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How Kids Really Choose a School
For students, it ranges from the practical to the philosophical. The most oft-repeated piece of advice for high-school students is to start earlier. “Getting it done early reduces stress and allows you to enjoy senior year,” was a typical comment.
But trusting one’s own gut was the second most frequently heard piece of advice.
“Keep a level head and think about yourself during this process—as selfish as that sounds. College is for you, and not for your boyfriend, your family, or your teachers. Applying on that basis will guarantee that you will be unhappy to some degree,” said a Midwest girl bound for her first-choice school.
And what happened to those 200,000-plus applications to the Ivy League this year? Most of the applicants were disappointed. The Ivies were even more selective this year than in years past. They accepted just 11.9 percent of applicants, down from 12.6 percent the year before. And despite the economy, the yield at the Ivies—the percentage of kids who choose to enroll after being admitted—actually inched up a bit. But even the most selective schools—Harvard and Penn among them—went to their waitlists to fill their classes.
Finally, the most poignant advice that graduating seniors offered came back to the relationship with their parents:
“Your kid isn’t an idiot if he or she is accepting the daunting process of college apps. They know what they want; they know what’s possible and what’s not. Get involved, but not too much, and support their decision. Don’t change it.”
Steve Cohen is the CEO of iCollegeCounselor.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Obama, the Un-decider
Lee Siegel has written about culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Many kids simply choose the school that accepts them.
Or that they have a hope of paying for.
Parties and student body hot-ness are pretty close to the top of the list too.
How do you think is paying for it the coaches or sibblings? NO, the parents
With the country moving closer to Socialism it is clear that it isn't fair that some kids get to go to Harvard and other do not. therefore, I am proposing that all collges be named Harvard and the government pay the tuition for everyone. Just raise the taxes on the rich to pay for it. And, since everyone will go to Harvard, they will all start at $300k a year and be rich and subject to the tax. Problem solved.
Thank you.
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