COVID Still Impacting College Application Process

By observing students in the high school class of 2022 anxiously submitting their college applications, there are many lessons to be learned by those who will be following in their footsteps.

Don’t procrastinate. Since students are allowed to submit their highest SAT scores on college applications, those who start taking the test early in their high school years enjoy a significant advantage. Even though many colleges, in the midst of COVID, remain “test optional,” they obviously admit – and award scholarship money to -- the most impressive applicants.

Identify a “passion project.” Colleges are not seeking Renaissance people who are mediocre at a multitude of activities. They are attracted to students who demonstrate expertise in a specific activity, in any field. Students should identify their area of passion, and then aim for an impressive accomplishment. Students I’ve recently worked with, who have gained acceptance to elite universities, highlighted passion projects such as creating an award-winning app, interning at a prestigious medical lab, and becoming accomplished on the French horn.

How to Identify Safety Schools for Potential College List

College-bound students, in New Jersey and across the country, are finding that gaining admission to the most desirable colleges has grown increasingly competitive in recent years.  Even students with near-perfect SAT scores, weighted GPA’s exceeding 4.0, and a multitude of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, are finding it extremely challenging to secure a “You’re Accepted” email from the top echelon of schools.  

Recent statistics from U.S. News & World Report show that the acceptance rate at the vast majority of the “Top 100” most selective colleges was at or below 25%. Included were such popular schools as New York University (NYU), Boston University, Northeastern University, Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duke University.  Not surprisingly, the Ivy League schools had single digit acceptance rates, with the exception of Cornell University at 11%.

Many Top Colleges Are Still Accepting Applications

If you’re a high school senior, with hopes of attending a great college in the fall, all is not lost if you have not yet applied to, or gotten accepted to, your dream school.

Although the application deadline has passed for all of the Ivy League schools, and many other elite institutions, there are many colleges popular with New Jersey students whose application deadlines for the 2022-2023 academic year fall in February or even March.

While this is not the ideal time for college-bound students to begin the application process, those who find themselves in this boat – due to procrastination, challenges from COVID, or any other reason – should follow a few guidelines.

New Year’s Resolutions for College Bound Students

Students who are still choosing their New Year’s resolutions might want to consider some that could set them up for success when the time to file college applications rolls around.  As students prepare to embark on the first few days of the 2022 academic year they may want to resolve to:

Manage Time Effectively.  This is an important habit to develop before embarking on your college journey where good time management skills will have a major impact on your academic success.  Practice setting a schedule, indicating when you will start, and finish, working on each long-term assignment and studying for each exam. Be sure that procrastination is not one of your traits.  

Put Free Time to Good Use.  College admissions officers at every school look carefully at applications to assess which students have demonstrated a solid commitment to volunteer activities.  Colleges know that if you have developed the habit of helping others while in high school, you’ll most likely be a contributing member of your college community. An impressive list of extracurricular activities, both in and out of school, can boost applications. If you’re at a loss for ideas, check out Zooniverse.org which offers virtual opportunities for students to contribute to professional research in a gamut of fields.

Colleges That Produce the Most Grateful Grads

Students nearing the end of their high school years often search for information about the “best” colleges. There are many publications and online resources that provide this subjective data, often based on multiple variables. The U.S. News & Word Report Best Colleges guide, for example, gathers data from colleges on 17 indicators of academic excellence, weighting each factor differently.  The scoring breakdown includes such categories as Outcomes, Faculty Resources, Expert Opinion, Financial Resources, Student Excellence and Alumni Giving. That last category, Alumni Giving, is weighted at just 3%.

But Forbes believes that Alumni Giving alone may be the key to predicting a student’s ideal college. For the ninth consecutive year, Forbes published its version of a Best College listing based on only one criterion: Alumni Giving. The thinking is that the better one’s college experience, the greater the likelihood that he/she will show gratitude in the form of a donation. Hence, Forbes titles its listing the “Grateful Graduates Index.”

The Grateful Graduate Index measures two criteria: the seven year-median gifts per full-time enrolled student, and the average percentage of alumni who give back, regardless of the amount of the donation.

College Resume Essentials For High School Students

What’s the best way to make sure that college admissions officers know all about your accomplishments?  Compose a resume.  That way, you don’t have to worry about fitting in the important details of your activities and achievements on the limited space allocated on most college applications.  

The best time to first compose a resume is early in your high school years. Then you will have time to fill in the gaps that become evident when you put your life story in writing.  Resume categories typically include Education (listing your G.P.A., SAT scores, A.P. courses, and other academic accomplishments), Athletic accolades, Volunteer activities, Work experience, Extracurricular involvement, and, hopefully, details of a “passion project” where you are engaged in an activity that demonstrates a talent or interest not common among your peers which will ultimately help you stand out to college admissions officers. Have you launched a business, initiated a charitable drive, written and published a book, hosted an art exhibition, or developed an impressive skill or talent?

Factors to Consider When Making College Decision

For students who maximized the opportunity to apply Early Action and/or Early Decision to colleges, the decisions are coming in.  Now, the ball is in their court.  While many students go with their emotions when choosing which college to attend, there are several factors that should be considered.

Of course, the decision has already been made for students who, within the next ten days, find they are accepted Early Decision to their college of choice.  They can now celebrate and enjoy the holiday season. But for many students, especially those who are collecting acceptances to several colleges, there are important decisions to be made.

First of all, students need to remember the purpose of college.  It’s certainly intended to make students more educated, in general, and more aware of the world and the issues surrounding them.  But, more pragmatically, most students attend college with the goal of preparing for a career that will support them for the rest of their lives. So, the best choice college is often the one with the strongest program in a student’s intended field of study.  A little research will reveal salary information of alumni from each of the colleges under consideration, as well as the acceptance rate to medical and dental schools, law schools, and graduate programs.