High School Stress, College Admission, and the Race to Nowhere

I had a great conversation with a very down-to-earth mother of a client this morning. She was communicating her frustration that her high school aged children were stressed out, worried, and feeling over-programmed.
She also recommended looking at a film called ““Race to Nowhere”. I looked at the trailer, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the film or to schedule a screening.
As a parent and as a college counselor, I can tell you that these trends highlighted in the film are very real.
Have a look a the trailer and let me know what you think.  I especially want to hear from students!
Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant
 
 

College Admissions and Multiples

Last week, the NY Times published an article on quadruplets who were all recently accepted to Yale.  The article describes the scene of Ray, Kenny, Carol, and Martina Crouch all logging into the Yale website to see if they were admitted.  I can only imagine how agonizing it must have been for all four siblings and their parents.
As a former admission officer, I know it can difficult to review applications of multiples.  Sometimes the siblings have similar credentials and the decision is easy.  Other times the applicants that are siblings may present two entirely different applications and the decision is not so cut and dry.  While I don’t think any school would grant admission to a student who is not qualified to enroll just because their brother or sister was also admitted in the same class, I do think that most admissions officers reflect on how the decision will affect family dynamics.
It appears that this story of the admission process and multiples has a happy ending, but it is not over yet.  Each Crouch sibling has other schools besides Yale that they are considering and while they say they are “reluctant to part” one them comments on how “fun” it might be to go somewhere where he is not “one of the quads.”
Katherine Price

Tips for Parents on the College Admission Process

U.S.News.com posted a great article directed towards parents whose sons or daughters are currently applying to colleges.  The post outlines the eight “guiding principles” for parents from author and former dean of admission, Marillee Jones.
The principles illustrate important points that will help families “keep the peace” through the admission process.  To this list, I would add the ninth principle of “keep the lines of communication open”.  While Jones illustrates the importance of parents not sharing their own anxiety with their children, it is also important to create an environment where your child feels comfortable sharing his or her anxiety with you (and her eight principles will help you do that).  The admissions process can damage the ego, so it is vital that your child feels comfortable having you beside them as they go through all of the ups and downs.
 
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant

College Admission, Hogwarts, Harry Potter, and a Lesson in Marketing

An editorial in today’s New York Times is written by a prospective college student, Lauren Edelson, who laments that every college in America is now comparing itself to Hogwarts.
And she’s right: they do. For two reasons. First, today’s college students grew up with J. K. Rowling, just as I grew up with Dr. Seuss. Students today quote lines from the books and movies, just as students my age regaled in singing the song from “Brady Bunch” or “Gilligan’s Island.” Times have changed, icons have changed, but kids have not.
Second, and because Harry Potter and Hogwarts are so iconic, colleges craft marketing messages around J. K. Rowling’s settings and characters. If Hogwarts is every kid’s idea of school, then it’s only natural for university offices of communications to use Rowling’s language to entice potential applicants.
I don’t disagree with the editorial one whit. And I applaud the author’s desire to focus her college search on what really matters in a school: academics.
But the writer is both unusual in her focus and naive in her understanding of how colleges and universities operate. The comparisons to Hogwarts are lost on this young woman, but they resonate with the vast majority of prospective students today.
Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant in Colorado

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