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"What did I do wrong?"

March is a tough month for high school Seniors and counselors.  After spending many months in the fall creating the best personal statement and application possible, and after shelling out hundreds of dollars on applications, testing and writing coaches, and meeting with counselors, Seniors wait.  We wait to see if we made the best decisions not only for the list of colleges, but in the last four years.

Many college-bound seniors (and their parents) have been biting their nails for the last several months in the hopes that something positive will arrive in the mail from a school of their choice. As a school counselor (and college counselor/crisis counselor/career adviser and everything in between thanks to budget cuts), I am definitely stressed out. I worry about whether I did or did not provide adequate guidance to my charges on where they have the best chances of getting in based on their capabilities and on their academic and extracurricular profile. April comes around and we all get decisions, good or bad.

Having been an undergraduate application reader, scholarship application reader and chair (for a couple of organizations), I get the opportunity to see what kind of applicant is applying (and getting accepted) to which schools. It really helps me take the guess work out of advising students.  Also, knowing which of my students from previous years get accepted (and actually love the college where they matriculate) helps me when I work with students, not only in the public school but in my private practice.  It is not easy.  Especially when not every student is the same.

One student (not the student that boasts the above acceptances), bummed that he was rejected from top UC's and private schools, came in to my office and asked me "what did I do wrong?" in referring to his last four years of school. He has a solid and competitive GPA, involved in multiple sports, activities and religion.  His work would certainly allow him to succeed at even the top schools. And he didn't get in. He did get in to a highly selective California Polytechnic school and another UC.  It was heartbreaking to see rejection on his face. I emphasized that the two schools where he was accepted would probably be a blessing in disguise: small class sizes and many more perks not necessarily offered at the other schools that rejected him.

I realize now what my mistake was in advising this particular student that was accepted to two (very good schools) and rejected from five.  He applied to schools where he (we) believed strongly that he would get in, and he did. The rest of the schools were "reach for the stars". I should have emphasized that part more. His list of schools was lopsided, not strategic, and I rarely recommend that. I used my respect and appreciation for the kid (and his awesome family) to overshadow the objective way I usually advise students (sometimes like how parents "advise" their child and are surprised when I shoot them down). I answered his question about what he did wrong with just this: He was a competitive candidate, but we tried too hard to "shoot for the stars".

Then, while reading the Wall Street Journal last week, I found this "satirical" opinion piece from a high school student. The op-ed piece pissed me off. Then I felt sorry for her (and a bit envious of the great education at a blue ribbon school in a very wealthy neighborhood). I was angry not only in the defense of admissions officers that I know work their rear-end off finding the "perfect" freshman class, but also at the advising she did or didn't get from either her private counselor or from her school (college) counselor. Why was this young lady angry at the schools and not herself?

"Colleges tell you, "Just be yourself." That is great advice, as long as yourself has nine extracurriculars, six leadership positions, three varsity sports, killer SAT scores and two moms. Then by all means, be yourself! If you work at a local pizza shop and are the slowest person on the cross-country team, consider taking your business elsewhere."

This whole "be yourself" idea is as old as the "apply broadly" or " schools want a well-rounded kid" myths.  Why are counselors not debunking these myths?  Why didn't someone advise her to apply strategically and, more importantly, realistically, so that her rejection pile was smaller than her acceptance pile (or at least that she got into a school that made her happy)?  If her counselor did recommend that, who told her not to listen? It's not like application fees are cheap with each application costing upwards of $70!  Why didn't she speak with the admissions officers that came to either visit her school or her state? With resources and connections to get posted in the WSJ, why didn't she find the resources to visit schools and get a better feel of the students on campus?

The collegeboard.org and other statistically driven websites help students see where their GPA and test scores will place them in the applicant pool. This takes the mystery out of the academic part of applying.  Other sites (and even admissions officers) will share with you how much importance they place on leadership and extracurricular activities. If she boasts a competitive GPA and test scores, did she look for schools that exclusively place more importance on those numbers?  Who in the heck was advising her with all of this?

Poor Suzy on the other hand, has displaced satirical anger towards the school's admissions officer and blaming her lack of "diversity" for her rejection.  She also fails to understand that her lack of "diversity" was her "lazy" fault albeit being a good writer. A college isn't always looking for ethnic diversity, they are also looking for diversity in thought, creativity and experience. Why didn't anyone explain this to her? Why is she using the same boring (and pathetically old) thought about admissions being the color of an applicant's skin? Who taught her this?  There is still a disproportionate advantage based on the color of one's skin on university campuses across the country-and it's NOT in favor of darker skin.  Others have so eloquently described this viewpoint in a much better way than I probably would.

Saudi Garcia writes: "Hidden behind these remarks about racial diversity are the histories of injustice, structural racism, prejudice, educational disadvantage, and chronic under-resourcing that affect the populations in question. While, for example, Chicago plans to close public schools and force even more students into an abject, unequal education with little hopes of ever going to college, the fairy godmother of diversity will wave their obstacles into non-existence by delivering a magic carriage of college prep courses and a glass slipper of generous advising. Right? Wrong. And Wrong."

Why didn't she get her group of lazy friends together to talk about reality TV shows or something where she was able to at least help the admissions officer see some form of originality? What constructive activities did she do with her time other than use her connections to get posted in the Wall Street Journal?  Colleges care that you care about yourself and your community-whatever it is! Why do they care? Who do you think will help continue to make the school a better place? Who will initiate student leadership and calling for change, from a student's perspective, on the school's campus? Who will continue the many "student initiated" programs on campus? Certainly not administrators.

Why didn't someone explain this to her?

If "being yourself" is being lazy, then yes, few schools (especially Ivy Leagues) will accept you, no matter what your GPA or test scores look like. There have been much speculation about whether or not the U.S. undergraduate admissions system needs an overhaul and many people may share this sentiment. Although I mildly agree, there are so many facets considered when an applicant is looked at from an admissions officer.  And freshman class sizes on campus have increased (as have the applicant pool), not decreased,  in the last several decades.

Students not sharing some form of originality will be on that long list of rejected applicants no matter how many calls the counselor makes on the student's behalf.  I am not entirely sure as to whether this opinion piece was her way to share "new information" to a school, for a decision she was trying to appeal, or whether it was just a rant that happened to be published because of her sister's connections at the WSJ.  If I read this letter and this student tried to appeal to my school, I would most certainly still reject the application, again. It would be an outrage if this child got in to college over someone that actually cared about other people and their community.  I'm sure one school would want this student, but it's probably not the school she wanted to attend because it's not an Ivy League or at the top of the list from US News and World Report. 

counselorgarza@gmail.com

High School Seniors: What next?

Seniors! It's almost time to walk the stage, turn the tassel, and get out of high school and on to begin life as an adult!

So you've applied to your favorite colleges in hopes of getting a "big envelope" or a "Congratulations" email! If you're anything like the students I work with, you have bitten down your finger nails and gotten into plenty of arguments with parents about the next step in your life.

Now that you've applied to colleges, there are many other tasks on your "To Do" list before you post the obligatory financial deposit (or Student Intent to Register deposit) towards the next step in your life. Here is a checklist to help you in the process:

1) Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT go through another site other than the government site to complete this application. The internet has tons of false sites trying to steal your social security number and financial information. Be sure you are on the correct site before beginning the process.

1B) Be sure that you have already applied for a pin so that you can complete the online application.

1C) Some colleges will ask you to complete the CSS Profile. The CSS Profile oftentimes has a deadline MUCH earlier than March 2nd.  This application is NOT free but is still required for several private school and seeks much more financial information that the FAFSA. Some fee waivers are available for low income and first-generation college students.

1D) Cal Grant/GPA Verification for California residents that are applying to and intend on attending a California college or university must complete the Cal Grant form and postmark it by March 2nd. 

Some parents have said "we don't qualify for anything" which may be true-but many colleges offer merit money only to students that have completed FAFSA. Complete the FAFSA just to keep all your financial options open. Many high schools and universities have experts available to help students and families complete this "complicated" form. Ask a guidance counselor or college counselor for assistance. It is not necessary to pay steep fees to financial planners or advisers. In Los Angeles alone, there are several activities and programs available to help students and families complete the necessary forms. The L.A. Cash for College is an invaluable resource to help families with questions.  Check out events and workshops in your area. 

2) Be sure your spring semester courses have been accurately reported to all the colleges to which you have applied. If you change your schedule and/or modify the classes you have reported in ANY way-the student MUST report the change to each school and an explanation for the change. Sometimes the college will say that it is "not a big deal" that you dropped a class, but an application cannot assume this to be the case! 

With that said, students often think that senior year is a time to "relax" or slack off. NO WAY! This article called "Slackers, Beware" is something I have shared with students every year since it's release. Just because a school has chosen to provisionally admit a student, it doesn't mean that can't, or won't, be reversed. Take senior year seriously. Take all enrolled courses just as seriously as you would every other semester in every other year of high school. If there will be a poor grade on a report card, be proactive and speak with the college before they get a final transcript from the school. Do not give a favorite college a surprise of a "D" or "F" because chances are, they'll surprise the student back with a letter that begins with..."We regret to inform you..." and trust me when I say that kind major change in a person's future will affect the family relationship at home.

3) Review the college website-some (not all) may require students to submit a transcript for mid year (fall semester) grades. Many schools have early deadlines for this. If your school happens to be part of LAUSD, chances are the fall semester does not end until after the college deadline has passed. Be sure to report that discrepancy to the schools so they don't assume you failed to submit required documents.

4) Placement tests. If you have applied for a Cal State school and you are not exempt from the placement exams, you must register for a placement test. You can take the placement test at a local state school so you don't have to take the test in San Jose if you live in Los Angeles. Also, register early for these tests! Some testing centers fill up quickly. I once had a student travel to San Francisco the day after his Prom because that was the only exam center and last date available to take the test. Learn from his mistake. Find out more information about the placement exams by reading the CSU Bulletin on Placement Tests.

UC Placement exams are a bit different but still require a student to demonstrate a mastery of the English language. The University of California Office of the President can offer more details. Check them out!

Are you applying to a community college? Many community colleges also require placement tests for math classes and English classes and can be found by google or perusing the school's website. The sooner a student completes the assessment, the sooner students can register for necessary and limited courses.

Students in other states would be at an advantage if they reviewed requirements for their own state or public schools and apply for these placement exams early (if available).

5) Scholarships! Yes, and students thought they were finished completing applications. There is often a misconception that most scholarships get unfunded because students do not apply. I don't believe it. I do believe that students that do not put their best foot forward on the scholarship application will not even be considered for an interview. As a scholarship committee chair for a large fund, I know that some years are better than others for scholarship applicants. One year, we got over 100 applications while in other years, much fewer students applied for our money. There are plenty of scholarships from which to choose. Sometimes a student is just lucky in the search and application process.

National search engines like scholarships.com and fastweb.com (that also offers way too much spam) are available for students to review and select scholarships from. Unfortunately, scholarships posted on those sites tend to get hundreds (or thousands) of applications from everywhere.

Often untapped are resources from the LOCAL scholarships of small business, non-profits and/or foundations for specific students in select regions. These scholarships often advertise to the local high schools, after-school programs or community centers. Hamilton High School's website has a host of scholarships for students as does the following site (just formatted a bit differently). Google can also be your friend when looking for scholarships.

Colleges and universities also have scholarship sites to peruse offering many scholarships exclusively for students applying or attending their particular school. While some of those scholarships are linked directly to the admissions application, many of them require a separate application selection process. Do some investigative work and see what's out there at your favorite school.

**Be sure to pay close attention to DEADLINES! Students, if you think you won't make a deadline for a reason beyond your control (i.e. a semester that ends incredibly late in the year) contact the college before the deadline.

At least 10% of admissions decisions are overturned (to rejections) because students fail to follow rules and deadlines. Don't let this be you.