Special Focus

Where is the Student in the College Admissions Process?

Volume 7 / Issue 3 / Spring 2007

In addition to the costs of taking college entrance exams, purchasing college guides, making campus visits, and paying application fees, many families are now budgeting for private college counseling. Test preparation used to be the extent of college planning. Now, an entire specialized field has emerged, and families can spend an amount equal to a year’s worth of tuition at a private school for an independent educational consultant.

Competition is increasing, as more students apply to elite colleges and universities. Families feeling this pressure and are taking matters into their own hands by accessing services that will give their child an edge in the admission’s process.

Almost everyone gets some help whether from a parent, teacher, or counselor.
—Michele Hernandez

The top range of services provided by education consultants includes a private coach who works with an applicant from eighth grade on, helping the student make and manage their decisions from course selection all the way through to the final step of choosing which school to attend based upon the student’s acceptance letters. This type of attention may seem financially out of reach for most,  but the variety of services and cost options are increasing. They can include workshops on the entire college application process or narrow in on a particular area, such as writing the college essay.  Services are provided by commercial counseling centers, private consultants who work with students face to face, or organizations and individuals who provide guidance over the Internet. In order to afford any or all of these services, some families may even give up making major purchases, such as a new car. For economically disadvantaged students, some consultants take on clients pro bono.

Those who are considering hiring a consultant may well wonder whether college admissions officers are able to identify the applicant who has obtained such services. Yes, they can tell, but do they frown up an application that is seemingly perfect or appreciate an application that has been put together well? Viewpoints vary, but overstatement, fabrication, and an adult’s language and tone can be spotted right away. What the applicant must do is represent his or her genuine accomplishments, interests, and voice.

Seemingly, the entire process can lead students and families into a paranoid frenzy of making sure the applicant takes the right courses, gets the best grades and entrance exam scores, and participates in the requisite activities to get into the best school. They may agonize over whether their application and essay are perfect enough to gain them admission into their top choice.

Remember, students are individuals and what’s “right” and “best” for one student may be different for another. Some perspective is in order, and the author of Admissions Confidential, (St. Martin’s, 2002) Rachel Toor, says “I work only with a handful of students whose parents understand that my interest is not in helping get their child into college. I don’t much care where my clients end up. What I do care about is that the process is not brutalizing to them, and more importantly, that it is about learning.”

Lloyd Thacker, founder and executive director or the Education Conservancy, is a rallying force for college admissions to return to an emphasis on learning and “educational authenticity.” He agrees, “It’s not where a student goes to college but his or her attitude about learning, confidence, and curiosity that is most important.”

Thacker argues that the college admissions process has been commercialized by all hands, including college rankings publishers, exam manufacturers, test preparation companies, colleges and universities, school and private counselors, and even families who buy into the hype and competition. His organization is working to fix a system he maintains is corrupted and injurious to students. He reiterates that “Students should not feel fear and anxiety, and parents should trust their sensibilities” in order to find a fulfilling learning and life experience, wherever that may be.

So, a parent may still be asking “Should I hire an educational consultant for part or all of the process?” Michele Hernandez, President of Hernandez College Consulting and co-author of A is for Admission (Warner, 1997), remarks that “Almost everyone gets some help whether from a parent, teacher, or counselor…. Engage a counselor if you are feeling overwhelmed, but try to make sure that person is qualified.” Hernandez asserts that a lot of what she does is relieve stress for families, by taking “over all the planning, scheduling and advice, so they don’t experience the typical stress of not knowing how all the work will get done on time.” In addition, she echoes the refrain that “There are no absolutes, and that there is so much more to this [college counseling] than simply the prestige factor.”

The Education Conservancy, admissions officers, and private counselors all stress that the process of discovering the best fit for a student is of utmost importance.  If you are interested in pursuing any type of private assistance beyond what your local school offers, look at your child and the process holistically. Focus on your child’s learning process—how to manage priorities and goals, complete complex tasks on time, identify their goals and passions, and embrace his or her destiny.

—Bobbie Collins-Perry

Bobbie Collins-Perry has been the managing editor of the Duke Gifted Letter for almost eight years.