A NEW ERA IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

By George Knowles, digital media manager

Getting into a first-choice college has never been more competitive. Here’s how StC prepares boys for the college application process.

Our seniors are well into their final year at St. Christopher’s School. As in previous years, the boys balance ambitious academic goals and after-school commitments. But now the Class of 2023 faces a new challenge: applying to colleges in a landscape that’s never been more competitive.

The college application process has always been challenging, especially for ambitious students seeking a spot at a first-rate school. In recent years, however, acceptance rates at the highest-rated universities have tightened*, and institutions once considered “safety schools” for academic achievers are becoming more and more of a reach.

“It’s getting much more difficult to get into a small group of colleges,” said Jim Jump, Upper School academic dean and director of college counseling. Jump, who recently examined 30 years’ worth of college admissions data, discovered that while Ivy League schools now receive three times as many applicants as they used to, the second most-selective group of schools has received six times as many.

The narrowing of the odds at elite institutions affects the admissions rates at the next level of colleges, places historically considered comfortably accessible to top-performing students. “Places like University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, the University of Southern California, they’re essentially as competitive as the Ivy League schools are now,” said Jump.

TRENDS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS**

Lower Acceptance Rates

Colleges across the country became more competitive during the pandemic.

Test-Optional Policies

More than 1,700 institutions now have some form of test-optional policy.

Increased Focus on Diversity

Social justice has become more important to the admissions process.

Essays Matter

More than ever, students need to shape the impression they leave on schools.

**https://blog.collegevine.com/changes-to-college-admissions/

The college journey differs for each student A few factors are in play. An undergraduate degree is now considered by many to be “table stakes” for entry into the modern workforce. The most prestigious colleges are boosting their marketing output and casting a wider net to solicit more applications, so many more students are vying for a spot in the freshman class. Most recently, many schools dropped test score requirements following the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a surge in applications.

NEW REALITIES

For StC boys with goals of attending large, well-regarded state schools like the University of Virginia or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the tightening effect at the upper layers of the national college tiers is making the application process more competitive than it was for their parents or grandparents.

Senior Alex Street’s father graduated from UVA, and the school has been a part of the family lore for as long as he can remember. “My dad played lacrosse there, he’s always been very active in the alumni community; we had season tickets to the football games,” he said. “The school’s always just been there in my life.”

Street has been preparing for the application process since his junior year. He spent part of the summer at the college counseling department’s college application workshop, where he and his peers began researching schools, preparing essays and outlining strategies for the year ahead.

The squash captain senior hears more and more that attending the same school, even as a high-performing student, might not be as much of a given as it once was. “I’m hearing that I might need to apply early decision at UVA if I want to go there, which is not something I ever thought I’d have to do.”

ST.CHRISTOPHER’S APPROACH TO COLLEGE COUNSELING

Individualized Counseling

The college counseling office works individually with each student and family to understand a process that can seem mysterious and stressful, develop a list of appropriate options, and advise on all phases of the admissions process.

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

While the application process can be challenging, finding the right school can also be exciting. “I think a lot of people make the process more stressful than it has to be. I think the more you keep the focus on the self, the boy, the individual, how he learns and what he’s most ready for, the better. It can be a lot of fun if you let it,” said Associate Director of College Counseling Scott Mayer. “It’s common for students and parents to become fixated on a particular school or group of schools,” said Mayer, who encourages families to think differently about the experience. Instead of trying to fit a student into a specific school, families should consider what the boy is most ready for and where he’d thrive. He said, “I think too many people focus on perceived prestige and what that says about the student today, instead of thinking about where I’d like him to be five or 10 years from now.”

Recent alumnus Robert Mish ‘22 wasn’t accepted at UVA, his first choice, and attended Washington and Lee University instead. Reflecting, Mish realizes he’s at the right place for him and appreciates the diverse nature of the school’s student body. “There are students from all over the country here,” said Mish. “I’m glad I’m with this whole new group of people.”

StC Results

Over the past decade, 751 St. Christopher’s graduates have been admitted to 249 colleges and universities in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and four foreign countries.

GIVING OUR BOYS AN EDGE

Given this new, more competitive reality, what is StC doing to help boys get into their first-choice school?

Jump believes that when applying to a selective school, the most important part of the process is “transcript, transcript, transcript. Our goal is to help every student find the right balance between a schedule that’s challenging but also allows success.” For over

90% of StC graduates, that includes taking at least one Advanced Placement course, which helps show college admissions offices that the student has thrived in a rigorous academic environment.

Jump also points to StC’s Upper School academic programs such as Capstone Scholars, which allows students to complete a specialized research project in a subject area of their choice. For students with a particular intellectual interest, the program allows them to demonstrate their potential, which can help a college admissions team take notice.

Athletic achievement is also increasingly important. According to Jump, over 25% of StC graduates over the last 15 years went on to play a sport in college. “I actually think that being a recruited athlete is the best hook to have,” said Jump. “Whether it’s Harvard or Ohio State, they’re looking to field competitive athletic teams. Someone who can compete for them, but is also judged to be able to do the academic work, that makes a big difference.”

THE ADVANTAGE OF A BOYS’ SCHOOL EDUCATION

As a boys’ school, StC may be uniquely positioned to give students a boost in the application process.

According to Mayer, boys tend to lag slightly behind girls in terms of intellectual maturation, performing better on standardized tests, while girls generally perform better on day-to-day academic work. While the GPA gap tends to close by the junior year of college, Mayer is confident that StC’s approach to teaching boys gives graduates an academic edge. “We have a great opportunity as a boys’ school. We’re able to really focus on that intellectual maturation piece and work with boys where they’re developmentally ready,” he said. “We’re able to help that individual boy so he’s ready by the time he’s applying to colleges.”

There are also opportunities to take advantage of certain colleges’ demographic makeup. At schools focused on building a balanced freshman class, a high-achieving boy could have an advantage. “There are a lot of private, primarily liberal arts colleges where the female-to-male ratio is 60% versus 40%. I think in those situations, coming from a boys’ school where you’ve had good preparation, there’s probably some benefit to that if our students apply to those schools,” said Jump.

WHERE OPPORTUNITIES LIE

For students devising a college application strategy, choosing the right school, achieving their full potential and pursuing their interests is the best approach. “At one time, the prevailing wisdom was that colleges were looking for the well-rounded student. I think what’s happening now is that colleges are building a well-rounded class,” said Jump.

College admissions offices want to assemble a diverse mix of incoming students with various interests, talents and backgrounds, he said, so students are encouraged to find their niches and excel. “Students should do things they care about and develop them at the highest level possible,” Jump said. “By the time you’re a senior, it’s almost too late. There are things you have control over and things you don’t. You have control over whether or not you maximize your school experience.”

Street, now in his last year at StC, views this reality as a motivator. “Everyone’s going to respond to pressure differently,” he said. “Knowing this has made me work harder, and that’s put me in the leagues where I can now actually push for something higher.”

The college application process has always been challenging, especially for ambitious students seeking a spot at a first-rate school. In recent years, however, acceptance rates at the highest-rated universities have tightened, and institutions once considered “safety schools” for academic achievers are becoming more and more of a reach.

The St. Christopher’s School college counseling team. Left to Right: Emily Keith, Jim Jump, Ginny Turner, Scott Mayer