When to Hire a Private College Admissions Counselor?

Of course, like everything, every student has different needs. It is not universally true that every high schooler undergoing the college application process needs to hire an admission “expert”. Granted, hardly any who call themselves such truly know much more than any guidebook could tell you. There is, however, one thing that is indisputable: all young people need advocates in their lives. Sadly, a common trend in education, private and public, alike, is that the high school guidance and college counseling departments are too overworked and underfunded to offer much more than one or two generic meetings to discuss the local and in-state university landscape. Not to mention, they all too often quickly dismiss certain universities as unrealistic and impossible for the student to gain admission. There have been very few instances that I can recall where I have said to someone that he/she can’t gain admission somewhere. It’s just not a good habit to practice. With the constantly changing state of the college admission process, you might want to look into hiring a private counselor if you meet any of the following criteria…

You might benefit from a private college admissions counselor if…

1. You are not in the top ten percent of your high school class (the students who the school counselors ordinarily tend to focus on)
2. Or, you are in the top ten percent of your class, academically, but have doubts about what you want or what might be a healthy fit for you.
3. You’re seeking a less traditional academic path, in that you are a student looking to pursue athletics, theater, music or art at the university level.
4. Your high school has a very poor record of college preparation and you believe that you are unique among your peers for wanting to pursue 4-year university immediately following high school graduation.
5. You want to apply to out-of-state or in-state schools that your guidance office says are a “bad fit” or “out of your reach” or “not financially viable”.
6. No one is helping direct you to potential options or many people are offering differing opinions on your future.
7. You are a student-athlete and unsure of how to initiate conversations with college coaches.
8. You need motivation and a lot of positive reinforcement during this very stressful process.
9. You don’t want an all-out war in your house because of the intensity of the college search and application processes.

As for instances when, I believe, working with me has made a significant difference in a student’s life, there are many. Each different student has a different set of needs and recognizing this is the first of many steps. I have many students who had committed so much of their lives to athletics and were extremely talented, but did not want to focus on that in the college process even though it could be a tremendous benefit. They pursued that angle and it helped significantly. I had one student whose SAT test scores, combined for math and reading, totaled less than 800 but was accepted to the flagship campus of one of the top state systems in the country- a top 50 university. He got it because he really got to know the admission counselor for his region on a personal level and she helped become his advocate on the inside because she knew he would be successful once he got there. I have worked with students who had no support at home and those who had parents hovering above them at all hours. Both of these groups needed me to serve as an outlet.

Some need a mentor. Some, a teacher. For others they need a mediator or a counselor. I have been called a big brother and a father-figure, a disciplinarian and a friend. I have been rewarded, many times, with the first phone call once a student finds out that he/she has been accepted to their top-choice school.

But, like everything else in life, do your homework. Check references of the private counselor. Ask if you can meet with former/current students of theirs’. Ask as many questions as you can and be prepared for the extra time that a good consultant might ask you to put towards this process. Remember, we all need advocates in our life. In one form or another, paying for a mentor or a counselor is no different than paying the soccer coach who might end up as a role model or the tutor or the private music instructor. Just be aware of what you expect out of the process and make sure that the counselor you choose is on the same page as you are.

Setting A College Admissions Schedule

I've been doing some writing lately for a few other higher education organizations. I wanted to go ahead and publish, on this blog, an article that I had been asked to write for a wonderful college admissions group based out of Colorado, My U Search. I thought the article had some really positive points. Decide for yourself . . .

No matter how much anyone tells you that you can prepare for the college application process beforehand, it’s inevitable that it will, ultimately, feel like a time-crunch. Too often, the process seems like a race against the clock. And, along with everything else going on during the senior year, the necessary organization is essential if one hopes to find any gratification or enjoyment in this process or senior year, itself.

Although there is no single step more important than the submission by the appropriate deadlines, to assure that these deadlines are met with ease, what you need to do is, read the entire article below, take a deep breath and get to work.

Get to know your teachers. You don’t have to be a “teacher’s pet” just to let your teachers know you care. Introduce yourself the first week of class. Look interested. And once in a while, get to class early or be the last one to leave and make a comment/ask a question about the material that you’re studying that shows you’re thoughtful and intelligent—even if you’re not, it’s good to practice. When grading period comes and you’re hovering between a B+ and an A- (or a C+ and a B-), you bet they’ll remember all those times you went out of your way to be friendly.

Tip #1: Teachers are your greatest allies. Think about how many teenagers they see every day. By showing interest and being thoughtful, you can really stand out in a positive way. This can make all the difference.

Realize that the process involves many steps and the actual applications (requesting information from you like D.O.B., SS#, Address, etc . . .) are the most simple part. So, just because an application is not being released for you to view and fill out, until October of your senior year, does not mean that you can’t get started on it earlier.

Tip #2: Gather basic information about you, your parents and your academic history in a single document, saved somewhere.

The most difficult part of simplifying the process is the selection of colleges that are within your range of possibilities. This means that while not all of your applications should be going to schools that might be a long shot for your acceptance, you can apply to a few- if that’s really where you could picture yourself going to school. Don’t ever apply somewhere just to see if you get in.

Tip #3: No need to apply to 10 schools. Seriously. Apply to 2 that you know you can get in, 2 you want to get in and 1 you would love to go to . . . anywhere! At the end of the day, you only get to go to ONE college. This is a time when you need to learn good judgment and exercise sound, practical thinking.

Over the summer, prior to senior year, begin brainstorming essay ideas. One of the most common essays, which, once it has been written, can be edited to fit many of school’s requirements, ‘discuss a significant obstacle you have overcome, goal you have achieved or event that was meaningful in your life’. Think about it. Get creative. Write it. Refine it. Re-write it.

Tip #4: Don’t go to your parents first for their feedback on your essay. Why? The essay is a wonderful opportunity for you to express yourself in a creative fashion and parents, ordinarily, think that creativity is too risky for something like this. If you intend for parts to be humorous, show it to one of your friends (a smart one, please) and see if they laugh. If not, keep working.

Make sure that you have sat for your standardized tests at least once (SAT and ACT) during your junior year. If you are taking any AP exams, also sit for the correlating SAT II test around the same time (try the May or June dates). This goes for someone who might be a sophomore or freshman taking AP courses, as well. Note: there are not always coordinating SAT II’s, but in most cases, there will be.

Tip #5: You can’t cheat the tests! Know what they look like and how long they take. Sadly, though I hate standardized tests, it is the case that people who score higher on the SAT/ACT tend to earn it. They have prepared and motivated themselves. No one else is sitting for you.

Letters of recommendation should not be just a written description of your activity resume. That information, the applications have gathered. If a college/university is taking the time to read your letter(s) of recommendation, keep in mind that it’s important to utilize a teacher who can speak personally to your strengths, struggles, motivations and goals. Perhaps he/she can emphasize an obstacle that you’ve overcome, a turning point in your academic career that they witnessed, an anecdote that exemplifies your maturity, etc . . . This comes back to #1. To put yourself in the best position to have strong recommendations, you need to be open, honest and intellectually curious with your teachers.

Tip #6: Letters of recommendation are tiebreakers in the application process. If a school wants a letter of recommendation from a teacher of yours, don’t necessarily go to the teacher whose class you got an “A” in, but go to the teacher who witnessed you grow, challenged you to push yourself and would be your biggest champion.

After you have all of this in order, be aware that the application deadlines come and go quickly. Do your best to have a schedule set aside for work on your application essays and short answers (i.e. every Tuesday and Thursday from 3-5:30). When you’re done with those, use your allotted time to go ahead and complete and submit the applications. If you start working on your essays and gathering your information in the first week of September of your senior year- and you were to commit 5 hours each week (as the example above)- you would have invested, well . . . A LOT of time as the deadlines draw near. You would certainly be able to turn in any state school applications (which are on a rolling admissions basis, usually) extremely early (November). If you’re applying for any schools through their early action or early decision options, let those be the first applications you prepare when they become available in the Fall.

Tip #7: If you set a schedule and follow through with it, you will find yourself with much of the application process completed before some of the schools even release their applications. Just by being prepared and giving yourself time to dedicate to this goal, you’re beating the crunch.

College/University-based, merit scholarships are as simple as this: if a school has specific levels of academic scholarships for incoming freshmen, they will, most likely, offer them to a certain percentage of the incoming class - top 10%, for example – based purely on GPA and standardized test scores. You can inquire to learn what their average scholarship recipient was for the year before. But nearly every school increases their selectivity each year as the overall applicant pool is more competitive. Public schools do not always offer these merit scholarships, but most private schools do, excluding the very elite, top-tier universities where every student is deserving of a merit scholarship.

Tip #8: Apply to where you want to apply and worry about the money later. Honestly, college is expensive; you’re going to look at the costs once you’ve been accepted. Don’t let that come into play right now.

As for “outside” scholarships, begin looking into these options as early as possible—perhaps during the summer before your senior year. Before anything, look into all of the local service organizations (Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Knights of Columbus, etc . . .) to see what their qualifications are. Then, make some phone calls around to some companies which are based in your area (insurance companies, law firms, technology companies, restaurants, etc . . .) to see if they offer any scholarships for local, graduating seniors. Also, check in with your school’s guidance office to see what resources they might have available for local scholarships. Be aware that there are many scholarship websites available. However, before you pursue the national $5,000 scholarship that requires an essay about “virtue and what it means to you”, I implore you to look around at these local resources which are offering $250 and $500 opportunities, for, in most cases, much less work and a much higher chance of winning.

Tip #9: Like with your food, shop for scholarships LOCALLY, first. Before your senior year, begin asking around to friends, family, college graduates, teachers and local professionals to see if they can point you in the direction of scholarship opportunity. It will also be a great opportunity to learn how to network yourself!

FAFSA is not as difficult as it seems. You will need the appropriate tax information and a healthy amount of both time and patience. So, FAFSA is the LAST thing you’ll probably be worrying about as it can’t possibly be completed until the taxes from the previous year are filed. In other words, you can’t start the FAFSA until after January 1^st of your senior year and just for the sake of the timeline, try to have it completed around March and you will be okay with the deadlines. This means being organized and getting your taxes done early.

Tip #10: Be organized, be organized, be organized. You WILL be off to a wonderful college, soon. We just don’t know where, yet.

I can't tell them everything I want to tell them ...

Granted, most high school seniors find the most difficult part of their senior year to be brainstorming the ideas for their college admission essays and then, once they’ve got their topic chosen, writing it in the preferred amount of words. Before I go any further, let me say here what I know to be true, the application essay(s) are the most important component of the applications, by far. The point is not to be well-organized with the transition sentences and the specific number of supporting arguments. The point is to be creative and execute whatever you undertake to write (a poem, song, short story, typical essay, etc. . .) with style and verve. Take a risk. Challenge yourself.

That’s the point of pursuing a college education, right? It’s one big risk. You have to move away from home, live with a complete stranger, eat in the same place all the time, get yourself to 8am class, live on hardly any money, choose for yourself what you want to get involved in and be happy about it all—and when you’re not coping with the pressures of this transition, recognize it yourself and seek out your own help. See, college is all about testing YOUR limits. May as well start testing yourself during the application process.

Believe me, I understand how difficult it is to sit down and write about a specific topic, especially when the topic is personal. Writing about oneself is THE most difficult. The only people who seem to be really effective at this are politicians and I don’t know if any of them truly write their own books anyway. Then again, they have lots of practice talking about themselves. The everyday layman, however, does not. This doesn’t mean you don’t have some really interesting or tragic experiences to write about. And, if you can’t think of any- no worries. I always tell my students, the topic doesn’t have to be brilliant. You could write 1,000 words about staring at a fish in a bowl. Just so long as you make it fascinating. You see, the essay is a different type of exam. Though it is by no means standardized, the admission essay does test your ability to say something important about yourself (your terms) but in a regulated number of words (their terms). It’s sort of like your chance at an interview. But it’s also a bit like your first true test of expression.

In high school, no one cares about expression. Your assignment is never to write a poem or a passionate stream of consciousness piece, right? Correct. Your job in high school is to comply with the various and varied standardized tests and write all assignments in such a manner that you’re constantly preparing your organizational writing skills to look like this:

Paragraph 1- Present your generic point of view

Paragraph 2- Present your first supporting argument and example

Paragraph 3- Present your second supporting argument and example

Paragraph 4- Present your thi- . . . and on and on and on

Conclusion - Conclude your paper by re-stating your point of view but don’t present any new facts.

Wow! Doesn’t this just bleed creativity? I know that I, for one, am fairly confident that if a student can write creatively in order to express him/herself caring not whether every thesis statement is perfectly positioned in the first paragraph (as students are taught in high school to be the ONLY proper way to create an introduction) but that the thoughts are organized in a manner that promotes flow and easy understanding for the reader, they will not have to be taught the concept of written expression as it pertains to communication in the post-high school years. And I don’t think there is a single university professor out there who is anxiously awaiting a group of really inept freshmen writers hoping to teach them all how to write a creative and well-thought paper. You see, every person must be able to express emotions and ideas on paper if, for no other reason, than the fact that he/she wants to become effective in the professional world (not to mention one’s personal life where writing and written communication are becoming more and more necessary with the advent of email). I have conversations all the time with both students and parents, alike, where the ability to effectively communicate inevitably comes up as a significant concern of both groups.

The biggest concern for most parents is that their student(s) cannot express themselves on paper. Have they ever been taught? Regardless, this is not the issue. In my opinion, if a student is an avid reader, whether or not he/she has ever had good writing instruction, the level and reading ability comes through in his/her writing. Writing is so unique in that it is not really a teachable craft. I believe that grammar is teachable and a basic knowledge of it certainly will benefit any writer. However, to truly be able to convey a message, one cannot be pushed or prodded but instead must be creatively inspired and practiced. In other words, start writing NOW! Write for ten minutes every day. Write poetry: haiku; limerick; stream of consciousness, etc . . . Write fiction using creative first lines to get you started. If nothing is coming to mind, try this: “Stuck. She was experiencing another case of writer’s block and this time . . .”

Seriously, go for it. Write away. Oh, and don’t forget, the key to all good writing- err, at least the key to all things written well is READING. You’ve taken the first step by reading this blog. Now, go read something more interesting. Then, if you finish your fiction and poetry writing and you are, for whatever reason, craving another assignment but cannot conjure up any ideas, drop me an email, actgroupbrady@gmail.com and, if you want me to read it (and respond), make sure that you have expressed yourself clearly and creatively. I’ll look forward to great things from you in the future.

Education: The Road or the Destination?

I recently distributed a link to a NYTimes article about two private, extremely rigorous, Korean schools and their learning methods. See the article, here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/world/asia/27seoul.html?scp=1&sq=korean+schools&st=nyt

The responses that I received back were all extremely thoughtful. While some were humorous and others seemed distraught at the tactics of the schools, only one caught me off guard, at first. One person, a friend I respect tremendously and who I have known for a very long time, pointed out an interesting trend: “so, to what extent do American writers go to protect our schools from criticism? In every article I read like this, foreign students are characterized as maniacal, insanely-driven students with no goals. Yet, American schools fall behind in every measurable statistic. What are we trying to say in these articles? That other national will try to keep us but they’ll never succeed? Is this a way for us to claim superiority while our economic and social status continues to fall in the world? I’m confused by this article. Students from overseas are consistently smarter and more determined than their American counterparts—why do we vilify and mock them?”

Although I do not believe that the schools mentioned in this article- and any like them, domestic or international- are healthy models, there is an idea of achievement that they are pursuing, which, in relation to many low-performing American schools and in light of the competitive atmosphere for college admissions, is admirable. However, setting unsustainable examples for young people to try and live up to (also, see a more recent article, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/24/nyregion/24lunch.html) and giving them few reasons to achieve, never explaining what the purpose- or road- to achievement can provide for them, is borderline abusive.

In other words, let us think about the idea of education as the end, achievement as the byproduct of a healthy education. Perhaps I’m being obscure. What I mean to say is that no one can guarantee achievement- based on education, social class, physical prowess, etc . . . However, the one element that is universally understood as an indication of success is what a student can do in a discussion, in a free-thinking environment . . . in a classroom. Granted, not every family can provide the luxury of allowing their son or daughter the opportunity to pursue academics without the thought of earning potential. In fact, even if they could, many families insist from early on that their child(ren) begin to exhaust themselves in order to have a “better life”. But, just imagine if we could afford every student the opportunity to pursue whatever interested him or her, academically and vocationally. That it were somehow financially beneficial to pursue the study of philosophy just for the sake of ideas used to be something that people did. It seems like this is an antiquated idea of the American dream. No longer is it feasible. Somewhere, somehow, there has to be a happy-medium between the students in the articles above and the typical, disinterested, unmotivated, purposeless American high schooler. I believe that this can be overcome, one book, one student, one mentor, one step at a time.

Quick follow-up on Potential

In my professional experience as an educational counselor and in education as an industry, there is a very disturbing vocabulary phenomenon: potential. This is the new overly- competitive or out-of-touch parent’s excuse for/defense of, their child’s underwhelming academic performance. It is my belief that potential has its place in the context of positive reinforcement. In other words, when a person is dedicated and committed to achieving a specific goal(s), I say they are putting effort into realizing their potential. This takes place in the classroom, the arts and the athletic arena.

However, all too often, parents defend their children by placing blame on someone, or something else, for the child’s own obvious lack of motivation, enthusiasm and success.

It is imperative for teachers to begin to reassert themselves in the classroom as experts on education and understanding each individual student in their care. In other words, the days of parents making phone calls to change a “B+” to an “A-” or complaining that their student cannot possibly be the cause of interruption as the teacher claims, should be over. Not only does this give a false impression of a student’s intelligence, it undermines the role of the teacher and punishes them for being objective, but it also gives the student an inflated sense of accomplishment and comfort while setting him/her up for failure when the primary school years come to an end.

The "P" Word: A Musing on Potential

Why are the educational appetites of our students so diminished? Is it the spirit-draining war in Iraq? Is it the fear of (not getting in to) college? Perhaps it is the cell phone, text message, email-age of quick communication, condensed vocabulary and instant-gratification? But why, when the current generation of our youth is viewed in contrast with other important generations in American history, does our generation come up so (a)pathetically short? Is it the comfort of middle-class American life which seems to be exponentially increasing this silo effect? I doubt that the answer is simple. I doubt the cause is singular. And I doubt that the remedy is achievable without drastic systemic changes being implemented. I do think that there are certain fundamental steps that can and should be taken which will, if seriously implemented, slowly reverse this current downward spiral. I can almost sense the lack of oxygen in this room! We’re all pondering the same question: where do we start?

First of all, begin to hold schools more accountable for why your child is not reading. Why are some schools focusing so much on teaching to these antiquated tests which have very little impact or long-term indication of student intelligence (or success, for that matter), instead of just fostering the creative senses that all children tend to view the world through . . . the senses that only reading, writing and activity can enhance? I know of a school that will not allow students in eleventh grade to advance to the twelfth grade unless they have taken the SAT and the ACT at least once (no matter their GPA, no matter their educational or vocational goals). This is certainly a marketing tactic which does resound with those parents who have been sold on the fear factor. In other words, ‘for those families who believe that education and children are a hands-off endeavor, here, we are the school for you.’ For the other 99% of parents out there, do not buy the pressure. Perhaps what you want to check out first, before enrolling your student into a school, is not whether they will help prepare your son or daughter for one, four hour exam, but whether the teachers can recommend any pleasure-reading books for your child? Perhaps they are keeping up on grade-appropriate reading themselves and they have recently read a story that your child would really enjoy because of a specific link in character between your child and the one in the story. Call me non-conformist, but I do not want a child taking swim lessons from a man who does not know how to swim, himself. And this seems to be the analogy that I can link to the idea of a teacher not being able to offer parents an idea or two for some simple, pleasure-reading books. Other questions: What are their homework philosophies? Are teachers accessible for after school help or tutoring? Perhaps, most importantly, what can your child learn from one teacher at “X” school that he/she cannot learn from another teacher at “Y” school? In other words, ask a teacher why HE/SHE would send a child to their specific school and not the one down the street. Sometimes, honesty and humility is exactly what you’re looking for from a person who will be influencing your child’s development.

Indeed, I am very good at what I do. I have some strong relationships with college and university admissions offices and I take my job as an advocate of education very seriously. That being said, I cannot help a student who was not already potential Ivy League-material gain admission into Columbia, Brown or UPenn just because a parent pays me. That’s not the goal of the “right fit” student/university relationship. I also know that there are no ways to “cheat” these standardized tests, the lengthy admissions processes or, for that matter, the rest of your life. All too often I hear the word “potential” used when a parent sits down with me to describe their son/daughter. A word of advice, do not think that potential is the answer to anything. Parents can only claim potential until they experience the reality: potential is like effort, but the bottom line is that a student either does or does not do something! In other words, “X Man” may have the potential to be able to finish a marathon under 4 hours, but as long as “X Man” keeps running 5 hour marathons because he chooses to not train, his potential is actually not so much “potential” but unrealistic and out of touch. Potential does not mean a thing to a high school physics teacher who teaches a class of mostly-failing kids, all of whose parents have been swearing, since the fourth grade, that theirs really has a lot of potential for science- if only they would be less lazy and apply themselves! Too often parents expect that their son or daughter will work with me and, voila, they will achieve off-the-charts results. On the contrary, my little reading “secret”, the one that I just shared with you, is the same thing that I tell even my most loyal and trusted families. Now, how we go about making this happen . . . this is a whole different mystery.

It's Gettin' Hot in Here: Professional Pressure Cookers

One of my fiance's good friends from Columbia recently came to visit for a weekend. Quick background: this friend happens to be a former private college counselor; she is currently enjoying life in the admissions office at a top, private school in Wisconsin. Aside from all of their hilarious memories shared (sadly, though I have heard them before, they still make me laugh), many interesting higher education topics discussed and a little trip to South Beach for some people-watching, I was offered some very interesting insight on their Ivy League experiences and the "pressure to find a 'successful' career", as they remembered it, for many months leading up to graduation day.
I can't easily compare my experience with theirs as I was enrolling, immediately upon graduation, in an M.A. program and to me, that was all that mattered. Luckily, I was offered a full-time position on campus after graduation, then (oh my goodness!) a graduate assistantship coaching, then a part-time research job, then another graduate assistantship . . . For me, this period of my life seemed blessed. At the time, it was living a dream. I was actually able to pursue avenues that were mine to choose. However, at the same time, I remember very little pressure coming from my mom, my friends or professors. I was never venturing home to find someone waiting for me with tips on how to approach an interview, how I should dress or what I should say to people. I never heard anyone say, "You need to be networking!" Thankfully, people in my life seemed to think it was okay for me to just pursue whatever options I had at the time and that no life decisions had to be made on the spot. This, however, was so clearly not the case with these two Ivy Leaguers.
Not only did they both suffer great anxieties during the entirety of their senior year but so did everyone else who they could remember. There is the friend who got an "amazing" job as an investment banker but quit within months and has since, four years later, been earning $7/hr getting coffee for folks on various production sets in Hollywood-- she's 26 and still working towards her dream. There are the group of friends who all got the coveted internships at the financial companies (i.e. Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch) and who, since getting these prestigious positions post-graduation, have all left them and entered into 'power firms' such as The Peace Corps, Teach America and Teach English as a Foreign Language, in any of a number of exotic countries abroad. So, naturally, the next question that comes to mind: where is this pressure created? Who is it created by?
My answer (my answer for just about everything): Parents. Why? It is true that parents work hard and want more for their children. It is true that parents, whether they are financially supporting a student or not, ARE responsible for support in other forms (i.e. emotional, psychological, verbal, etc . . .). So, it's easy to understand, taking this (and so much more) into consideration, why a parent would feel so invested in the college education of their student. And then, say a family did invest anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 in that university education, it's fair to expect something in return, right? It's fair to expect that your student will come out of college as an enlightened and highly motivated, money-earning machine. No. In fact, it's not only completely unfair to have those (or any) expectations, but it's entirely illogical and impractical. A parent can have no concept of what their student went through, learned or experienced during the college years. I spoke to my mom on an extremely regular basis (still do, in fact) and am extremely open with what I share with her. However, for her to have a concept of what should fulfill me . . . not a chance. Every parent applauds the son or daughter of their friend who enlists in the Peace Corps or Volunteer America. But the minute your son or daughter tells you that this is what he/she wants to do-- err, not good, right?
My fiance's friend told us about how her mom still says things to her like, "you graduated from Columbia, why are you dating HIM?"; "You have an Ivy League education and you're making so little". Aye, as if young people who have been well educated, ever needed anyone reminding them of the disparities in life or, for that matter, the possibilities on the "other side".
Certainly it's not ALL on mom and dad. Another significant contributor to the pressure- the schools, themselves. They reap the rewards of having their alumni become CEO's and Senators. However, if you do the simple math, it's impractical to think that each student is going to be a financial "success" directly out of college- or EVER, for that matter. Just like every university is looking to diversify its student body with valedictorians and athletes, thespians and activists, when these folks graduate they won't all be streamlined into the financial sector. But what are they told when they get to school, at orientation, during freshman commencement ceremonies? They are told that they are tomorrow's leaders, the next President, the next CEO . . . Well, what about being the next Teacher or the next great Librarian? What about being the next person to volunteer with an orphanage in Namibia? Or climb Mt. Kilimanjaro? Or, perhaps, instead of being the "next" anything, maybe they could tell you how you're the First YOU and because of that, they will open up and make available any doors and avenues that they can, in order to give you a better opportunity to blaze your own trail. Ahh, the old art of being an individual. Don't succumb to the pressure of the place. Create your own environment and reaffirm that your convictions are right.
Now, understand that I do not believe that everyone who takes that coveted Goldman Sachs internship straight out of college is just confused. There are certainly those out there who do know precisely where they want to be and how they're going to get there. More power to them. This, however, is rare. Commendable, yes. But rare, nonetheless. So, instead of urging colleges and universities to tout their elitism according to their quick graduate job placement, let's take a survey of satisfaction with university career services and centers , 4, 10, 16 months post-graduation. Let's see which schools are really in it for their students and which are in it for their ranking.
So, when you're starting to feel the pressure to be placed in a fantastic position after your senior year. Please remember, there's always going to be time to feel anxieties and pressures. Senior year of college is such a valuable time and transition that it does not need to be overshadowed by the job search process. Oh, that reminds me, the idea is the same for high school. The next step will work out just fine. You will get in somewhere. We just don't know where . . . yet. Keep working hard and learning to enjoy your hard work for what it is- purposeful. I commend you all on your patience and perspective. Parents, you especially. What I have said is extremely difficult to do as a parent, I am sure. However, know that you ARE doing everything you can by giving your student the freedom to choose and the freedom of his/her convictions. Cheers!