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Top Ten Myths About College Admissions – Part II by Dr. Paul Lowe – College Admissions Guru

Top Ten Myths About College Admissions – Part II

I have been a college admissions advisor for over 17 years.  I personally visit over 100 colleges annually, talk with admissions officers and deans at colleges at their respective schools and attend international and U.S. higher education conferences.  Yet, year after year, I hear students and parents falling prey to myths that keep students from getting into the college of their choice or worse settling for a second and third choice school after years of hard work.

 

Here is part 2 of my blog; the second five myths that I hear and believe are important to dispel:

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Myth # 6:  Supplemental essays aren’t really important as the main Common Application essays.

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Wrong!  The supplemental essays add dimension and depth to your main essays and are school-specific.  The short-answer essays may seem simple but are quite complicated.  The main purpose of a short-answer essay is to see if your answer can be clear, concise and meaningful in the allotted space.

 

Myth # 7:  My grades are more important than which classes I take.

Admissions officers prefer to see students challenge themselves with harder classes, even if they don’t have a 4.0, than students who have straight A’s and 4.0 because they have been taking an easier class load.

 

Myth # 8:  Top students from suburban or elite private schools don’t hire educational consultants.

Wrong!  A recent study showed 26% of high-achieving students used a private college admissions consultant to assist them with their college admissions process.  The new survey provides evidence that educational consultants work with approximately 160,000 college applicants each year.  Additional research has indicated that many international students, who applied to Ivy League and top-tier colleges and who were accepted, hired educational consultants.

 

Myth # 9:  Being a legacy increases my chances of admission to my parent’s alma mater.

Well, not really.  Sure, being a legacy does help, in some cases.  But the rejection rates amongst legacy applicants at some schools are as high as 80 percent.  If you’re rejected as a legacy applicant, then what?  It’s best to thoroughly prepare and plan for your admissions process even as a legacy applicant.

 

Myth # 10:  Because my child attends an elite private school they’ll get into a top-choice college.

Really?  There is no doubt that students who attend private schools receive a great education.  I know,  I personally visit private schools annually and see this.  But statistically, since the 1950’s the percentage of students from private schools who have been accepted to top-tier schools have been dropping.  There are approximately 50 top private schools in the US and over 300 top public high schools , and let’s also add to the mix home schools, international schools and community college applicants.  Just do the numbers.  There is a lot of competition out there.  Year after year, I hear of the disaster stories from private school parents whose seniors received rejection letters from their top-choice schools and have to settle for their safety schools.

 

Dr. Lowe is President of Pinnacle Educational Center and Managing Director of the Admissions Advisors Group.  He is the lead admissions expert at the Admissions Advisors Group: Woodbridge Admissions Advisors (www.woodbridgeadmissionsadvisors.com)  (203) 387-1574, Greenwich Admissions Advisors (www.greenwichadmissionsadvisors.com) (203) 542-7288 and International Admissions Advisors (www.internationaladmissionsadvisors.com

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