Well, I don't see the colleges who get the most media attention increasing their admission rates any time soon. But what virtually all of the articles and books ignore/don't focus on is that the vast majority of colleges and universities (4-year, 2-year, private, public, large, small) admit the majority of their applicants, and also offer at least some financial aid. The schools in the referenced Colleges That Change Lives book are a great place to start, but it also holds true for the majority of large and medium sized schools as well. Really, I think we need to shift the conversation to be more inclusive of the higher education landscape as a whole, rather than the handful of schools. As for worrying about my kids getting into college, yes, of course I worry, but I also know that there will be a wide range of options, especially if I can set my own ego aside (WAY easier said than done). I also take heart in the fact that lower national birth rates mean that there will be fewer high school graduates in the years my children are going to be applying to college (https://knocking.wiche.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/Knocking-pdf-for-website.pdf) so less competition, lol. These projections are the cause of stress for enrollment management and higher ed administrators across the country, and will cause other issues, but will open up the admission potential for a lot of students at the majority of colleges and universities. 20+ years into a career in higher education administration, including a long stint in admissions means that I have lots of opinions! haha
I cannot even imagine what it would be like to apply to college nowadays. I graduated FSU in 1999 and I remember the application was basically a form letter. As a public school kid without any outstanding extracurriculars and mediocre SAT scores, the Florida State University that exists now would probably laugh at my application. Forget about applying to anywhere "elite".
My son is 18 now (!!) and will heading off to college in the fall. One thing that was really helpful to me was letting go of the idea of status with college. When I went to college a million years ago (1987), in my wealthy suburban enclave, the idea of attending community college was inconceivable to most and that’s such a shame as CC is such a great option for so many kids. At some point along the way my focus for my kid shifted from which schools he might get into to which schools could he get out of with as little debt as possible. Watching the Netflix doc on Varsity Blues really reinforced to me how completely warped the idea of college has gotten. Kids can get a great education at so many ‘non-competitive’ schools. Obviously the families involved in Varsity Blues weren’t worried about cost but for the majority of us, not sadddling your kiddo with tons of debt should be a key factor in college choice.
THIS! My son is 17, has ADHD, and has done tons of growing up in HS while getting good-not-great grades. I’m trying to prepare myself to navigate the constant comparisons next year from kids and parents that are part of the competitive/selective process - that’s not where my kid is. I work at a private college (with tuition remission) and it might not be the best fit for him. It’s possible that he’ll enroll at the local CC or state school, and if he’s happy and in a place he can be successful then I’ll be happy. What I’ve mainly learned this year is that, despite working on a college campus for 25 years, including 10 as an admissions liaison (for athletics), I am not prepared to help my kid through a wide-open college search! We’re going to need some help in putting together a good list that is right for him.
You just nailed exactly how I feel about yoga class, thank you
Well, I don't see the colleges who get the most media attention increasing their admission rates any time soon. But what virtually all of the articles and books ignore/don't focus on is that the vast majority of colleges and universities (4-year, 2-year, private, public, large, small) admit the majority of their applicants, and also offer at least some financial aid. The schools in the referenced Colleges That Change Lives book are a great place to start, but it also holds true for the majority of large and medium sized schools as well. Really, I think we need to shift the conversation to be more inclusive of the higher education landscape as a whole, rather than the handful of schools. As for worrying about my kids getting into college, yes, of course I worry, but I also know that there will be a wide range of options, especially if I can set my own ego aside (WAY easier said than done). I also take heart in the fact that lower national birth rates mean that there will be fewer high school graduates in the years my children are going to be applying to college (https://knocking.wiche.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/12/Knocking-pdf-for-website.pdf) so less competition, lol. These projections are the cause of stress for enrollment management and higher ed administrators across the country, and will cause other issues, but will open up the admission potential for a lot of students at the majority of colleges and universities. 20+ years into a career in higher education administration, including a long stint in admissions means that I have lots of opinions! haha
I cannot even imagine what it would be like to apply to college nowadays. I graduated FSU in 1999 and I remember the application was basically a form letter. As a public school kid without any outstanding extracurriculars and mediocre SAT scores, the Florida State University that exists now would probably laugh at my application. Forget about applying to anywhere "elite".
My son is 18 now (!!) and will heading off to college in the fall. One thing that was really helpful to me was letting go of the idea of status with college. When I went to college a million years ago (1987), in my wealthy suburban enclave, the idea of attending community college was inconceivable to most and that’s such a shame as CC is such a great option for so many kids. At some point along the way my focus for my kid shifted from which schools he might get into to which schools could he get out of with as little debt as possible. Watching the Netflix doc on Varsity Blues really reinforced to me how completely warped the idea of college has gotten. Kids can get a great education at so many ‘non-competitive’ schools. Obviously the families involved in Varsity Blues weren’t worried about cost but for the majority of us, not sadddling your kiddo with tons of debt should be a key factor in college choice.
THIS! My son is 17, has ADHD, and has done tons of growing up in HS while getting good-not-great grades. I’m trying to prepare myself to navigate the constant comparisons next year from kids and parents that are part of the competitive/selective process - that’s not where my kid is. I work at a private college (with tuition remission) and it might not be the best fit for him. It’s possible that he’ll enroll at the local CC or state school, and if he’s happy and in a place he can be successful then I’ll be happy. What I’ve mainly learned this year is that, despite working on a college campus for 25 years, including 10 as an admissions liaison (for athletics), I am not prepared to help my kid through a wide-open college search! We’re going to need some help in putting together a good list that is right for him.