College: Be Prepared, Get Accepted

ADAPTED EXCERPT FROM JIM ARMSTRONG'S BLOG:

Even in September, classrooms at the Princeton Review are packed with high school students trying to get an upper hand on the SAT.

“I wanted to improve my score and see how much better I can do after a class,” Jae Rhee, a junior at Newton South High School said.

An SAT score od just one small part of an application, but it’s big when it comes to getting into state schools. It’s sometimes among the first things admissions officials check out.

“For them to, based on one number, be completely omitted from the list of possibilities, I can see why that would increase anxiety,” said Christopher Jacobs of the Princeton Review.

You can see why the $1,000 price tag for the class gets easier to swallow, as students and parents scramble for ways to stick out.

“It’s the idea that you have to get into the right college, start your life, then jump into the right job,” said Alexandra Koch, a junior at Newton South.

Koch says she’s been worried about college since she was in 7th grade. It is a reality for lots of students.

“More students are applying to college now than ever before,” explains Uri Carni Regional Director of the Parliament Tutors, a private, in-home SAT Prep Tutoring Service in New York, New Jersey, Cleveland and Los Angeles.

Since navigating the application process can get confusing, a new cottage industry has sprung up – the independent college counselor. For around $6,000 or $7,000, Deirdre Guenther will work with a student, starting early in high school. She’ll keep them organized, on-task, and focused on finding the right school.

“Their college advisor is really their head coach, and their parents should be on the sidelines, cheering for them. And I am their independent, or their private coach, refining their techniques,” Guenther says.

Half the battle is being smart about which schools you apply to.

“Students really need to think about who they are and what they’re looking for, and not worry about that bumper sticker on the back of their parents’ car,” says Kelly Walter, who has been reading college applications for 30 years.

Now, as Boston University’s admissions director, she sees some students trying too hard to create the perfect profile.

“I think so often students are wrapped up in trying to present themselves in a way almost to market themselves. This becomes a PR project for many students,” Walter says.

The race to join clubs, be a varsity athlete, volunteer, travel, save the world – it can all be too much. What does Boston University care most about? Your academic record, including your senior year grades.

“There are certainly a lot of resources available to students and most of those resources are for free,” Walter says.

In the end, it has no doubt become more competitive to get into college, but as with so much else, planning makes the difference.