College Admission Applications Dos and Donts For Students

When college applications approach their deadline and decisions are about to made it would be in a students best interest to head some professional advice.  Do not try to impress your favorite college by bombarding them with tons of emails and phone calls inquiring about status of your application. You will look desperate.  Overnight FedEx inquiries to the admissions office will only serve to alienate them,  they call this “tactic” stalking and react very negatively to it.  It will not make up for so-so academic record or mediocre test score.

Do not post anything on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace that may reflect negatively on you.  Colleges check these sites routinely.  Save those photos of the motel party on prom night for the scrapbook.  If I find objectionable material on a potential client, I ask they remove it immediately.  If they do not remove it I will not work with them. 

Do not try to act overly cute or clever during the college alumni interview.  Jokes and hyperbole are dangerous admixtures in n interview.  You run the risk of being seen as a lightweight or worse–as offensive an obnoxious.  Belive me, this happens more often than it is written about.

Students should try to impress interviewers with intelligent conversation and a few pointed questions.  Ask them what they majored in college and how it has helped them in their profession.  These are examples of good questions.  But a smart-alecky political jibe or cynical joke about their chances of getting admitted because of their race or gender could cause irreparable damage.  These comments are seen as signs of immaturity and are socially unacceptable.

Do not load up your application with as many activities you can think of.  Listing gym to improve your six-pack abs will make you look dense, alright–but in the wrong place.  college want to see activities to which you have applied energy and passion.  They don’t want to see a lot of fill and fluff.

On the other hand, be honest if you have made a mistake somewhere along your high school career.  Suppressing embarrassing or disturbing information can get you rejected even after you are admitted.  If you got caught plagiarizing a term paper, live up to it.  Write about it.  I f you don’t tell the truth about a serious infraction and it comes out later, they may revoke your acceptance letter.  It happens more than is often talked about.  Do not bore the admission committee.  One unstated benefit of having so many essays to write is that it gives colleges the opportunity to weed out the insufferable bores.  Take each essay seriously. Use it as an opportunity to write about some facet of your personality that you feel makes you an interesting person.

Do not leave your cell phone on during the alumni interview.  Nothing is more insulting to the interviewer then having  a students phone go of in the middle of an important question.  I’ve had this happen  when I was an alumni interviewer.  It irritated me that a student was ignorant or neglectful of the fact that I was taking my valuable time to interview them.  The least they can do is have “turn of the phone” at the top of the prep list.

Do not let you “helicopter” parents get overly involved in the application process.  A famous story goes around that dean of Admissions at Harvard, when he inspected the little box of an application that certifies everything the applicant has written is truth, found that the student’s mother signed it.

Dont fail to proofread your application.  The best evidence of genuine interest in a college is to send an application that has been checked for errors,  including spelling, and has all the requested material in good order and on time.  Copy-editing and proffreading are indispensable.

SATs and the job market.

In the classic 1967 film “the graduate” Dustin Hoffman newly minted college grad received a piece of unsolicited sage advice. “Are you listening? Plastics”. 

The insight came form a family friend concerned about Hoffman’s future job prospects.  Plastics were the coming field back then– Just what wall street and invest banking were up untill several months ago. 

Today things are different.  If we updated that scene in the graduate the advice to Hoffman likely would be more cerebral.  “One word are you listening? The SAT, I hope you did well.”

To be more explicit the score you received on the scholastic aptitude test.  They SAT scores had better be good. 

I’m referring to the revised SAT.  The three-hour and 45 min battery of tests that will play an increasingly important role not only in getting admitted to the right college, but also in determining whether you qualify for a job interview– after graduation.

Why is this attention suddenly being focused on the SAT.  Educators often short sighted tell youngsters that being a well-rounded student is more important, and that SAT scores are only one small measure of their academic achievement. 

Speaking from a humanistic stand point, that is undoubtedly true.  However, your SAT scores have a value far beyond getting to the right college–a value you might not have considered. 

Many advisors fail to emphasize the changing nature of the job market period for applicants seeking employment in major consulting firms, the reporting of SAT scores is standard practice. 

This is a growing trend among many leading industries.  After decades of garde inflation and bloated class rankings, SAT scores have become the gold standard by which not only tp colleges select their best candidates “and keep their places in the college rankings”, but the single most reliable criteria that employers use to select their most qualified candidates.

The last three students I interviewed for Harvard were number one in their respective classes–along with 21 other students at one high school.  Future employers likely will take this diminution of competitiveness into consideration. 

If  your son or daughter plans to compete for admission to an élite college, he or she better start preparing early to score well on the SAT, with further knowledge that a job can hang on the outcome.   Grades alone no longer can pull you through. 

An extra 100-200 point on the SAT can make or break  a students chances for that dream job.  The Wall Street Journal reported that there are clear cut-off lines: The going minimum at  Hotjobs.com entry level consulting positions is 1350 on the critical reading and math sections of the SAT.

Some off -Wall Street firms have set even their highest standards.  Configuresoft, Inc., a Woodland, Park, Colo., systems management software company, requires combined score of 1400 in CR and Math for applicants applying for sales positions.  A spokesman for the firm said the companies clients routinely demanded sales people with high-test scores. 

So the Dustin Hoffman’s of today would be well advised to study hard for the SAT.  Take the test with the knowledge that future employers most likely will demand to see your scores. “one word.  Are you listening? The SAT. I hope you did well.

Employment Outlook Dim For MBA’s

More workers are reacting to the dismal economy by going back for a masters degree in business administration.  Many pursuing that option hope job prospects improve over the next couple of years.  For some, an MBA program is a much better place to sit out the recession than the unemployment line, if nothing else.

Unfortunately MBA programs today do not favor such an option. Even top programs, such as the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, show a drastic drop in recruitment– all across the employment spectrum and financial consulting, where the best and the brightest graduates tend to migrate.

At Wharton, one student who went through the recruiting process last fall, is quoted as saying: “It was an absolute bloodbath. …There are no employers coming — no one knows what to do.” Making things worse, many people in graduating classes are left to secure, full-time jobs and earn an MBA.  Many took on huge debt to finance the two-year program. If read by numbers, MBA programs look like another world compared to last year.

At 77 top business schools, 56 percent said on campus, full-time recruiting was down more than 10 percent in winter.  Only 12 percent estimated that recruiting was down.  46 percent of career services officials said full-time postings were down more than 10 percent versus earlier numbers of 19 percent. 62 percent predicted internships, outside investment banking, will be down 31 percent in comparison to prior numbers. About 50 percent of career offices Sadi job postings were down more than 10 percent in comparison to the prior year of 2o percent.

Internships are also down significantly.  This is important because it is generally believed that internships are the most reliable measure of number of job offers future graduates will receive.  On average, about half of students receive full-time offers after working as interns.  62 percent of schools reporting internships to decrease for first-year students seeking positions outside of banking.  For financial jobs, 50 percent expect a decrease.

Job prospects for international students fare even worse.  the economic outlook for traditionally high growth countries such as India, with its historically close ties to American reasearch universities and the recipient of  U.S. investment in high-tech businesses such as IBM, is faltering, along with the rest of the global economy.  One bright spot in the domestic economy is that many companies already have downsized staff  in antisipation of a slow down.  Many now find they are short-staffed and are overworking existing employees. 

This could have positive repercussions in certain areas of financial services, such as compliance and accounting.  Lower paying sector, such as healthcare, not-for-profits, and government, are showing a slight improvement.  In the meantime, I counsel my clients to stay focused on fundamentals–math and quantitive subjects–no matter what the college major.  High school students should plan accordingly.

LSAT critical for top law schools.

Dear Mr. Bradshaw– Im a junior at Indiana University and plan to apply to law school this fall.  My overall - average is 3.75 with a major in political science and a minor in French.  I have not taken the LSAT, but I hear that top law schools place a lot of weight on how well you score on this test. My SAT scores were good (in the mid to upper 600′s) but I hear the LSAT is a lot harder test. What are my chances of getting into a top law school if my LSAT scores are comparable to my SAT scores? –Law School

Dear Law School–Unless you score really high on the LSAT your chances are slim to none that you will get into a top law school such as Harvard or the University of Chicago.

That means you must score at least 170 out of the top score of 180 for Harvard, and at least a score of 165 for Chicago.  This is a rough estimate based on working with law school applicants over several years. Be forwarned that applying to top law schools is not the place to find yourself if you have a fear of rejection.  The LSAT separates the truly smart student from the grade grubbers who belive high grades, recommendations and other accomplishments will balance out an average score. 

Applying to a top law school is not the same as applying to an undergraduate college.  There, a creative “extracurricular” activity such as playing the piano might help you get in. The only one that I know of my experience was a client who scored 155 on the LSAT but was admitted to Harvard Law School on the basis of perfect undergraduate record and a brilliant personal statement. Although it was a brilliant piece of writing, he was rejected at Yale, Stanford, Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania. 

Now, if that hasn’t discouraged you, I have some good news.  The LSAT is a giant opportunity to destroy the competition.  The LSAT does not test prior knowledge; it test your ability to read well, the ability to reason from a given set of facts, and how well you have prepared for the test.

That means you can study for it like any other assignment.  You may not score 180, but the harder you study the better your chances of scoring higher.  Starting salaries for top  law school graduates are thousands of dollars higher than for average law schools.  I suggest you sign up for a prep class.  Plan on repeating it several times. remember, you are trying to master the test, not just improve your score by a few points. 

Keep in mind the conventional wisdom is wrong.  counselors who tell you that taking a course doesn’t help very much have little experience with test preparation.  If they say all you need is the ability to study at home, ignore their advice.  The LSAT can be mastered, but it will take all the outside help you can get.  That means spending $1000 or more outside tutors and prep classes.  Ask yourself, if it can be easily mastered at home or a dorm room, why do people pay for assistance?

It is like learning to master a foreign language on your own. That is the kind of mind-sett you need to have and the level of committment you need when you study for it.  Next hire a personal tutor. Isolate yourself with him or her. Pretend you are going away for the summer for Marine Corps boot camp. You want a tough tutor who will ride you case if you fail to do your assignment. 

Always keep in mind that practice makes perfect. That means you should study everyday and study harder than for any class you ever had in college.  The fall test is in September.  Plan to study for it all summer, seven days a week. You  will have to answer tough questions each day.  Get over the frustration and do not fight the test.  Rework the question until you get it right. 

There is nothing inherently logical or intuitive about the LSAT.  Its not an IQ test.  It is not a test of you native intelligence.  You are learning a foreign language.  the students who do the best on the LSAT are the ones who understand this and don’t try and ”figure it out.” No matter how smart you think you are, it takes time to learn a new language.  If you can persevere, expect a much higher score that will match your strong GPA.  The chances are  you will get into a good law school and succeed once you are there.

Choosing an Engineering Major In College.

Dear Mr. Bradshaw — I’m a female and I’m struggling to decide on a major when I apply to college. My family believes engineering is my best choice. I’m not so sure.

I am very good at math and science, but I also like to solve practical problems that are more down to earth. My female friends in college are disappointed that most of their engineering classes are too theoretical and not hands-on enough. My dad and uncle are engineers with advanced degrees from MIT and the Georgia Institute of Technology. So there is pressure for me to continue the family tradition and become an engineer. I’m a junior in high school, but I think I am more interested in business as a major. How do I decide what is right for me? I hope you have some insight. — Engineering or business?

Dear Engineering — First, a short history to place your question in context. A few years ago, most engineering students came from blue-collar families. Most engineers were the first members of their families to earn college degrees. Typically, the father was a skilled worker, such as a machinist or electrician, who saw becoming an engineer as a ticket off the shop floor and into management. Now that the economy has slowed, engineering again is starting to appeal to students, as job security takes on a higher priority. But this time, parents of engineering majors are less likely to be found on the factory floor and more likely to be in management at high-tech companies such as Google or Microsoft.

Today’s engineers own and manage several of the most important companies in America. But I must offer a caveat and point out that along with geniuses such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, the owners of Google also dropped out of engineering programs (Stanford) that were too restrictive and stifled their vision on how to change the world. Engineers are at the forefront of a revolution, and many engineering programs resist change. An old saying suggests most professors wished Gates had stayed at Harvard and earned his degree. Life would have been much easier for them.

Your concern that engineering majors are too narrowly focused on theoretical problems and not getting enough hands-on experience is well-documented. There seems to be a gap between course work and the real world of engineering. Perhaps that has something to do with why Gates and others left college before graduating. Engineering schools are slow to change.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the National Science Foundation reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education that “engineering education’s widespread emphasis on theory over practice at many of the nation’s 1,740 college-level engineering programs discourages many potential students, while leaving graduates with too little exposure to real-world problems.”

The report concluded “engineering programs aren’t meeting the needs of students or employers who want a more relevant curriculum.” The two areas most resistant to change are engineering faculties and accreditation agencies. Both seek to reinforce old habits and justify staying with the old curricula. Millions of dollars have been given to universities to diversify their engineering curricula, but have failed to get past the “cultural issues of change,” said Sheri Sheppard, vice provost of graduate education at Stanford.

One happy exception is Georgia Tech’s biotechnology engineering program. The problem-based approach taken by Tech allows students to take a semester to work on practical problems. One such program focuses on how to keep the blood supply safe from the AIDS virus.  One important benefit of the hands-on approach to engineering is, it attracts more women who normally would not consider it as a career. The breakdown of enrollment in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech is revealing: 39 percent females, compared to 9 percent in electrical and computer engineering, and 12 percent in mechanical engineering.

I suggest that engineering is a great major, as long as you do your research beforehand.  Georgia Tech and programs like it are places to think about when you apply.

Get admitted to an Ivy League School.

Get ready to deal with a lot of numbers if you plan on applying to an Ivy League college this fall. Be prepared for a lot of surprises as well. Take Jessica, who graduated from a highly regarded suburban high school in North Chicago. Each year, this high school sends on average of one or two students to Harvard and produces nearly 50 National Merit Scholars.

Jessica was number one in her class out of 450 graduating seniors. She scored just short of perfect 800s on her SATs: 775 verbal, 770 math. She scored 750 or higher on each of her three SATII tests, an additional battery of tests required by all major colleges and universities.

Jessica was a powerhouse of academic and extracurricular activity. She was editor of the school newspaper, president of the regional French club during her senior year and president of the State French Club for two years. During both her junior and senior year she earned Thespian Honoree and was an All-State Band Member. She was a member of the girl’s soccer team for four years, in addition to winning a dozen other important awards for extracurricular and volunteer activities. On the Harvard scale of numerical ratings, she was a top candidate for admission.

Yet she was turned down by Harvard. She was turned down by Yale. Princeton placed her on a waiting list. Her second choices all came through with letter of acceptances-Brown, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania. But they were not her first choices. She wanted Harvard or Yale and had prepared her entire high school curriculum around that goal.

State Schools Get Selective

Dear Mr. Bradshaw — I’m a junior at Carmel (Ind.) High School. We are a large school, with more than 4,500 students.

Everyone seems to be involved in some kind of sport or extracurricular activity. I’m a top student, but not involved in any activities because I have to work after school and on weekends.

I’m not planning to apply to an Ivy League school; I’d be happy to go to Indiana University. Ball State is my second choice, with Butler a long shot, as my family would have a hard time paying private tuition.

My question is, do I need to get involved in extracurriculars in order to have a chance at IU?

My SAT scores are only average. Several teachers and my guidance counselor say it’s getting harder to get into IU because of the increasing number of out-of-state applicants. Is this true? — Concerned Junior
State Schools Get Selective

Junior – I agree it is getting harder to get admitted to Indiana University in Bloomington.

The number of out-of-state students applying to IU is up again this year. On top of that, IU is experiencing an increase in the number of students transferring from expensive private colleges.

If you add to the mix the increase in international students on campus, there are, indeed, fewer seats for Indiana residents. This is a growing trend at many state universities. Flagship universities like IU, the University of Wisconsin and University of Michigan are under pressure to admit more state residents. But budget pressures continue to build. Full-tuition-paying, nonresident students are becoming the largest sources of income for many state universities.

In addition, with colleges like Harvard and Stanford offering generous financial-aid packages, it often is less expensive to attend a premier private college than a top state school. That trend often siphons off top state students who normally would help state colleges keep their U.S. News & World Report rankings — and these rankings often play a decisive role on where the best students apply.

So it is a vicious cycle to attract top scholars while bringing in full-tuition-paying students.

Gaining Admission Into Top Colleges!

You are a high school student that has strived to succeed academically for the ultimate goal of going to the top college of your choice. You’ve covered all the required angles with a resume of extracurricular activities, honor and achievements.  Now you have the challenge of preparing for the SAT or ACT.  However with so many applicants applying to IVY League schools and top colleges nationwide,  gaining admission into these colleges  is not so black and white . You can have high scores, and a resume of activities and achievements, but the reality is it may not be enough. 

Find out how important are alumni interviews in the undergraduate admissions decisions. What exactly is an alumni interviewer looking for in an applicant applying to top colleges like: Harvard, Yale and Stanford University?  Is age a factor in the admissions decisions? Some students graduate early and apply to the top schools.  What should an applicant do to prepare for a chance at admissions into an Ivy League College?  So much is involved in the admissions process including: 

• Interview required
• Essay(s) required
• Required: SAT Reasoning Test or ACT
• If submitting ACT, the writing section is required
• Required: SAT Subject Tests
• Alumni Relation
• Students personality and character
• Application Essay
• Activities such as sports, drama, music, scouting, dance, and various clubs…
• State  and region of residence
• Admissions interview
• Ethiniticity
• Recommendations by teachers
• Student’s high school transcript
• Standardized Test Scores
• Talent/Ability i.e. Sports
• Volunteer Work
• Work Experience
• High School GPA
• First generation college student

This blog is to help high school students and their parents understand that there is more to the college admissions process then meets the eye.  Thats where a college admissions expert like Gerald Bradshaw can help with the process through his services. Check out http://www.bradshawcollegeconsulting.com or call Gerald Bradshaw at 866-687-8129.