3/30/2023 0 Comments Esse quam videri pronunciationWARNING: You are about to encounter a mini-rant. However, much of the time, students fail to connect with any underlying meaning, and merely end up with a contrived essay topic or an additional faux activity that frequently does more harm than good for their admission chances. Sometimes students have wonderfully transformative experiences in situations like these, and even do a great deal of good along the way. A prospective student, based upon what they believe will create a “winning” application, works backwards to repackage themselves into their vision of the perfect applicant. Trying to get admitted, on the other hand, is essentially the exact opposite. In case this distinction is not clear, applying for admission involves the submission of academic credentials and supporting documents from which a composite is formed that enables the admissions office to determine whether an applicant is a good match. I do explain that I am not discouraging them from applying for admission, but rather making a distinction between submitting an application and trying to manipulate the process in order to gain admission. It is, at least initially though, nearly incomprehensible to the vast majority. Recently, I have been putting my radical thinking into practice by regularly suggesting to potential applicants that they should avoid trying to get admitted. I have the luxury of being able to be a purist in this regard, and I acknowledge how radical my thinking might seem. This is a nuance that I don’t think that many students, parents and journalists appreciate. I’m pretty sure that it is not simply a function of age, but rather a fundamental difference in perspective relating to what applying to college is supposed to be about.Īs an admissions officer, I recognize that while the application process can be very competitive, it is not inherently a competition. As I find myself again, railing against something published in the New York Times about the college admissions process, it is hard for me to deny just how much of a curmudgeon I have become.
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