This page links to a college guide, originally written in October 2019, aimed at helping students and families in Washington State with the college admissions process. It is based on experiences with family members and friends.
Fyi, I assist people with web marketing. This guide is created as a community service and is hosted on a shared Microsoft One Drive folder for easy updating.
This guide is 77 pages. It is meant as a reference, for multiple years, for a wide range of starting points. It is not a quick read. Read the intro, then look at the table of contents to find the parts that are relevant for you at this time.
Update of Sept 28, 2023
A few reflections as I'm further along on the parent journey of college students.
1. Covid has impacted a lot of students. Finding the right fit is a lot harder for applicants because assessing one's starting point is more difficult. The SAT had its problems, but at least it was a reality check and the process of studying helped students fill in some foundational gaps. I wrote that point below in my Feb comments and believe that even more now.
Talking with students who are now in years 2 or 3 of college, I realize how different their high school preparation was than those who were older. Unfortunately, colleges are not really set up to provide remediation. Example: math. My strong hunch is a lot of high schools did not have an opportunity to repeat a class that was taken during Covid, where the students might not have learned the content very well. Examples: Geometry, Trig, Algebra 2. So what to do? Does the school have math boot camps? or summer courses? These foundations are very important. This needs to be a factor in looking at what schools are a best match.
2. Getting into majors can be very challenging at some schools. An undergrad at the University of Washington did some research using Freedom of Information Act laws to obtain rubrics for some programs at the UW. These rubrics are only for students who are already at the UW or are transferring from colleges. This is not freshmen (and some schools have majors mostly filled with students admitted out of high school). Each of the four has a different mix of academics, courses where grades are reviewed, and other factors. The web site is https://getuwmajor.com/ and the story in the Seattle Times is here: https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/uw-student-spills-secrets-to-getting-into-most-desirable-majors/ . I do not want to pick on the UW. Many other schools have capacity constraints as well, I just don't know how they work. I did hear of one student who got a B minus so even though she was admitted as a pre major, she could not continue into the major. She needed a B.
Again there are notable differences between majors. I've recently had an exchange with a professor from a major state university. My impression, based on talking with a dozen or so students and faculty from that school over the years, is that the school had a very strict curve policy. However, the prof is in a different field than those I've talked with, and said there were no forced curves in her department or in others she knows of. Well, my sources have all been in STEM. This hows how there can be differences within a university, and this is illustrated by the difference of graduating Cum Laude: the high to get Cum Laude is 3.94, the low is 3.69. (It is also striking how much higher the grades are now than 20 to 30 years ago.).
3. Evaluating schools is really hard. Students in one department can have very different experiences from other students in different departments. I've looked at a lot of schedules of classes, and have learned the actual opportunities can be somewhat different than what's described on the web sites. This is more true for smaller schools, but can also be an issue at bigger schools too. You may think "at this school I can take that and this and this other one spring of junior year, that will be great, I can double major", but then, maybe not, the classes may be at the same time, or a prof may to on leave, or maybe something happened with the sequence or pre reqs.
4. Applicants need to be brutally honest about what they add to the diversity of the applicant pool. Then they need to think very carefully about Early Decision programs if those are offered.
At smaller schools, up to 25% of the slots go to student athletes. Some other slots will go to people filling specific majors (I remember seeing an admit letter from a friend whose child got into a college that take 5% of applicants. The letter stated very bluntly the child was admitted for a specific major, and if they changed their plans they should notify the the school, and then the implication was 'we're likely to revoke your admission.'" Some slots will go to students who will participate in specific clubs and programs that are important to the institution (speech/debate, drama, music). Some will be admitted so the stats of underrepresented groups look like they are improving. The colleges do need full pay students. Jeff Selingo's book is outstanding at describing this process. Some schools may value family ties, aka "legacies", but it is hard to tell how many will admit a student only because of that factor.
Here's where Early Decision comes in. The admit rates are usually a lot higher. In part it is because the athletes or other recruits. In part though, it is because of the students giving up financial leverage, and basically saying they will pay whatever the college says they can afford. And this year, with the delay of FAFSA until Dec 1 at least (did someone save this is essential for the government during a shut down). it is harder than ever. I do not want to badmouth colleges, but there were a few, here's looking at you Santa Clara, whose estimated costs from entering info on their site and the actual cost once admitted that they wanted to charge were very different. (And if the costs went up for any reason, including because on campus housing wasn't available, we could not count on any higher amount of aid, the offer was a fixed dollar amount).
Schools will compound the stress by having ED2., and calling up applicants in January who are not applying via the ED2 route but the regular route and saying "if you switch, your chances of admissions go way up."
For this reason, I am a fan of schools that don't have ED. But some students and families want the certainty, or there are other factors. Just be sure the school works under a wide range of circumstances. What if in May the student decides on a different major? Then does that school still work?
5. If you really want to be competitive for a particular college, find mentors (consultants) who know something about that college's admissions. This may require paying for services.
This is a hard topic to write about. But the recent lawsuit losses by Harvard and U of North Carolina does not mean colleges will be radically different in admissions. They will have their goals, and they will do want they need to do to reach those goals. We need to stop thinking college is pure, noble, Not A Business.
6. Apply to colleges that match your strengths.
Example: if you took the SAT or ACT, and have a great score, apply to colleges that value that part of your application. If a school ignores test scores, maybe your grades will get you in, but then again maybe the colleges care about a lot of factors (example: Cal Tech no longer cares if kids have taken advanced math, though a caution - students who are at high schools with advanced math who didn't take that class really don't have a chance of getting in). https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2023/09/21/no-calculus-no-problem-caltechs-admissions
I do not want to diss CalTech. They are right on target: some schools do not have advanced opportunities. The Highline District where I reside (south of Seattle) no longer offers Algebra in middle school. That makes it impossible to take Calculus unless a student doubles up on math, which is hard to do for many reasons. (San Francisco is also following this approach, but they have work arounds such as summer programs that Highline does not have )
This is where advising and counseling becomes so important. I would suggest working with counselors who are ethical, have integrity, and have worked with applicants at specific colleges AND majors of interest. So, not just state university engineering programs, but mechanical applicants in Big 10 (Big 18?) schools
7. Keep your integrity.
The college application process can be very stressful. Compounding this in my opinion: "getting in" but doing so because of ethical shortcuts. An example would be mis-stating one's hardships or identity.
Colleges can revoke admissions. There are a few stories that will make the news. But the bigger issue is: you have to live with yourself. Don't be in a position where you thing "I got in because I lied on my application statement." That will be incredibly stressful.
8. Be certain to apply to a school that works academically, financially and outside the classroom where you are 100% sure you will be admitted. Ok 99%.
Even if your high school has sent a lot of students to a particular college with backgrounds similar to yours, .there are never guarantees when that school admits less than 50% of applicants. (and not some majors at those schools may only admit 10% - 25% of applicants, not 50%).
Out of classroom - consider travel costs at the times parents and child will actually be going. Costs can really spike at parent weekend, football game weekends, move in and gradation weekends, and holidays. It greatly helps if bus, train or carpools with capable drivers are options. Consider weather too, a drive may work some seasons but not others.
And the cost needs to include the reality of how it will take to graduate. Some majors' four year plans were always a stretch, and for kids who have Covid learning loss, are simply not realistic.
Update of Feb 16, 2023
Time flies. I have partly decompressed from the college search. It can be a very draining experience. Are readers interested in an update? Please email me if yes and I'll consider writing a revised version. I think there are three things that really stand out:
1. A lot of high school students are at a different starting point than kids pre Covid. "Best fit" is a lot more difficult to determine. I would pay a lot of attention to academic holes, for example math. Will a college be able to fill them? How are they adjusting starting points? What do students need to do to really be ready for a particular college>
2. Housing. Wow have prices gone up. For many students at in state schools rent will cost more than tuition. At some private schools, the numbers listed for housing costs may be based on on-campus prices, but there may not bbe nearly enough con campus housing for all students in years 2 and following. Buyer beware, living off campus may involved a lot more driving which can be very costly.
3. Culture, academic freedom, ideology. Indoctrination? It is a confusing time to figure out what students are actually going to learn in college. I would pay a lot of attention to stories from groups like FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). It is really important to hear a wide range of beliefs. Some schools want to 'cancel' any comments they don't like . Buyer beware, buyer be willing to change directions and interests.
4. Bonus comment - Understand institutional goals and agendas. Be willing to walk.
Update of June 3, 2022
What a year of surprises. I have talked with several parents, and participated extensively in online forums. Simply put, the college process seems wackier than ever.
Readers, do you want an update of the college guide? What are some big concerns? Please drop me a line: stuartjenner AT comcast DOT net
I think one of the biggest challenges is housing costs. Many off campus prices have increased significantly. Finding space on campus for quarantine means some other students don't get rooms. I heard of one school that was planning on tearing down a dorm, but had to keep it open ... but then a lot of students got sick from mold.
Update of Feb 18, 2022
Though my children are now in college, I continue to follow the college search process. I have written reviews of "Game On" by Susan Paterno, and "Valedictorians at the Gate" by Becky Sabky. Both books have some strengths, and some weaknesses. It is impossible to cover everything in a single book. The reviews are linked-to from a book review page.
The excellent advice from Stanford Online HS college counselors, where my daughter attended, was "be sure your child applies to a school where they will definitely get in, and that will work academically, socially and financially." These books point out just how random the outcomes can be, and also the fact there are a lot of unknowns about how colleges make decisions.
I do hope to update the college guide at some point, so please bookmark this page and check back, or create a visualping as noted at the end of this page.
Update of June 24, 2021
I recently gave a talk about how to evaluate college academics to parents of a leading online high school. Key points: ask a lot of questions, do a lot of research. Contact me if you'd like a copy of the slides. I can send them early July.
From fall 2020
I am not modifying the guide winter 2021, but may in spring or summer. A few observations for parents with students in grades 9 - 11:
Writing on September 28, 2020, much of the guide is still relevant. Some parts will be useful when we are out of Covid. Here are some topics that supersede (for now) what's in the guide:
0. I highly recommend Jeff Selingo's new book on college admissions.
https://www.jeffselingo.com/book/who-gets-in-and-why/
He profiles the processes at three schools: Emory, Davidson and the University of Washington. He also draws in examples from many other schools as well. Some notable points: private colleges have to put together a class that will allow the schools to stay solvent, at some smaller schools athletes can be up to 36% of the student body, and at smaller schools, a lot of slots are thus assigned to meeting specific goals.
1. Nearly all college campus visits and fairs are online. NACAC https://virtualcollegefairs.org/events and Strivescan https://www.strivescan.com/virtual/states/ are good places to look. The quality and quantity of online virtual tours and presentations has greatly improved in the past six months.
2. Tests, including the SAT and the ACT, are not required by most schools this year. Some schools will not even look at the test scores. But, there are some scholarships that do require test scores. Many test sites have cancelled tests, even on the morning of the test. This page from the College Board has updated info
https://pages.collegeboard.org/sat-covid-19-updates
3. The applications, such as the Common App, will have places for students to write about the impact of Covid on them and their studies. Several people have commented to "be careful" with what you write. Hopefully your school's profile or counselor letter has some info about how your school handled Covid.
4. Demonstrated Interest is a factor at some schools. It is hard to know how they are tracking it though. Maybe it is participation in online tours and web seminars. It definitely is not visits to campus.
5. For students younger than senior year: I would strongly consider looking into accredited online classes for subjects that a student considers very important for their future. If they want to be an engineer, look into math. Look for classes accredited by your state. An example is this page from the state of Washington. https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/learning-alternatives/online-learning/approved-online-course-providers
There are also many great opportunities that are not accredited in Washington. An example is Art of Problem Solving, https://artofproblemsolving.com/ with classes, books, videos and more. They have Beast Academy for elementary students.
Also consider online classes offered by community colleges: you can cover your high school requirements, and also get a college credit too that may be helpful in the future.
6. The Seattle Times had a great story on March 28, 2020. https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/high-school-seniors-cope-with-the-loss-and-confusion-over-next-steps-during-coronavirus/
There are two links to services that can help! High school counselors are stretched thin in the best of circumstances. Now they have to help in many different way beyond what they usually do. So, here are the links for seniors .... these may be helpful for others at some point too
https://www.psccn.org/resources/financial-aid-toolkit/student-and-family-resources
I still plan on updating the guide occasionally. Last major update if the guide: February 4, 2020 with an article about colleges recruiting in California and other changes. To see the guide, click on the button below. Note the specific shortcut link changes with each update.
One way to track page changes is to sign up for https://visualping.io/ . This way I do not need to maintain a mailing list.
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