What I wish parents knew about college admissions

In speaking with many parents from different countries, here is what I wish parents knew about college admissions and entry-level hiring in the US:

Prestige is important, but it’s not the only way to get an entry-level job.

Yes, it can be helpful to have a degree from an Ivy League university. However, graduating from a top university is no guarantee that your student will have a job at graduation, or acceptance at a top graduate school. Likewise, attending a university outside the Top 20 may result in better job outcomes for a student. Why? Employers care not just about where your student attended college, but also what they did there. Your student needs to finish college having completed internships, gotten involved in clubs, and/or having worked a part-time job on campus. 

Sometimes, the best university for your student is not the one that others recognize, but rather the one that teaches your student his/her strengths and weaknesses, how to network, and how to tell their story.

There are colleges that would love to offer scholarships to your child.

I regularly see students simply assuming that they cannot afford certain universities and therefore only planning to apply to one or two Ivy League universities and then their state flagships (like UMass Amherst or UC Berkeley). However, there are many colleges, including private ones, that would be willing to offer up to tens of thousands of dollars to students. The issue is that students can’t know what their scholarship offer will be if they do not apply, and they cannot apply without knowing about the university in the first place.

For example, at some universities, even though the "sticker price" to attend is $80,000/year, every student receives a merit scholarship, effectively bringing the price down by at least $20,000/year.

The best applicants incorporate their natural strengths

Students often participate in certain extracurricular activities out of the belief that they “need volunteering to get into college,” or “need leadership to get into college.” However, the best applications come from students who truly love what they do inside and outside of school. Why? Because when students write their essays and activity lists, their enthusiasm (or lack of it) can come through in their writing. Admissions officers, like all human beings, are moved by stories, and that includes writing about their activities with emotion. If a student truly enjoys his/her activities, it is much easier for that student to achieve the scope, reach, and impact that will stand out to admissions officers.