Your student was accepted to a college s/he has no intention of attending. That college is the dream school of someone who has been wait-listed. The wait-list waiting is stressful and worrisome.
In all the excitement of being accepted to YOUR dream school, it's easy to forget someone else's agony who's waiting to get off that school's wait-list. You can contact the school and tell them you're not coming, and just maybe your slot will be awarded to someone whose hopes will be realized.
Isn't it the right thing to do?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Heartbreak Of Achievement
One of my more talented students was denied admission to 2 of his favored colleges. You can imagine how he felt: rejected and dejected.
I see this scenario every year at this time, and my heart aches for these kids, but only because their dream school said, "No." I never really addressed this issue as much as I did today when I sent this note to, well, let's call him Chris.
My Dear Chris,
As much as I try to understand why talented students like you do not get accepted, you must recognize that you were not rejected. There is a HUGE difference. The awful reality is NOT knowing why you were not accepted, and if you called the schools to ask why, they would likely compliment you and add why they agonized immeasurably over your great application.
Your application wasn’t accepted because of factors you could not have known in advance, or more troubling, had no control over, such as…
I see this scenario every year at this time, and my heart aches for these kids, but only because their dream school said, "No." I never really addressed this issue as much as I did today when I sent this note to, well, let's call him Chris.
My Dear Chris,
As much as I try to understand why talented students like you do not get accepted, you must recognize that you were not rejected. There is a HUGE difference. The awful reality is NOT knowing why you were not accepted, and if you called the schools to ask why, they would likely compliment you and add why they agonized immeasurably over your great application.
Your application wasn’t accepted because of factors you could not have known in advance, or more troubling, had no control over, such as…
- they already filled their quota of students from Massachusetts by the time your application was reviewed;
- they wanted more students this year whose parents never went to college;
- they slightly exceeded the amount of males they wanted;
- your interest level in the college wasn’t demonstrable enough; or
- they were looking for more “local” students because their own stats indicate that more money comes from alumni who are closer to their geographical location.
And you’re thinking, “This is just too odd! What’s all this got to do with my great grades and SAT scores? I met all their requirements!” I'll bet my house that you did, except for all the stuff you didn’t even imagine could be factored into why you were denied admission. With colleges that accepted you, you met and most likely exceeded their academic requirements, and you met all of their odd criteria too.
You're living your first college lesson in Irony 101.
So rejection was not the end result for you, and I hope you’re clear on this.
These criteria have nothing to do with your long hard efforts and achievements in these past 4 years, which were well recognized by those colleges that hope you show up in September. If you’re not sure by May 1 where to go, see my blog on how to avoid the pressure of May 1: http://www.precollegeprep.blogspot.com/ (See below.)
This is going to be easy for me to say, but I won’t assume you’ll easily accept the implications. Here it is: you’re talented, good colleges have accepted you, and you can move on with your life. Yeah…I know, thanks but no thanks.
But just in case you’re okay with what I’ve said so far, I found something on the net this morning that I thought you could use http://www.theadmissiongame.com/blog/archives/54
By the way, I’ll always be proud of the fact that I had you as one of my better students, which should signal to you that I have full confidence that the decisions you make and where you go will reflect commendably on who you are.
Paul
Monday, March 24, 2008
Welcome To Our New Service
This is how you'll be able to get DAILY news and comments about college admissions and financial aid.
And your comments and questions are part of how this works. If you never add a word or ask a question, you will see what our clients are asking and saying. It should be fun, but more importantly, we promise this service to be informative and VERY up-to-date.
As a bonus feature, only our clients will be allowed to annouce where their kids have been accepted. It's a time for celebration, and we want our clients to tell the world the good news!
BUT...you won't receive this daily blog unless you put in your email address below in the blue rectangle.
And your comments and questions are part of how this works. If you never add a word or ask a question, you will see what our clients are asking and saying. It should be fun, but more importantly, we promise this service to be informative and VERY up-to-date.
As a bonus feature, only our clients will be allowed to annouce where their kids have been accepted. It's a time for celebration, and we want our clients to tell the world the good news!
BUT...you won't receive this daily blog unless you put in your email address below in the blue rectangle.
Best Loans For College
Here's the entire article from yesterday's Wall Street Journal.
By EMILY GREEN, March 23, 2008
The best place to begin looking for good deals on private loans for college is still your college's list of preferred lenders.
To be sure, preferred-lender programs got a black eye last year: Financial-aid counselors at many colleges were found to have received financial incentives to direct students to particular lenders, regardless of their loan terms.
But that 2007 debacle caused many colleges to toughen their conflict-of-interest policies and review criteria for selecting lenders. "I don't deny that it was a nice wake-up call for the whole industry," says Dan Small, director of student financial assistance at George Washington University, which wasn't implicated in the scandal.
To win a spot on a college's list, a lender may offer students there lower-than-usual interest rates or fees. This happens particularly if the lender has had a good repayment experience with other students at that school.
Many colleges also weigh the quality of lenders' customer service to students when selecting lenders.
Finally, Mark Kantrowitz, creator of the student-aid Web site finaid.org, notes that there isn't a simple way to compare what you'd pay with various lenders. Many Web sites list lenders' best and worst rates. Those numbers "are completely irrelevant," Mr. Kantrowitz says, since borrowers' actual rates will depend on their credit ratings.
By EMILY GREEN, March 23, 2008
The best place to begin looking for good deals on private loans for college is still your college's list of preferred lenders.
To be sure, preferred-lender programs got a black eye last year: Financial-aid counselors at many colleges were found to have received financial incentives to direct students to particular lenders, regardless of their loan terms.
But that 2007 debacle caused many colleges to toughen their conflict-of-interest policies and review criteria for selecting lenders. "I don't deny that it was a nice wake-up call for the whole industry," says Dan Small, director of student financial assistance at George Washington University, which wasn't implicated in the scandal.
To win a spot on a college's list, a lender may offer students there lower-than-usual interest rates or fees. This happens particularly if the lender has had a good repayment experience with other students at that school.
Many colleges also weigh the quality of lenders' customer service to students when selecting lenders.
Finally, Mark Kantrowitz, creator of the student-aid Web site finaid.org, notes that there isn't a simple way to compare what you'd pay with various lenders. Many Web sites list lenders' best and worst rates. Those numbers "are completely irrelevant," Mr. Kantrowitz says, since borrowers' actual rates will depend on their credit ratings.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
College Is An Expense, Not An Investment
When Ohio State spends 140 million on a athletic center so your son can climb a mountain indoors, when BU can issue a press release about adding a wave machine to their million-dollar Olympic pool, or when the Univ of Wisconsin at Madison can announce that they have a massage parlor on campus to relieve stress (I can't make up this stuff!), what kind of an investment is a parent making? An investment in stuff? In creature comforts? All the things that have nothing to do with academic rigor and excellence? All the stuff that will pamper and distract our kids in ways you might find counterproductive to preparing for the world after college?
Marketing to your kids by using such press releases says only one thing about the colleges: to get your student to their campus, they must appeal to their instincts. What happend to appealing to their minds?
By contrast, as if not to engage in such superficial behavior, new freshman students at Brown were greeted with these words from the president: "You are the smartest, the cutest, the savviest, extraordinary -- I could go on and on." The seeds were already planted by the school's president that students were going to enjoy a spoiling self-centeredness in an atmosphere of entitlement.
The arrogance of both these approaches from our colleges and universities - pandering to a child's instincts or fostering a sense of entitlement on super talented students - is what we're all forced to pay for.
Message to the parents: your student is going to do well if s/he has a work ethic, proof of his or her own achievement, and a desire to succeed. With over 4,000 colleges in America (read: choices!) you deserve the right to think for yourself without the college marketing machine giving you the impression that you can't survive without their brand of education.
The kind of education a student receives is ultimately up to the student, not up to the environment in which he has chosen for 4-5 years. Only then does college become an investment of time for the student, but parents still have an expense to cover.
Marketing to your kids by using such press releases says only one thing about the colleges: to get your student to their campus, they must appeal to their instincts. What happend to appealing to their minds?
By contrast, as if not to engage in such superficial behavior, new freshman students at Brown were greeted with these words from the president: "You are the smartest, the cutest, the savviest, extraordinary -- I could go on and on." The seeds were already planted by the school's president that students were going to enjoy a spoiling self-centeredness in an atmosphere of entitlement.
The arrogance of both these approaches from our colleges and universities - pandering to a child's instincts or fostering a sense of entitlement on super talented students - is what we're all forced to pay for.
Message to the parents: your student is going to do well if s/he has a work ethic, proof of his or her own achievement, and a desire to succeed. With over 4,000 colleges in America (read: choices!) you deserve the right to think for yourself without the college marketing machine giving you the impression that you can't survive without their brand of education.
The kind of education a student receives is ultimately up to the student, not up to the environment in which he has chosen for 4-5 years. Only then does college become an investment of time for the student, but parents still have an expense to cover.
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