Getting in to Their First Choice

January 2006 Special Advertising Section

For most parents, the college admissions process is daunting. It’s the first real opportunity for your kids to cast a decisive line toward the uncertain future, and yet they can seem decidedly uninterested.  Chances are, though, they are very interested, or at least a lot more than you might think. The B- in calculus you’re worried about? They’re probably worried about it too.

Minnesota’s most competitive colleges (and counselors at a few area prep schools) and asked for their advice on how students can increase their odds of getting in to their top picks.

The Application: Make It Riveting, Not Rote
The application is the single most important way in which students present themselves to the schools of their choice. Daniel Lugo, assistant dean of admissions at Carleton College in Northfield, uses the application to gauge a student’s aptitude for “academic rigor and intellectual curiosity.” When Kris Getting, director of admissions and financial aid at the University St. Thomas in St. Paul, reads a great application, she’s “learned enough about the student to know whether she’ll succeed academically and also if she will benefit from what the university offers.” So while you may feel that your child’s application speaks for itself, there’s likely room improvement. Here’s where to start.

• Encourage your kids to earn good grades in the most challenging and rigorous courses they can handle. Students shouldn’t be afraid to push themselves, even as they remain cognizant of their limits.

• Ask for recommendations from teachers who can address more than the student’s good grades. By this, we mean people who can speak to the applicant’s passion for learning, particularly in their area of interest.

• Students should explain in the application how they can contribute to the campus community. Both St. Thomas and Carleton like to see not only motivation to get involved, but also students who have demonstrated that their skills and ambitions match the school. Sue Berg, director of The International School of Minnesota, suggests students ask themselves “What makes me tick?” as a way to hone in on what they have in common with prospective campuses. 

The Essay: A Way to Say “Here’s Who I Am”
The application essay is quite possibly one of the most stressful parts of the admissions process. Admissions counselors enjoy reading essays (they really do!) because they offer a glimpse at the applicant that is often more telling than high-school grades or test scores. Mark Anderson, dean of admissions at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, calls the essay “a real opportunity to shine by sharing your personality.” Here’s what he looks for:

• A strong and clear voice. Readers want to get to know the essay writer—not his neighbor’s mom, Oprah Winfrey, or even F. Scott Fitzgerald—so the  best thing a student can do is write in his own words. And don’t solicit feedback from thirty people either. One or two trusted friends or family members will help the applicant stay truer to his own voice.

• A thoughtful, well-organized, and succinct piece of writing free of spelling and grammatical errors. Students would be wise to think twice before experimenting with poetry, fiction, or other non-expository forms of writing. If it’s not brilliant (a subjective assessment, of course), it’ll likely backfire.

• A sense of purpose. Sometimes the essay is the perfect time to answer the question, “Why do I want to go here?” To do this effectively, understand the school’s core values or mission statement. Admissions counselors love to see that a student has spent time thinking about whether he and the school are a good fit.

• Essay writers should NOT explain why they want to attend a different school than the one they’re supposed to be writing about. Sure, you laugh, but Anderson reads a few of these misguided essays every year.