Are you (or your) sophomores and juniors noticing the swirl of college admissions activity swirling around you? Want to start learning about what's ahead?
Hard to say generally but at Harvard we read the same high schools each year to encourage a familiarity with school culture and faculty. The more a reader can contextualize recs the better they know what a teacher is saying between the lines.
But in answer to your direct question, maybe not often but, when they do, it matters!
Makes sense that they may be more familiar with teachers who do more recommendation writing. With so much turnover in admissions these days, I imagine there is less knowledge of specific teachers at most institutions though.
Has anyone noticed how sophomores and juniors are reacting to the flurry of Admissions decisions? Has it increased anxiety? Do you think it makes them want to learn what’s coming?
Anxiety levels are definitely up in the younger students, or at least their parents, as evidenced by families seeking college application advising services for younger and younger services. I don't think it's that they want to learn what's coming, rather I think they want to try to start crafting compelling application narratives earlier. They see incredible students not getting admitted to selective schools and they don't understand why because they don't see what the other applicants look like or what they're up against.
We encourage all of our students to take the time to engage meaningfully in the classroom, support their peers, contribute to discourse in compelling ways, etc. and also to get to know each of their teachers (which means sometimes showing up early or staying after class a few minutes, helping the teacher clean the white board on occasion, asking how their day is going when you pass them in the hallway, etc.). Most still don't and it's bananas to me!
On the topic of mental health, I jump into the discussion in the next chapter with the story of Emi Neitfeld, author of Acceptance, a memoir tracing a troubled childhood spinning through foster homes and psychiatric care.
How often do you think AAOs are familiar with teachers at high schools in their assigned regions?
Hard to say generally but at Harvard we read the same high schools each year to encourage a familiarity with school culture and faculty. The more a reader can contextualize recs the better they know what a teacher is saying between the lines.
But in answer to your direct question, maybe not often but, when they do, it matters!
Makes sense that they may be more familiar with teachers who do more recommendation writing. With so much turnover in admissions these days, I imagine there is less knowledge of specific teachers at most institutions though.
If as a new hire, an AO reads the notes of their predecessor, they might get tipped off!
Has anyone noticed how sophomores and juniors are reacting to the flurry of Admissions decisions? Has it increased anxiety? Do you think it makes them want to learn what’s coming?
Anxiety levels are definitely up in the younger students, or at least their parents, as evidenced by families seeking college application advising services for younger and younger services. I don't think it's that they want to learn what's coming, rather I think they want to try to start crafting compelling application narratives earlier. They see incredible students not getting admitted to selective schools and they don't understand why because they don't see what the other applicants look like or what they're up against.
We encourage all of our students to take the time to engage meaningfully in the classroom, support their peers, contribute to discourse in compelling ways, etc. and also to get to know each of their teachers (which means sometimes showing up early or staying after class a few minutes, helping the teacher clean the white board on occasion, asking how their day is going when you pass them in the hallway, etc.). Most still don't and it's bananas to me!
Thanks for this. So right.
On the topic of mental health, I jump into the discussion in the next chapter with the story of Emi Neitfeld, author of Acceptance, a memoir tracing a troubled childhood spinning through foster homes and psychiatric care.
We have to bring down the temperature.