The Education of the College Parent

The Atlantic: "Many undergrads, especially those who live on campus, are caught in a sort of limbo between dependence and independence, making their own rules and schedules but relying on their parents to help them navigate financial-aid applications and health insurance. Students may have to do their own grocery shopping, but there’s a good chance their parents are still footing the bill; they may live in a dorm, but their home is still likely their parents’ house, a place to which they return on breaks and during the summer. And this limbo, it turns out, may spur a healthy evolution in students’ relationship with their parents."

"In one recent survey of roughly 14,500 college students across the U.S., three in five respondents said their relationship with their parents had improved since they started college; a quarter said the relationship was 'much better.' Perhaps that’s in part because geographical distance fosters in students a greater appreciation for their parents. Students’ tendency to describe the relationship as improved 'could be indicative of a shift in how young adults view the role of the parent as one of confidant and adviser rather than authoritarian,' says Tisha Duncan, an education professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina."

"As long as parents embrace their role as advisers—rather than trying to hold on to their authority into college and beyond—they can not only better prepare their emerging-adult kids for full-fledged adulthood, but improve their bond with them, too."

Colleges & The Out-of-State of Mind

Inside Higher Ed: "Since the economic downturn hit in 2008, many public colleges have attempted to become destinations for students from all over the country. Institutions like the University of Vermont have long pursued such a strategy, but they have been aided by the fact that there aren't that many Vermonters. In states like California, such moves have been controversial. The University of California agreed to some limits on out-of-staters in a deal with then governor Jerry Brown to get more money."

According to a survey by Inside Higher Ed, "57 percent of admissions leaders at public colleges say they have been seeking to increase out-of-state enrollment, and 75 percent of them report being successful. Twenty percent report facing political scrutiny over the practice. However, more admissions directors than in the past value out-of-state students for their brains (or other attributes), not tuition revenue. Only 41 percent said out-of-state students were essential for tuition revenue, down from 55 percent in 2016."

"Part of the out-of-state enrollment picture, for public and private colleges, is international students. Fifty-eight percent of admissions directors are concerned about maintaining the same number of international students they have had, up one percentage point from last year ... In the current environment, a slight majority (51 percent) say that they will increase scholarships to maintain current enrollment levels. That figure is up sharply from previous years."

Art & Science: Nailing the Admissions Essay

The goal may be to give all parts of the application equal attention, but that doesn’t mean that each section requires the same level of effort. As one admissions officer pointed out, most of the application is effectively written even before the student logs in and starts filling it out: grades, test scores, curriculum, rigor and family background are already set, and teacher/guidance counselor recommendations are submitted separately.

This leaves the writing portions of the application, the personal essay and supplemental essays, as arguably the greatest variables. Not surprisingly, when we asked our survey respondents to identify the parts of the application most likely to undermine an otherwise strong application, a 45% plurality said: the essay. However, not far behind were teacher recommendations (39%); extracurricular activities (37%); and supplemental essays (29%). This underscores the importance of taking a holistic, integrated approach.

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Which of the following sections is most likely to undermine an otherwise strong application?

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In a separate question, we asked how likely it is that the essay “makes or breaks” an application, and the response cast a different light. A total of about 40 percent said either “unlikely” (35%) or “very unlikely” (5%). Just 17 percent said “likely,” while 42 percent said “neutral.” In our follow-up interviews, the consensus was that while it was true an exceptional essay could move a student into the admit column, and a truly awful one could be fatal, most often the essay is not determinative. This is not meant to diminish the importance of the essay, but rather put it in some perspective. It’s yet another marker of the prevailing “holistic” admissions philosophy.

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How likely is the main essay to "make or break" an application?

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However, when we asked our admissions officers for their best piece of advice to applicants, and then generated a “word cloud” based on their open-ended responses, by far the largest word, right in the center was: essay.

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In another question, we asked respondents to identify the most common problems with the essay, and the number-one response was “lack of focus/message,” selected by a whopping 75 percent. The issue was perhaps best telegraphed by an admissions officer at a highly selective liberal arts school, who told us that the essay’s message should be so succinct you could fit it on a T-Shirt. “Not down the sleeves and on the back,” she said, "Just on the front.”

Several others echoed this sentiment in various ways, noting that altogether too many essays fail to meet the basic standard of any good story. Usually this means a beginning a middle and an end (though not necessarily in that order), and always with a conflict and, most important, a resolution. The single-most important thing is to show some progression, change and growth. The essay should also provide insight into the student’s values and how he or she thinks and takes on challenges.

Far behind, at roughly equal levels were “boring/unoriginal” (41.5%); inadequately proofed (41.5%); and poorly written (37%). “Obvious adult interference” logged in 28 percent (parents take note!). Somewhat at odds with our “holistic” meta-theme, just 17 percent chose “inconsistent with rest of application.”

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What are the most common errors made in the main essay?

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Being original presents its own special challenges, as it is highly unlikely that a student will come up with a topic that has never before been written about. Three of the most common topics are the sports/injury story, the mission trip and a family crisis of some kind (usually a divorce or death). Every one of the admissions officers we interviewed stressed that while they do not relish reading five essays a day about getting kicked off the field hockey team, the issue is less about the topic itself than what the student brings to it.

Students can be memorable without being original when they let their “voice” do the talking and write an essay that only they could have written. Yes, that is challenging, but so is college. Nor does it need to be a literary masterpiece. It can be simply conceived and written but powerful if it connects on an emotional level and genuinely captures what matters most to the student.

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Next: How Activities Influence Admissions

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