Deconstructing College Admissions

Much has changed since I applied to college as a Delbarton senior in 1979. Today, I lead the team that guides our students to find the right collegiate fit and the task is more daunting than ever. The good news is that Delbarton does an excellent job of finding the right fit for each member of the senior class.

As we move into another cycle of the college admissions process, many students and their families confront a more competitive, more confusing and more costly journey. This reality leads to higher expectations and more anxiety so I offer these observations in an attempt to add clarity to the process.

The Changing College Admissions Landscape

Increased competition among colleges to attract qualified students and more applications is fueled by the annual US News rankings that created a pecking order that most find hard to ignore. Colleges and universities began aggressive marketing campaigns that increased both the number of applications and selectivity, two factors that weigh heavily in the ranking algorithm. So too, electronic submission of applications made it easier for students to apply to multiple colleges, substantially increasing the total number of applications submitted to highly ranked colleges.

Fifteen years ago, top Ivy League schools had admission rates of 20%. A student with straight As and SATs in the 700s had an excellent chance of admission. Today, those same schools tout acceptance rates of under 5%. Without an athletic, legacy or diversity hook, those same colleges are a reach for all students. Although the college-age population is decreasing, there is a narrowing of focus on only the top-ranked schools and a greater influx of applications from regions previously underrepresented, including applicants from other countries. Finally, the quality of the applicant pools continues to increase as high school students work harder and focus more on achievement to attain their perception of college placement success.

Meanwhile, tuition at these highly ranked institutions also increased. A mere fifteen years ago, many of the private Northeastern schools struggled with an unspoken cost of attendance barrier, the $50,000 mark. Today, those same institutions bill full paying students over $70,000 to cover tuition, room, board, and extras. The most selective colleges often offer the most attractive needbased packages and typically have a lower average cost of attendance than other schools. For students looking for less expensive options, dropping down a

tier in rankings often produces meritbased scholarships at colleges seeking a higher academic profile. Honors college programs at state universities also can be an attractive, more affordable option.

Our Admissions Strategy In the Delbarton college counseling department, we encourage students to consider a variety of important factors beyond a college’s rank: Academic and extracurricular programs, location, size, culture, and selectivity all feature as important criteria in the college search process. We elicit important feedback from our alumni presently enrolled or recently graduated from over one hundred colleges and universities. This first person input helps us advise prospective applicants and provides a campus contact who seniors and juniors can reach out to for feedback or even a campus tour. Today, our students are encouraged to cast the net widely and look past those few 10-20 colleges that a majority of the class typically attends.

Although our communication with college admissions offices continues to be excellent, the evolution of that process created more limited opportunities. In the past, it was common for high school counselors to meet with college admissions officers to discuss or even determine admissions decisions for the school group. As applications increased and acceptance rates decreased, those conversations became more and more limited as admissions offices confronted the task of processing that staggering number of applications. Most highly competitive colleges adopted a blackout

period during their final cycle of admission decisions. That said, we continue to maintain strong relationships with many colleges; Years of successful outcomes by our alumni built the excellent reputation Delbarton enjoys with so many of these highly competitive colleges. Admissions officers share information about major selectivity, scholarships, quality of applications and institutional needs, all of which helps us advise our students.

We start early. At Delbarton, the college counseling process begins in earnest during the winter of junior year. From winter through summer, we meet with the student and his parents to map out college visits, testing dates, senior year curriculum, extracurricular activities, and summer plans. During those meetings, we discuss college application details including essay topics, teacher recommendations, test sending policies and college major selection.

Over 95% of our senior class applies to college by November 1 in the early round. Most students submit applications to a number of colleges, covering a range of selectivity, with the goal of receiving an early Christmas gift: a college acceptance letter. Based on those results, students adjust the number of applications they submit in the regular round in early January. Most students ultimately apply to 8-12 schools. If a student has a successful early round, he might only submit 1-3 applications.

Unfortunately, this more competitive college admissions environment creates higher levels of stress and anxiety for boys and parents. Students work harder and harder to achieve, to build a strong resume but experience a feeling of emptiness and little joy, especially if they do not receive an acceptance from their first choice college. Parents can become overly involved, ultimately stressing or even disadvantaging their son in the process. We often see students who are over-extended, sleep deprived or just plain stressed out about any grade below an A.

In an effort to help our students and parents manage these stressors, Delbarton adopted a plan for teaching resiliency to our students as one of three goals for our Middle States AFG evaluation. In the college counseling department, we encourage students and parents to focus on the process by preparing for the independence and resilience needed for success not just in college but in life.

Although the college admissions process may seem overwhelming, Delbarton is there every step of the way to support and encourage our boys to a positive and fulfilling outcome. In the end, there is a great fit for every student, and our mission is to lead him to it.