More Myths About College Admissions – Part III by Dr. Paul Lowe – College Admissions Guru

In March, I provided “Top Ten Myths About College Admissions.”  I received an overwhelmingly positive response from parents (and even students) who were in the final throes of the college admissions season.  In my July 2nd seminar for international families and students, we expanded the myths list to 15.  I want to share the additional myths with the avid readers of my blog who were unable to attend (which I have recently discovered is read by international  parents and students who reside, Mexico, France, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, India, Nigeria and Qatar).  As I have stated in these blogs:  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.  As recently as June, in my college admissions seminar:  “What Your High School Counselor Doesn’t Know May Affect Your Child’s Future!” at the YWCA Greenwich, I discovered the continued pervasiveness of these myths. 

Here is part 3 of my blog; additional top myths that I hear and believe are important to dispel: 

Myth # 11:  You can’t get into a selective college if you did poorly in the ninth and tenth grade.

Wrong!  Let’s face it. Selective colleges are selective!  They carefully choose whom they wish to enter their gates!  However, selective colleges look for improvement in performance as a sign that you can and will do the work.  In fact, vast improvement as a junior and senior indicates to a college that you have settled down.  However, do not expect to catch up for three poor years in one good semester as a senior. 

Myth # 12:  You need to decide on a major before you can choose a college.

College is a time to explore and admissions officers know that.  Except in a few specific cases, you can choose a major in your sophomore year and still complete your degree in four years.  Don’t let well-meaning friends pressure you into deciding on a major.  And of course, please don’t try to game the admissions process by choosing what you believe to be the appropriate major for gaining admissions. 

Myth # 13:  International students have a far more difficult time gaining admissions to selective colleges.  If you believe in this myth then you believe that college admissions is not global competition.  International student simply means that their primary residence is outside the U.S.  In my experience and practice international students are global citizens.  They are usually fluent in at least 2 languages, in addition to English, they travel extensively, and many attend US boarding schools.  Additionally, admissions officers from selective colleges travel and aggressively recruit students to add to their global college communities.  In many cases, international students are far more prepared for the global and competitive admissions process than U. S. students. 

Myth # 14:  Liberal arts colleges do not have great science programs.

The “liberal” in liberal arts means “broadening” and “freeing” -- as in freeing one’s mind from myopic thinking.  The term liberal arts is a shortened version of the full title: liberal arts and sciences.  Most liberal arts colleges have been emphasizing science to all students for a century or more.  Three liberal arts colleges that I can think of that have strong science departments: Harvard, Yale and Princeton.  I would be remiss if I did not include my undergraduate alma mater: Brown, since my concentrations were biology and physics!

Myth # 15:  Selective colleges are only concerned with my activities, test scores, Common Application and academic achievement and development.  Actually, they are interested in more!  In my professional experience and discussions with admissions officers, the aforementioned criteria only provide a starting point for a committee discussion.   Admissions committees take into consideration the candidates “soft” qualities, including their cultural, emotional, and successful intelligences.  They review how and why things connect.  More importantly, as a committee,  they collectively evaluate how a student will dynamically affect and contribute to their incoming freshman class and become a part of their school enrollment profile and identity.  And you thought admissions committee decisions were quantifiable, formulaic and predictable?  

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) and Greenwich Admissions Advisors (www.greenwichadmissionsadvisors.com) International Admissions Advisors (www.internationaladmissionsadvisors.com) Tel: (203) 387-1574 | (203) 542-7288 | (212) 829-4341