If we want students to think for themselves, let them.

Last week, a group of Ivy League scholars published an open letter urging college bound students to "Think for Yourself."

Unfortunately for most students, thinking for oneself is really difficult because most students, especially the ones who manage to get into the Ivy League, have spent their academic years doing the opposite of thinking for themselves--they have allowed themselves to be shaped by others, seeking to perform perfectly as charged by adults. They have been rewarded for neither questioning the dominant narratives in society nor questioning authority.

The letter, however, seems to focus more on the debate over whether schools should be safe spaces for all, or if people with oppressive agendas (e.g., promoting racism, fascism, patriarchy) should be shut down in order to maintain that safe space. Or as The Atlantic puts it, should schools focus on "seeking truth" or "advancing social justice."

Contrary to what social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues, we do not need to make binary tradeoffs between the two. As the professors allude to, the truth is the antidote to bigotry. However, debate does not mean entertaining absurdity. Universities should not subject themselves to debates over the virtues of slavery anymore than they should subject themselves to debates over a flat earth theory.

Truth seekers do not fear debate. In fact, they venture into territory where most people refuse to go because it is uncomfortable, and without easy answers. They look backward to learn from the past, but look forward to build a better future. They stand in stark opposition to those who see an earlier era as the ideal, where women, people of color, or LGBTQ folk "knew their place."

Those students who have been convinced to stay in line, follow a prescribed path, and to repeat what their teachers (or parents, preachers, or politicians) laid out as truth are the ones most likely to fall for bigoted ideologies that actively prevent truth from bubbling up in favor of maintaining a status quo that benefits the privileged.

It is the students who have not been beaten down with curriculum, standards, demands for conformity, and prescribed academic tracks that are the most likely to question. And for those who were able to engage in deep, meaningful, and enduring learning experiences in a self-directed manner, they are the most likely to question in an intelligent manner that will inoculate them from embracing simplistic (and often bigoted) explanations for the challenges we face in society.

So students, please, question everything. Challenge yourselves, each other, and your professors. Professors, challenge your students. Take on controversial topics. And parents, do not merely hope that your children will think for themselves once they get into college. Educate yourself on the benefits of self-directed learning, and investigate learning environments such as Abrome, as well as unschooling.

We do not have to subject students to oppressive ideologies that have no place in an intellectual setting in order for students to think for themselves. We simply need to allow them to think for themselves.

College Admissions for Alternative Schooled, Homeschooled, and Unschooled Applicants

Today, the Common Application goes live, and with it the college admissions season is once again here. And today, hundreds of thousands of rising high school seniors begin transitioning from the thrill of imagining themselves in a variety of university settings as they flip through college websites and view books to the anxiety of filling out applications and wondering if they will get into a college that is prestigious enough for their parents to place a sticker of that college on the back of the family car(s). While students who were able to opt out of traditional (public and private) schools so that they could go to a progressive alternative school, be homeschooled, or unschool themselves were able to avoid much of the stress associated with the ever-present college admissions arms race that has fully permeated the high school experience, they are often less sure of the next steps forward because they do not have a clear understanding of the application process or how they measure up against other college applicants. This essay serves as a brief primer for these applicants moving forward.

Harvard University

Start Early

Ideally you (or your children) are not applying this year, and instead are planning to apply several years down the road. Those who begin earlier rather than later have significant advantages because they can be more thoughtful about building an interesting and relevant transcript, conduct meaningful research of their target schools, prepare for standardized tests, manage potential recommenders, and endlessly edit their essays until they near perfection. Additionally, those who understand that the college admissions process is a game can turn the game on its head by leading a remarkable life over the period of several years, as opposed to trying to package themselves in the 11th hour (see “It’s a Game” below). Some of this advice will be geared toward those who start earlier, but even those who wait until the summer before applications are due before they dive in can benefit from a better understanding of the admissions process and what they can bring to it.

It’s a Game

College admissions is not a meritocracy; it is a game. Sadly, it is a game that weighs heavily on applicants and parents, and it is often seen as a decision that can make or break one’s future prospects. Even more sad is that college admissions decisions have little to do with merit, and much to do with class and privilege. It is essential for applicants to recognize that the college admissions process is not fair, and that the decisions that colleges make in favor or against an applicant have absolutely no bearing on the academic or personal worth of that applicant. Easier said than done. But when an applicant recognizes that college admissions is a game, and they know the rules of the game (and how to hack it), they are more likely to be successful at the game. And an applicant that opts out of traditional schooling has a huge leg up in the admissions game.

Stanford University

Building a Transcript

Hopefully, most young people who are alternatively schooled, homeschooled, or unschooled know that a high school degree is largely worthless. No reputable college or university in the United States requires a high school degree. However, all colleges will want to see a transcript, and this is one area of several where non-traditionally schooled applicants have a sizeable advantage. The time and effort that typical high school students put into their transcripts usually ends with a verification that they are hitting all graduation requirements (e.g., 4 math credits, 4 science credits, 4 ELA credits) and a quick calculation to determine which honors and AP classes they should take to boost their GPA relative to their peers. But young people who are responsible for their educational pathways have the opportunity to walk admissions committees through a unique journey that was tailored to the applicant’s needs, goals, and interests. The best way to do this is to celebrate how the applicant spent their time engaged in deep, meaningful, and enduring learning experiences, without trying to conform it to a standard academic transcript (e.g., 4 math credits, 4 science credits, 4 ELA credits).

Additionally, letter grades or percentages are meaningless on a non-traditional transcript unless it shows anything less than a perfect GPA, which would hurt an applicant. Those who opt out of the traditional schooling system should never introduce the rank ordering aspects of grading that pull applicants down.[1]

Standardized Testing

Another benefit of opting out of traditional schooling is that young people get to avoid the relentless testing that is required in the classroom and for the state (e.g., Texas STAAR, New York Regents). Testing serves as a means for lazy politicians, bureaucrats, administrators, and teachers to assess and sort students, at the expense of students. Hopefully, the first time any young person takes a test is if they opt into it for their own benefit, such as taking the PSAT or an AP test. However, one of the very few downsides to a non-traditional education is that many colleges will lean more heavily on standardized test scores during the admissions process. While the SAT or ACT most often serves as a disqualifier for top private colleges and universities (and as an automatic qualifier for many lower ranked private or state schools), non-traditional applicants may have a more difficult time overcoming a poor SAT or ACT score than a traditionally schooled applicant who has a perfect GPA and ranks at the top of their class might.

The good news for non-traditional applicants is they should have ample time to prepare for the tests without being burdened by the unnecessary time requirements associated with traditional schooling (e.g., compulsory attendance, mandatory classes, homework, studying, testing). And for those who do not perform well on standardized tests even with plenty of prep, there are now over 900 colleges and universities that do not rely on or require standardized tests in the application process.

It is worth noting that the most exclusive schools also require or “recommend” applicants submit SAT subject tests with their application. Non-traditional applicants should treat SAT subject tests as required if a school “recommends” them, and as recommended if a school “considers” them. Similar to the SAT and ACT, these tests can hurt an applicant’s prospects if they are low, but are unlikely to substantially help since so many applicants score in the high 700s or 800 on these tests.

Yale University

Building a College List

Traditionally schooled applicants typically have an easier time than non-traditional applicants have of zeroing in on schools to apply to because (1) they are more likely to focus on college rankings as a guide for constructing their list, and (2) based on their class rank and GPA at their particular school, combined with their standardized test scores, they can lean on their guidance counselor or Naviance to help them identify the highest ranked schools where they have a chance of admission. Unfortunately, this approach results in a high volume of applications to a wide range of schools, lower quality applications, excessively high rates of anxiety, and very often a failure to identify best fit colleges.

Non-traditional applicants can more easily overcome the aforementioned challenges because they are more likely to ‘understand thyself’ thanks to years of self-directed learning (or less coercive schooling) and reflection, and are therefore are more likely to be drawn to colleges based on what opportunities and experiences the colleges can provide the applicant in accordance with their needs, as opposed to being drawn to colleges based on their rank. This process will still lead many of these non-traditional applicants to elite, private research universities such as Harvard and Stanford, but others may find that the flagship state school or even starting out at a local community college may be more advantageous for them, while many others may be drawn to liberal arts colleges that are less selective than the elite research universities but that arguably provide the best college education of all.

From a strategic perspective, fewer schools are better than many in the college admissions game. By focusing on only the most selective schools as opposed to the best fit schools, many applicants are driven to apply to upwards of two dozen colleges that may each have single or low double digit acceptance rates. In doing so, they undermine their chances by stretching themselves thin on supplemental essays, applying to schools that their applications will not resonate with, and failing to help recommenders (especially optional recommenders) tailor their letters to a target group of schools. Applying to a bunch of schools also costs a lot of money.

Many counselors and consultants recommend applying to 6-10 schools, but we would recommend applying to no more than five schools. We have advised applicants to only apply to schools they would be thrilled to attend because of what they could make of the experience, whether it is Harvard, Stanford, State Flagship University, or Directional State U. We highly recommend against applying to safety schools as something to fall into if best fit schools do not work out. We also recommend against applying to any schools that do not require supplemental essays beyond what is required in the Common Application or Coalition Application, unless the applicant feels that the school is a great fit for their needs. Schools that do not have additional essay prompts often benefit from having large numbers of lazier applicants apply because of the marginal effort required (an application fee), making it more difficult for a non-traditional applicant to drive home their unique story to the admissions committee. [The author of this essay applied to only three universities: West Point for college, Stanford and Harvard for business school, and Harvard for education school. The author has never been rejected and attributes much of that to being able to submit a near perfect application on the factors that he was able to control or have considerable influence over (e.g., essays, recommendations).]

University of California, Berkeley

Four-year Colleges vs. Community Colleges

Community colleges are a fabulous higher education alternative for both traditional and non-traditional applicants who are concerned about the cost of college, distance from home, or who may not be able to gain immediate access to more selective universities. Unfortunately, many people (especially in more affluent communities [and charter school networks]) seem to look down on them as an option because they do not carry with them an air of exclusivity. However, while many applicants and parents may find themselves on the outside looking in after the college admissions season, for many top state universities, community college is an excellent end-around into school, with many offering automatic admission based on GPA.[2] Community colleges have particular leverage among many elite public universities such as Berkeley and UCLA where upwards of 20 percent of the undergraduates come from community colleges. Although the percentage of community college transfers at the University of Texas at Austin is lower than it is at the California schools, over 40 percent of transfer students into UT-Austin come from community colleges.[3]

When to Apply

Sooner is always better than later in the admissions game. While some recommend holding off until Regular Decision (historically January 1st or 15th) so that applicants can build up their bonafides, it is extremely rare that someone is going to be able to add anything to their application in a couple of extra months that will seriously move the admissions committee. The cost of delaying until Regular Decision is missing out on the opportunity to apply Early Decision, Early Action, or Restricted Early Action. And the chances of admission at most schools are substantially higher for those who apply early rather than later. Many counselors and consultants also advise applicants with financial need to apply Regular Decision because they believe that applying early locks them into a school with no opportunity to compare financial aid offers. This is also a misplaced argument. First, those with the most financial need are most likely to benefit from the free room, board, and tuition that is offered by the most selective colleges with the most generous financial aid (e.g., Harvard, Princeton, Stanford). Second, all schools allow their applicants an out of a binding admission if they can demonstrate that they cannot afford to attend. Third, many schools are need blind during early admissions, but become need aware later in the admissions process, meaning those with need are even more disadvantaged by waiting to apply.

It is also worth noting that many applicants can have multiple bites of the early admissions apple. Early Decision (ED) limits applicants to applying to only one school and they must enroll if accepted (or forego college altogether unless they can be released from their commitment due to financial or other exigent circumstances). Some of the more exclusive universities that have ED include Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, and University of Pennsylvania, as well as some of the most exclusive liberal arts colleges such as Amherst and Williams. However, some schools also have an Early Decision Round 2, which allows people who fail to earn admission to their first-choice ED school to apply to another ED school. Although this is no longer an “early” admission, it is binding. More exclusive schools with an ED round 2 include NYU, Pomona, Swarthmore, Tufts, Vanderbilt, and Wellesley. Instead of Early Decision, applicants can choose to apply Early Action (EA) which does not bind them to the school should they gain admission. This allows them to apply with an increased likelihood of admission (although not as much of an advantage as ED) without taking away other potential college options. Some of the more selective schools with an EA round include CalTech, Chicago, Georgetown, and Notre Dame. Finally, a small number of schools offer Restrictive Early Action (REA) where applicants can apply early and get a non-binding response but can only apply to one school early. This means that they can apply to either a bunch of EA schools, or one REA school, but not a mixture of the two. The four most selective universities in the country happen to offer REA: Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

Crafting a Story

Another tremendous advantage of applying as a non-traditional applicant is that it is remarkably easy to come across as interesting, accomplished, and intellectually curious to the admissions committee. Most schooled students simply do not have time to be interesting, accomplished, or intellectually curious. They are stuck in required classes in school for 5 to 7 hours per day for 180 days per year for 13 years of their lives, in addition to the all of hours they spend on expected extracurricular activities and sports, required service hours, and the many more hours of homework and studying needed to finish at the top of their class. There is a reason why most high achievers are perpetually exhausted—there is not sufficient time to sleep. Especially for those who come from feeder high schools and the schools that wish they were feeder schools.

On the other hand, non-traditionally schooled applicants are able to lead remarkable, interesting lives. It is not a given that they will, especially for those who attend schools where they have little to no say over how they spend their time, or for homeschoolers who are forced to work though boxed or online curriculum. But when young people have the freedom and time to take learning down pathways that meet their needs, they get to engage in the type of deep, meaningful, and enduring learning experiences that turn them from just another applicant with good numbers into someone who captures the attention of the admissions committee as well as future classmates. When those experiences are coupled with a level of intellectual vitality that rarely survives the k-12 schooling process (because of the coercive nature of schooling), colleges are eager to offer admission and bring these applicants onto campus.

It is not sufficient to have a great story, however. An applicant must also be able to tell a great story, and that is where the college essays and recommendations come in. Telling that story in a way that moves an admissions committee that reads tens of thousands of applications is challenging. It is why a select number of college admissions consultants charge over $20,000 to their clients. But non-traditionally schooled applicants typically have ample essay fodder to work with, and they typically have a sense of purpose or a mission in life that allows them to string that essay fodder into a powerful and compelling personal story.

The University of Texas at Austin

Decision Time

Almost as stressful as the application process is the decision process once the offers roll in (if an applicant is not bound by an Early Decision offer of admission). Non-traditional applicants have a tremendous advantage over their traditionally schooled peers in picking a college and in taking advantage of the resources available to them at the next level. This is because traditional school applicants have been fighting to get to the top of their high school class, because ranking ahead of peers is deemed necessary to success, and now they are moving on to 13th grade with a vision of climbing to the top of their college class. To too many traditionally schooled students education is about satisfying teachers and competing against peers, as opposed to learning. The non-traditionally schooled person has more likely seen education as a collection of experiences that have allowed them to understand themselves and to grow as intellectuals and humanitarians. Education to them is an opportunity, not a competition, and because of that perceived opportunity they are more likely to choose the college that is the best fit for them, as opposed to obsessing over college rankings. They are also more likely to take advantage of the many opportunities at college that they can use to continue to grow, as opposed to being worried about going down the same path as all of their pre-med and Goldman Sachs bound peers.

Good luck to all the non-traditionally schooled young people out there who are heading into the college admissions season. You have tremendous advantages in the admissions game, but more importantly, you will have tremendous opportunities to make the most of your college experience.

“Great educations aren’t passive experiences; they’re active ones.”
~Frank Bruni

“Far more significant than where you go to school, however, is why and how.”
~ William Deresiewicz

1.     Grading also undermines the learning process. Any school that grades their students, fails their students. There is never a reason for an alternative school to engage in this destructive practice.

2.     For example, the University of Virginia is one of the most prestigious public schools, often considered a “public ivy,” and offers Virginia community college graduates who meet very reasonable standards a guaranteed admission into UVA, https://admission.virginia.edu/vccsguide

3.     Conversation with UT-Austin admissions office, August 1, 2017 

Cross posted at Alt Ed Austin: part 1, part 2.

Broken dreams in pursuit of an educational brand: Stanford becomes the first university to dip below 5% admit rate

The Stanford University Office of Undergraduate Admission just released their application numbers for the Class of 2020, and for the fourth consecutive year they earn the enviable but not necessarily laudable distinction of being the most selective college in America. Also, in a first for any of the schools that jockey for position in the US News Rankings of best colleges, Stanford has seen their acceptance rate dip below 5%.

Stanford received 43,997 total applications this year, up 1,510 applications from the previous year. And if that bump wasn’t enough of a hit to the dreams of this year’s Stanford-focused applicants, Stanford admitted only 2,063 candidates this year. A decrease of 81 offers from the prior year. Stanford’s continued rise in terms of prestige and perception (it is now Harvard vs. Stanford, not Harvard vs. Yale or Princeton) is leading to a marked increase in their ability to win over a larger percentage of dual-admits to peer universities such as MIT, Yale, and most notably Harvard; and the recent miserable East Coast winters haven’t hurt. As Stanford’s yield goes up, their number of acceptances will continue to go down.

While we do not have Harvard’s final number of admits, we do know that they received 39,044 applicants this yearcompared to last year’s 37,305. If we assume that they accept the same number of applicants as they did last year, they would have a 5.1% acceptance rate this year. It’s fair to assume that Harvard will join Stanford in the under 5% club in the next year or two. And in the coming years, we can expect to see the other uber-selective universities (e.g., Yale, Princeton, MIT, Columbia) also joining the club. And in doing so, no one will be better off for it. Not even Stanford or Harvard.

The ever-dwindling acceptance rates at the top schools do not represent an increase in the quality of education available at those schools, nor do they represent an increase in the quality of the incoming class at those schools. The ever-dwindling acceptance rate at the top schools merely represents the ever increasing priority placed on education brand or prestige by the parents of the young people who are applying to these schools. No longer can it reasonably be said that even a significant minority of the students applying to the top schools are concerned most about specific educational opportunities or fit of the schools. No, the only thing that matters in this dog-eat-dog world is how my kids compare to yours … and if my kid gets into Stanford and yours gets into Brown then my kid is supposedly better.

The ever-escalating admissions arms race leads to more parents paying more people to help their kids apply to college, after four years of micromanaging what classes their kids take, how their kids are doing in those classes, and how much time they invest into various extracurriculars that are vetted by the parents. Young people are not masters of their own universe, they are simply expected to excel in the space that is carved out for them by their parents. In the race to get our children into the top schools, our children have lost the opportunity to decide for themselves what experiences they will engage in, how much time they will invest in those experiences, and even whether or not they should try to figure out who they are.

And when young people are not given the opportunity to forge their own dreams, especially when their aspirations are being defined for them by their parents, then even if they get into their [parents’] dream school, they will fail to take advantage of the opportunities available at those schools that would uniquely benefit them and their dreams. This will lead to an ever growing population of over-coached, over-prepped, over-tested, privileged upper-middle class young adults (because these schools are still largely off limits to lower socio-economic young people who don’t have the opportunity to prep and pad their experiences from the age of 13 in anticipation of college admissions) graduating college completely lost at how to take on the world.

It’s a shame that Stanford’s admit rate has dropped below 5%. This is not a good sign of things to come.

How hard is it to get into West Point, Annapolis, or the Air Force Academy?

While most high achieving secondary students have their eyes set on the schools at the top of the US News Rankings, there is a smaller subset of students who are focused on gaining admission into a United States Federal Service Academy.    

The big three U.S. Federal Service Academies are the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), theU.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis), and the U.S. Air Force Academy. A smaller, lesser known service academy is the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. These four academies all have admissions rates that make many of the US News top 25 colleges and universities envious, with both West Point and Annapolis being in the single digits. Additionally, these service academies require no room, board, or tuition from their students; it’s “free”! Upon graduation, every person attending one of these academies is guaranteed a commission by their respective service, and they then receive further professional training that will help them in their careers, in or out of the service. Additionally, the alumni networks of these academies are extremely strong, and their placement rates into top business schools are matched historically by only Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford.

With zero cost of attendance, a highly regarded education, a guaranteed job, and great prospects beyond the military, one would wonder why more high school students aren’t gunning for admission into the academies. The most obvious answer is war. There are legitimate risks to military service, and while West Point and Annapolis take on the heaviest burden in war in terms of casualties, none of the services are immune from injury or death. Another answer is fun, or lack thereof. When freshman show up at most colleges, they party and socialize. When freshman (otherwise known as Plebes or Doolies) arrive at the academies they get harassed and hazed. No drinking, plenty of studying, and too many parades. Many academy graduates consider their four-year college experience as a hazing experience. A third answer is long-term indentured servitude. Many 17 year-olds aren’t ready to commit to four years of a less than fun college experience in addition to an eight-year service commitment on the other end. This commitment helps many recognize that the academy experience isn’t really “free.”

However, for tens of thousands of high school seniors, the plusses outweigh the minuses and they throw their hat into the ring of Academy admissions. Having assisted applicants through my college admissions services; having previously been a Field Force Admissions Representative for West Point, with responsibility for two congressional districts; as well as having gone through the process myself as a 17-year old; I am amazed by how stressful the process seems to applicants when gaining admission to one of the academies is actually quite simple relative to gaining admission into a school ranked in the top 10-25 of the US News rankings. All it takes is proper planning. While there are far more requirements to an academy application, including Congressional nominations, fitness exams, and medical exams, all of them are easily accomplished, if given enough time.

As with getting young people into Harvard and Stanford, getting young people into West Point or Annapolis is substantially easier the earlier one begins preparing. If I can begin working with someone by the time they are a freshman, short of a medical disqualification, I can virtually guarantee they will gain admission if they are willing to put in the time and energy necessary to meet the many requirements of admission.

The key to admission to one of the academies is consistent investment into academics, athletics, and leadership throughout the high school experience. Unlike Harvard or Stanford one does not need to be an academic star to get into a U.S. Service Academy, but they do need to produce. Likewise, they don’t need to be a recruited athlete or the youngest person ever elected mayor in their hometown, but they need to hit certain benchmarks with regards to athletics and leadership. Through proper execution, one can position themselves for a near guaranteed admission into a fraternity that will open up doors in ways that most regular colleges cannot.

The decision to apply to a service academy is a heavy one with heavy consequences, and no young person should be pressured into applying by their parents or teachers. However, if a younger person chooses to go down that path, and if they commit to the process early on, they can easily gain admission. If your child wants to get into a Service Academy then contact us at 989-31-ADMIT.

An Analysis of Turning the Tide; Harvard Education School Report Calls for Reforming Admissions Practices

On Wednesday, a less than impressive report was released by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (full disclosure, I am a graduate of the institution) that suggested various tweaks to the college admissions process that would supposedly benefit society and the lives of applicants in various ways. The report was not unimpressive in terms of what their stated goals were; it was unimpressive in terms of the recommendations they laid out and those that they left out.      

In short, the report was an effort spearheaded by the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard that understandably served to promote their broader mission in a manner that would predictably garner significant media attention. They investigated ways in which the college admission process could be altered to compel college applicants to become more socially engaged, aware, and valuable contributors to a more ethical and humane society—ambitious and commendable goals. As a benefit to the people they collaborated with and in order to gain broader appeal (in a pretty obvious afterthought sort of way), they also touched upon how to make the high schools years less stressful for students

Virtually everything of value was provided in the executive summary, with the body of the report adding little to no value. Their general thesis was that the college admissions process weighs heavily on the minds and influences the actions of high school students to such a large degree that it can be leveraged to influence the actions of those students for the betterment of society (and make life easier on the students in the process, again, as an afterthought). The report then lays out three broader ways in which the admissions process should be altered.

1. Promoting more meaningful contributions to others, community service and engagement with the public good.
2. Assessing students’ ethical engagement and contributions to others in ways that reflect varying types of family and community contributions across, race, culture and class.
3. Redefining achievement in ways that both level the playing field for economically diverse students and reduce excessive achievement pressure.

Associated with each of these three areas were more specific recommendations. I will address each of the three areas more broadly, and touch upon some of the specific recommendations in my analysis.

Community / Public Service:

The first area of focus revolves around community or public service, and is clearly the primary listed concern for the Making Caring Common Project. They want to promote authentic, meaningful, sustained community service that deepens appreciation of diversity, and develops gratitude for the past and a sense of responsibility for the future. That’s a lot to chew on.

The idea of using the admissions process to transform 50 million students from self-absorbed, achievement-oriented gunners into generous, outward facing, compassionate, society-first contributors to society is appealing. It’s also naïve. Such remarkable change cannot be driven through a process that a minority of the student population seriously concerns themselves with, and for that minority, often not until 11th or 12th grade.

Image from the cover of the Harvard report

The report encourages meaningful and sustained community service that is authentically chosen. It should be obvious that meaningful and sustained service is unlikely to be realized if it isn’t authentically chosen, because it is exceedingly difficult for most people to invest significant time and energy into something they don’t really care about. In fact, the only students who are likely to excel at doing so in an unauthentic sort of way are the same students who are currently neurotically achieving perfect GPAs in spite of their personal interests. Meaning that nothing will really change in terms of who will gain admission if the recommendations associated with community service are implemented. The report states that they want to “reward those who demonstrate true citizenship, deflate undue academic performance pressure and redefine achievement.” But their efforts will mostly result in a mere shift in the pressure or burden on students from academic achievement to “service.” Granted, the authors seem to suggest that even such a superficial change would be beneficial to society, but that (ignoring that this won’t ever replace academic achievement for college admissions) is hardly the type of societal shift that would be meaningful.

In reality, these recommendations, even if partially implemented, are going to lead to really shallow outcomes in terms of service. Take the suggestion that students commit to an activity for at least a year. On its face, that is insulting to those who deeply engage in social activism or organizing. Those who are seriously concerned about the social condition of society, or the environment, or other causes, are able to invest significant time measured in effort per hour invested, in hours invested per week, and in years spanned.

Also, the reality is that rich families and overbearing parents (e.g., helicopter parents, Tiger Moms) will continue to buy experiences for their children or fully execute on them themselves while allowing their children take the credit for such efforts. I have found that some of my wealthier (and more insufferable) former clients unfortunately could not stop themselves from hiring people to do work on behalf of their children just so that their kids could put it on their resume and talk about it in their essays. Nothing that this report offers would alter that reality—it would only lead to more privileged families buying up more opportunities, further squeezing out those who sincerely engaged in issues of broader public concern.

Assessment of Student Contribution:

The second area of focus is intended to help influence college admissions committees on how to assess contributions to society (through public service or service to one’s family), or at least how to couch it so that schools can perpetuate the illusion that they are eager to fill their school with socio-economically and experientially diverse groups.

This section is largely a waste of space. Despite their claims, most colleges have no real interest in forming classes with a socio-economic and ethnic/racial makeup that mirrors broader society or focuses on those least served (a notable exception is Berea College). Most colleges are interested in having more academically “accomplished,” privileged, and wealthier student bodies that are overwhelmingly white, Jewish, and Asian. They will not soon prioritize contributions to one’s family or the burdens a candidate faces in their daily life so that it offsets the tremendous advantages already bestowed upon the privileged.

There is space for students from the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder and from more diverse racial and ethnic groups at top colleges, but that space is severely limited. However, obtaining those spots is relatively easy because of the surprising lack of quality competition to acquire them (in terms of desired forms of accomplishment and in terms of number of qualified applicants). Because most of these candidates receive horrible guidance and go to substandard schools, those who understand the admissions process and are able to focus on leading a remarkable life easily stand out to admissions committees that are already starved for candidates who lead remarkable lives. I’ll touch upon how candidates can lead remarkable lives later in the essay.

Reducing Achievement Pressure:
The third area of focus is intended to influence colleges to reduce the emphasis on extracurricular activities, testing, and admissions consulting, or at least how to couch it so that schools can mask what they are looking for as they construct their incoming freshman classes. All five recommendations laid out by the committee in this section warrant discussion.

The first recommendation they offer is to prioritize quality over quantity in terms of extracurricular activities. I agree that schools should do so in their marketing materials and in the layout of their applications. They suggest that schools should encourage students to list only their most meaningful extracurricular activities, but their best suggestion is to limit the space allotted for the listing of extracurricular   activities, which will at least force students to prioritize experiences. However, in terms of assessment, the most selective schools already prioritize quality over quantity, and this is not unknown to knowledgeable parents, guidance counselors, or admission consultants. At Abrome, we discourage clients from participating in experiences in which they are not interested or willing to deeply engage in. We encourage experimenting with experiences to identify what is most meaningful, but shallow engagement is a significant lost investment in terms of opportunity cost. It not only wastes the time spent on less meaningful experiences, but takes away opportunities to more deeply engage in other experiences.

The second and forth recommendations they offer focus on testing. The second recommends reducing the emphasis on AP/IB courses and testing, while the fourth recommends limiting the overwhelming pressure of the SAT or ACT. I fully endorse these recommendations. In fact, with AP courses I encourage clients to take only a few AP courses, and to only take them if they are going to score a 5 (out of 5) on them. Taking fewer AP tests is more easily accomplished by my homeschool clients than it is by my traditional schooled clients, because in traditional schools failing to take AP courses can lead to lower GPAs or signal to colleges an unwillingness to take the most rigorous courses available (an important point that the report fails to address). With regards to the SAT or ACT, I would love to see colleges making these tests optional. The tests have been shown to closely correlate to family wealth, and do not serve as any better of a predictor of future academic success than high school GPAs do. Unfortunately, we won’t see most schools embrace a test optional admissions strategy until the Harvards and Stanfords of higher education do so, or at least until colleges stop participating in college rankings. Short of abolishing the requirement for SAT or ACT scores, schools could take a law school approach to standardized tests. Many law schools discourage multiple sittings of the LSAT, and inform applicants that they will look at all of their scores. In doing so, these schools make clear that multiple LSATs can signal suspect decision making, and that they will not only look at the highest score, but also focus on the lowest score, as well. Unfortunately, many colleges currently tell applicants that they will focus on the best score (i.e., take many tests!), or even accept a candidate’s super score (meaning taking the best score in each section of the SAT or ACT, and ignoring all others).

The third recommendation discourages “overcoaching,” which comes just short of overtly telling applicants not to use admissions consultants. They shy away from suggesting that because they know that that is a surefire way for the report to be reflexively dismissed. The reality is that admissions consultants provide a significant advantage to those who use them because the admissions process is a game. Even if all the other recommendations in the report were embraced, there would still be significant benefits to using admissions consultants (which again benefits those who come from wealthier families). I agree with them, however, “that authenticity, confidence, and honesty are best reflected in the student’s original voice.” My Abrome clients are pushed through many iterations of their essays so that the essays are perfect products that remain theirs. We are explicit in communicating that we are not essay writers, and that we have no interest in writing applications. However, many admissions consultants are eager to provide a service that many wealthy families expect—writing the full application for the applicant. For us, our least successful engagements have been with families who refused to comprehend that the application is not ours, but the applicant’s. The second part of the recommendation is just as useless as the first. They suggest that admissions offices ask applicants to reflect on the ethical challenges they faced during the application process. This becomes akin to the “what are your greatest weaknesses” question in which good applicants spin strengths into a weaknesses. Those who are the least ethical (i.e., who lie or allow others to write their applications) are going to be the ones who are least willing to answer the question honestly.

The fifth recommendation encourages admissions officers and guidance counselors to emphasize that there are many excellent colleges and that students should focus on fit. This is something that admissions officers already spend significant time focusing on (lower ranked schools want to argue that they are just as good for applicants as higher ranked schools, and all schools focus on fit in order to differentiate themselves and to better manage yield). Guidance counselors (and admission consultants), however, could certainly spend more time driving this point home. Unfortunately, guidance counselors and their schools are in many ways judged by the portfolio of colleges and universities their students matriculate into, and the greater the number of students that matriculate into colleges at the top of the US News rankings, the better the counselors and schools look. Top public and private schools with high numbers of academic stars and/or wealthy students already tend to do a great job of pushing many students toward great liberal arts colleges and public ivies (e.g., Berkeley, UVA). As for Abrome, parents often hire us with a single-minded focus on getting their children into Harvard and Stanford, and that is often what we do. But we do so via helping their children lead remarkable lives, and in doing so their children often realize that their dreams are better realized at schools that give them added freedom to create unique opportunities for themselves.

Abrome’s alternative suggestions:

Applicants and their parents should deal in the reality of the admissions process today, and in the admissions processes of the future. Some of the recommendations put forth in the report may be acted upon (although likely only partially, and superficially), but the general application process will always remain one that is easy to game and that is slanted to benefit the privileged.

It’s important for applicants and their parents to not be fooled into thinking that the Harvard report is the new reality in college admissions. The reality of the admissions process that will not change is that it is predicated on a pyramid shaped society. In each high school, there is the general student body that forms the base of the pyramid. These are the low achievers (in an academic achievement sense) and the so-called average achievers who are going to go into the military, trade schools, or local/public schools. On top of that base is a slightly higher performing group that (depending on the socio-economic makeup of the school) is going to be able to go to higher ranked public or private schools. And at the very top of the pyramid are a select group of students that will be celebrated for their academic and extracurricular accomplishments that (depending on the socio-economic makeup of the school) will be in the running for admission into the more exclusive or elite college or universities. The top of the pyramid at a given high school will then compete with those at the top of the pyramids at the ~40,000 other high schools for the limited number of slots in the freshman classes of the various colleges and universities. And the colleges themselves form their own pyramid, with Harvard and Stanford taking pretty much whoever they want; with Yale, Princeton, and MIT taking mostly who they want; and so forth on down through the Ivy League universities, as well as Chicago, Duke, and Cal-Tech; and then further through the top liberal arts colleges and top public universities; and then continuing down through the US News rankings.

However, an outward focus on serving society and a reduced focus on excessive academic accomplishment and extracurricular involvement is in fact already an advantage in the admissions process, if certain benchmarks are met. Abrome focuses on helping young people lead remarkable lives. In doing so, we help them focus on identifying what their unique needs, goals, and interests are, and we help them identify deep, meaningful, and enduring experiences that will help them get there. In order to lead a remarkable life, an Abrome Learner will contribute to society as a means to personally valued achievement. But by focusing on leading a remarkable life, as opposed to engaging in experiences for the benefit of college admissions, it is much more likely that an Abrome Learner will become consumed by their efforts, and contribute to broader society in a meaningful, significant, and impactful way.

Academic achievement by way of testing is currently the expectation and is unlikely to change for any child alive today. We see testing as a required (not necessary) evil that must be taken seriously if a young person cares to attend an elite college or university. However, in agreement with the report’s recommendations, we encourage applicants to take a limited number of tests. But we go further in encouraging them to severely limit the tests they take (because of opportunity cost of time investment), and to only take tests they are going to knock out of the park. For AP tests, that means take one to three of them, but score a 5/5 in each one. For the SAT, take it once or twice, but prepare early enough that you score at least a 1500/1600 (1550+ for HYPSM).

Finally, it is exceedingly difficult to lead a remarkable life and do extremely well in a traditional school. In order for a traditional schooled student to take the most rigorous academic load available (a requirement for applicants to elite colleges without hooks), to be deeply engaged in extracurricular activities, and deeply engaged in community service, they must sacrifice too much in terms of sleep, personal and family relationships, personal development, and mental health. The report touches upon the depression, drug use, and anxiety that currently weighs heavily on high performing students and high schools, but it doesn’t provide recommendations that would effectively undercut those problems. Even if colleges shifted focus from academic and extracurricular performance to public service, as I have previously stated, the burden would still weigh heavily on these students. The reality is that the best hope children have of eliminating the pressures associated with college admissions, as well as academic and extracurricular excellence, is to opt out of the traditional schooling system. Families can do so by homeschooling their children, allowing their children to be unschooled, or sending them to alternative progressive schools with zero testing and zero homework. Preferably, the alternative progressive schools would have zero required classes, as well. At Abrome, we encourage most of our clients to opt out of school because we know that is the best path toward young people leading remarkable lives, and as a nice little benefit, it is also the best path through the college admissions process and into the most exclusive colleges and universities.

The Academic Index at Ivy League Schools

Student athletes who hope to be recruited to play a Division I sport in the Ivy League* sooner or later come across the Academic Index (“AI”). The Academic Index was originally developed to ensure that the eight colleges of the Ivy League didn’t excessively lower their academic standards for recruited athletes in order to field competitive athletic teams. Since then, their use by admissions committees has bled into the general applicant pool, which is unfortunate for the larger pool of applicants. 

The AI is a combination of a student’s GPA, SAT scores, and SAT II scores. Every candidate to the Ivy League is given an AI number, even those who are not recruited athletes. The AI ranges from a low of 60 to a high of 240. At the most selective schools (Harvard, Yale, and Princeton), the average AI for each admitted class hovers around 220. The AI formula is not publicly available, and they regularly review and tweak it. People can make fairly good approximations, as I will below, but the AI formula is held close to the vest by the various athletic departments and admission departments at the Ivy League schools.

Let’s imagine a hypothetical candidate “Tim” who wants to play football at Harvard. Tim may not have spent much time focused on school work or SAT prep while in high school, but all of a sudden the coach at Harvard has shown interest in the candidate. The candidate was previously considering other FCS (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA) schools, but the prospect of going to Harvard has brought it to the top of his list.

Unfortunately for Tim, he has SAT scores of 670 M, 600 R, 590 W, and a 3.6 GPA, which means his AI is around a 196.

So does a 196 AI mean that Tim stands a good chance of being accepted through the admissions process? Not really, but the chances of getting in given a certain AI score depends on the athlete. The pool of recruited athletes from all sports at a given school needs to have an AI that is within one standard deviation of the student body’s AI at that school. Because the academic standards at the Ivy Leagues are pretty robust to begin with, the AI doesn’t give recruited athletes nearly the advantage that many would hope for in the admissions process. However, because the average only needs to be within one standard deviation of the student body mean, coaches are able to get candidates with lower academic records in, depending on their pull with the admissions department and the priority a coach puts on those individual candidates.

Also, not all sports are created equally. The tennis team is not going to get many (if any) favors from the admissions department. The football and basketball teams do. Hockey at Yale does, and lacrosse at Princeton does, as well. 

Even with the pull the football team may have with admissions, not all positions on the football team are created equally. Lineman are not going to get many favors from the admissions department unless the lineman are highly rated recruits. Impact players such as quarterbacks and cornerbacks, however, may be given priority by coaches. In the Ivy League, football coaches are only allowed to present 30 recruits to the admissions committee. Further, they are limited on where those recruits fall according to their AI score. According to numbers previously put out by two different Ivy League football programs, about 7-8 of those 30 recruits must fall in Band 4 (the top band), which is above the campus average. Another 12-13 football recruits must fall in Band 3 or higher, which goes down to 1 standard deviation below the campus AI (should be above the athletic AI). Another 7-8 recruits must fall in Band 2 or higher, and perhaps another 1-2 can fall in Band 1, which bottoms out at a score of 176.

Now, let’s talk specifically about Tim. If Tim was high up in Band 4 (the highest one), he might get some consideration as someone who could pull the overall pool up, but he isn’t there. He can’t change his GPA so no amount of SAT prep will get him there. Tim seems to be somewhere in Band 2 or 3. Band 3 is a good place to be if one is a recruited athlete. 

Let’s assume that Tim studies really diligently and scores a 730 in each of his SAT II tests. That would bring his AI up to around a 206. If we also assume that on top of that, Tim is able to boost his SAT score to a 710 M, 650 W, 630 R. That would jump his AI up to around 211. All of a sudden, Tim becomes a little more attractive to the Harvard coaching staff because they don’t have to pressure the admissions department to let him in, and he will help move the team AI up a little bit, allowing them to take more risk on an impact player.

Unfortunately, the Ivy League’s attempt to ensure a certain level of academic integrity in admissions for recruited athletes has only dumbed down what should be a holistic process where SAT scores and GPA are nothing more than markers to consider. The Academic Index’s emphasis on test scores and GPA means that not only do amazing athletes get turned away in the admissions process, but non-athletes who could add considerable value to the universities are also given a handicap on top of a handicap in the process. In the long run, this undermines the admissions departments’ efforts to put together the most diverse, talented, and intellectually curious classes in a way that may be even more pernicious than the focus on SAT scores for the US News rankings. 

* The Ivy League is an athletic conference consisting of eight of the oldest research universities in the country. All of the schools consistently rank in the top 15 of the US News rankings. The schools are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell.

You should apply by November 1st if you want to get into Harvard or Stanford (or Yale, Princeton, MIT, Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown …)

In our previous post, we tried to drive home the harsh reality that college admissions is not a meritocracy; it is a game. And if you plan on attending Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Columbia, Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown or any other elite school, and you haven’t already begun working on your application, then you are already losing the game. Early Action and Early Decision applications for the most competitive schools are due on November 1st, meaning you have less than 60 days to take advantage of your best hope to get into one of these top colleges.

The Common Application was initially devised as a tool to ease the stress of college applicants, so that applicants would not have to work so hard to apply to multiple schools. However, that has backfired and now applicants are more stressed than ever as they apply to more and more schools each year, shooting up the number of applications to each and steadily decreasing the admissions rates. Very few schools can focus entirely on bringing in the best class possible. Even the Harvards and Stanfords of the world must concern themselves with acceptance rates and yields; else they lose ground in the U.S. News & World Report college rankings.

In years past, applicants needed to manage multiple unique essays, manage recommenders and fill out school specific administrative data for each school. The common app has simplified the recommender and administrative data requirements, and greatly reduced the number of essays that must be written, though many schools require supplemental essays (e.g., Princeton, Stanford).  Trying to keep their admissions rates low, elite colleges continue to employ early admissions policies despite acknowledging that such policies disproportionately benefit the rich and privileged at the expense of the poor and disadvantaged. Early Action and Early Decision typically restricts each applicant to apply to only one* school in the fall, so schools know that those applicants that they accept early are much more likely to attend than those applicants they will accept in the regular decision round. Likewise, applicants who know how to play the game recognize that by committing to apply to a school Early Action or Early Decision that they can greatly improve their chances of admission at that school. With the exception of MIT, an applicant’s chance of admission through EA/ED relative to regular decision is at least 2.5 times greater at all of the top colleges and universities. And at Harvard, an EA/ED applicant is over six times more likely to be accepted than a regular decision applicant!

Those applicants who do not apply EA/ED to a school that they would be eager to attend are doing themselves a great disservice. Furthermore, those applicants who plan to write their essays in the few weeks before the admissions deadline are also doing themselves a great disservice. The clients we work with typically complete one dozen to two dozen turns of each essay, meaning that a client will be drafting, writing, editing or re-writing at least one essay a day for well over a month. The clients we work with will be working on their administrative data and will be managing their recommenders during this time, as well. This is why we insist, if you haven’t already begun working on your application, then you are already losing the game.

If you want to get in the game, we can help. Please refer to our admissions consulting services page and reach out to us if you are ready to apply to a top college or university. We will help you identify the school that you should apply early to based on your credentials, your goals and your fit with the school. We will then help you craft a story (with perfect essays and great recommendations) that will best position you for admission. Additionally, our services cover unlimited applications during the regular admissions cycle – although if you play the game right there’s a good chance that you’ll know where you are going to attend college by the end of December.

Contact us today if you want to get into Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown …

* Because MIT is the most obvious exception to the restrictive EA/ED policies at other schools, it effectively is no different as applicants can’t apply to any other elite schools under their EA/ED policies.