Intro part 2
Each spring I’d meet with interested 10th graders who’d crowd into the cafeteria where I’d preach that going to college was both possible and affordable. I’d try to convince them, sometimes successfully, that they should consider private colleges far from Los Angeles where their differences (geographic, socio-economic, and ethnic) would be assets, places that offered need based financial aid that might well subsidize their entire education. Each year was the same— the majority of students had an incomplete picture of their options and seemed resigned to an associate degree or getting an hourly job. This is not meant as criticism of community college in any way. It is, and will always be, a fantastic resource for a great many students. My message is that you owe it to yourself to know all options available to you before making that decision.
I’d end my pitch and a line would form to sign up for an interview. My being the only counselor volunteering at their school meant I could handle ten of them tops, far fewer than were interested. Every year I’d select a group and disappoint many more. My hope is to one day place a stack of these books in the college counseling offices of every school with a need.
~ ~ ~
If you’re expecting a tell-all, one revealing secrets, shortcuts, and side doors, I’ll level with you— you’ll be disappointed. College admissions is not a game of Chutes and Ladders. You can’t roll the dice and magically skip steps. No matter what some books promise, there are no secrets and people who use side doors sometimes get marched off to jail. There are, however, things you can do that will make your application stand out and give you the best chance of getting noticed. And before anything good can happen, you need to get noticed. My former colleagues at Harvard admissions will not feel betrayed by anything I might share. Because everything you will read here is hiding in plain sight. A brief preview:
If you can clearly articulate the great things you’ve been up to in high school and identify what you truly want to busy yourself with in college, you have an excellent chance of getting admitted.
There are many more exceptional colleges than you know about today and a very good chance you’ll be happy whichever you attend.
Everything in your application matters— transcript, teacher recommendations, extra-curricular activities, your personal statement— everything.
If your parents make less than $100k|yr you can qualify for generous need based financial aid.
The better you write, the further you’ll go.