Lessons Learned: Wisdom from Application Cycles Past
Wisdom is usually something that happens gradually over time, through accumulation of life lessons and experience that only years can bring. In the competitive world of college admissions, however, each high school student has only one chance to get their game right. Access College America strives to be the wise grandparent on the porch, looking at each application cycle with a calm and knowing eye as the rocking chair creaks. In analyzing the trends of the past several years, there are several patterns that are apparent in the long view. And while your high schooler may not have the luxury of accumulated wisdom of applying to college, we do. So while we hope that we still have a few years left before actually LOOKING like grandparents, here are a few wise tidbits we can share before retiring to the rocking chair:
1. Application rates continue to skyrocket at highly selective schools
Yes, the popularity contest is real. Highly selective, big-name schools like UT Austin, Texas A&M, Chapel Hill, Duke and many others continue to receive record numbers of applications, and the trend is likely to continue. Southeastern schools with popular sports teams are gaining numbers, as are ivy-adjacent schools such as University of Michigan and UC Berkeley.
More than ever, it is important to balance your college list with safeties, targets and reaches and look into the specific atmosphere and program you will be applying to. Remember, college isn’t a bumper sticker, and while the aforementioned universities have lots to offer, so do many others with double-digit admit rates.
Bottom Line - don’t put all of your eggs in the reach school basket. Keep expectations grounded and realistic.
2. Testing is Back - Big time
…and more important than ever. Especially for STEM majors, a competitive test score is table stakes at highly selective colleges, so my advice is to have a testing strategy in place on or around the summer before the junior year. I recommend taking a practice, diagnostic ACT and SAT during 11th grade summer to see which test suits the student best. Then, come up with a strategy of potential test dates after focused preparation that includes group classes, private tutoring, online help, or all of these. Colleges do NOT need to see every testing attempt (with a few exceptions), so don’t share your scores until YOU are ready. I understand, however, that burnout is real, so plan for about three tries and then move on to other application tasks.
Bottom Line - More selective schools are requiring tests. Plan a testing strategy early and prioritize test prep starting in the summer before the 11th grade year.
3. Authenticity is IN
With more and more schools espousing a Holistic Review Process, in which non-numerical factors of the application are important factors in admission (extracurriculars, the main essay, letters of recommendation, supplemental essays), one of the BEST things a student can do is cultivate an authentic application where their interests and direction truly shine. This means taking challenging coursework that relates to their major, seeking leadership and depth in extracurriculars they genuinely care about, and ensuring that the application reads like the major the student is applying to. Students should cultivate intellectual curiosity around their major of interest, and seek leadership where appropriate. This can take the form of homegrown projects, volunteering, paid employment, clubs, etc.
Bottom Line - Your application should read like the major you are applying to. Cultivate extracurriculars based on genuine interest and do them deeply and well.
4 - Early Decision/Early Action are more important than ever
The Early Decision/Early Action college admission rates continue to outpace regular decision acceptances by leaps and bounds. Though Early Decision is binding, a strategic move to apply ED to your top reach school may be a good option. The one caveat, however, is the financial piece. Be sure to run the net price calculator on any school before making that binding choice. I usually recommend that all students apply Early Action for several reasons. It will give students an edge (though less than ED) with admit rate, it is a way to demonstrate interest, decisions are returned more quickly, etc. Prioritizing applying early to all schools on your list allows more time for scholarship and honors college applications, which usually have early deadlines as well.
Bottom Line - Preparing and submitting applications early is always a good choice, and if Early Action is an option, go for it. If you are choosing an Early Decision strategy, do so with college costs in mind.
These are just a few of the important trends that we have learned over the past several application cycles, and we are always analyzing the trends to gain wise insight for our 9th, 10th and 11th graders. If you would like help navigating these and other trends for your high school student, schedule your Discovery Call and learn more about our services today!
