and why, then listens to them carefully.”
Here’s another thing you can try when comparing colleges: Rank each college’s characteristics side by side with a 1-5 scale.
Location: urban, suburban, or rural, distance from home.
Size: number of students, class sizes.
Student body: diversity (internationally, racially, economically, geographically; in-state/out-of-state students).
Academics: majors, special programs.
Extracurricular activities: clubs, intramurals, new opportunities.
Facilities: Are they updated? (labs, dorms, dining hall, fitness centers)
Talk to current students – ask them what they like and don’t like about their school
Don’t make a snap decision. You have until May 1st.
MORE INFORMATION:
College Notes – On My Bookshelf
“Are You Really Ready For College? – A College Dean’s 12 Secrets for Success – What High School Students Don’t Know”, Robert R. Neuman, $21.99
www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com
Students who have received multiple offers from colleges now find the shoe is on the other foot. Accepted students may be heavily recruited by colleges and are receiving telephone calls, numerous e-mails, small gifts, enticing merit-based scholarships and admission to prestigious honors programs.
Admissions offices are trying to increase their yield (the number of students who accept their offer of admission) and solidify their numbers for next year’s freshman class.
So how do you choose when more than one school wants you?
Jeff Brenzel, Yale’s dean of admissions, posted his thoughts: “For the past year, you have likely focused heavily on where to apply, and then how to win the hearts of admissions officers. Oddly, this effort may have left you surprisingly unprepared for a task that is just as challenging, but far more important: deciding where to go now that you (undoubtedly) have choices.”
He goes on to share his advice:
1. Don’t dwell on the rejections.
2. Wipe out all assumptions. “Throw away the U.S. News & World Report. Stop obsessing over selectivity or prestige.”
3. Don’t be blinded by what you thought you knew and what you thought was your first choice.
4. Visit or revisit as many of the colleges as possible. “When you walk onto campus, try to avoid finding reasons not to like a place – things that turn you off. Instead, try the much more useful exercise of trying to picture yourself there as a student, thriving and enjoying both the educational opportunities and the campus scene.”
5. Ask your parents for their opinions, and ask them to be specific. “You may need to call a physician to revive them if you follow this piece of advice,” he quips. “Most parents will be quite surprised if a son or daughter approaches them directly, asks them to provide a detailed rundown of exactly what they think and why, then listens to them carefully.”
Here’s another thing you can try when comparing colleges: Rank each college’s characteristics side by side with a 1-5 scale.
Location: urban, suburban, or rural, distance from home.
Size: number of students, class sizes.
Student body: diversity (internationally, racially, economically, geographically; in-state/out-of-state students).
Academics: majors, special programs.
Extracurricular activities: clubs, intramurals, new opportunities.
Facilities: Are they updated? (labs, dorms, dining hall, fitness centers)
Talk to current students – ask them what they like and don’t like about their school
Don’t make a snap decision. You have until May 1st.
MORE INFORMATION:
College Notes – On My Bookshelf
“Are You Really Ready For College? – A College Dean’s 12 Secrets for Success – What High School Students Don’t Know”, Robert R. Neuman, $21.99
