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by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

Holistic Applications

As some schools attempt to move away from a highly metrics-only evaluation of applicants to a more holistic assessment, students are challenged to provide a clear, concise, and cogent view of their character and academic potential in different ways. How can students provide this evidence—and where can it be presented most effectively?

The main criteria for admissions evaluations still focuses on weighted GPA and evidence for being a curious, self-driven learner who is also inquisitive about the world; however, a holistic review also looks for the candidate who can authentically reflect, has taken an active participation in multiple communities, sought additional or unique experiences, and is well-rounded in their perspectives, interests, and pursuits.

A student’s weighted GPA is paramount, and thoughtful recommendations are very significant, as are well written and supported essays. But school representatives often note that two common attributes of the strongest and most successful applications are consistency and uniqueness. Does the entire application appear to support the same person? Are strong attributes and characteristics consistently highlighted, and do examples from essays, recommendations, and extracurricular activities correlate and support each another? And, what separates this student from all the other highly qualified students and the sea of sameness?

Providing evidence to address these questions will make an application more powerful and effective.

Some schools fervently promote the use of a holistic view in application evaluations, but what does that mean, and how can students effectively provide the information representatives want to see? How can students create consistency and provide evidence that evaluators are looking for in an application?

There are three main places that an applicate can highlight and support qualities with examples and qualifications:

  • Essays
  • Recommendations
  • The Activity List

These three sections offer extraordinary opportunities. When all three components resonate the same message and story, it is a force multiplier and is more powerful than the sum of the individual statement. Again, consistency is essential and very powerful in holistic evaluations.

Highlighting the same information multiple times, in different ways, supported by different sources is much more effective than sharing it once. Research at Yale University shows that multiple, multifaceted presentations of information will help to fill in information gaps, increases understanding, and promotes empathy. Marketing leverages a communications suggestion that a person needs to hear the same message seven times before they really pay attention to it. While a college applicant may not be able to provide seven points of reference in their application, two or three repetitions from different perspectives will dramatically influence the probability that a characteristic, trait, or behavior associated with college readiness will be remembered by the evaluator.

Consistency is critical. A similar and supporting statement outlined in multiple ways and provided from diverse sources is invaluable. Consistent statements that help support and provided evidence of a student’s character and behaviors are invaluable. While a student can provide relevant examples for their “good leadership skills” a recommending teacher can provide specific examples they have personally observed when the applicant practices and employed “good leadership skills.” In addition, the Activities List is another place to provide supporting evidence of statements. It is much more powerful and effective to “show” (through supporting examples) rather than just “tell” the evaluator that “I am a leader.”

How do you increase consistency over the breadth of your application? Intentionally, thoughtfully, and strategically align your essays, recommendations, and school list information so they resonate with each other.  Be intentional and align your messaging and examples in all areas.

Essays –

Schools look for many things—some you provide on purpose, some you unknowingly provide—in your essay. Your essay theme, the vocabulary you use, tone, examples, references, maturity, and perception of yourself, are all clearly represented in your essays. Take the time to be intentional about what you write and how you write it. This includes providing information that you want to stress to evaluators, then highlight these same things in your Activities List and ask teachers to note them in their recommendations by providing a thoughtful and intentional Brag Sheet. (see below)

Choose those personal character traits and how you perceive yourself, other people, and the world around you very intentionally. Your essay theme is an important vehicle, but the theme is only a vehicle. Identify what you want the evaluator to know about you and then build a story using a theme that can effectively convey that information, thoughtfully and purposefully.

Recommendations –

Schools look for supporting examples and substantive corroboration of your character through the recommendations your teachers provide. If their recommendations mirror and reinforce your stories and information (essays and activities list) evaluators will be more likely to remember—and believe—those traits and behaviors. In addition, teacher recommendations provide another perspective of your college readiness, potential, and authenticity…especially if your recommenders have known you for multiple years and in different classes and/or social settings.

But how do teachers know what you are going to write about in your essay or list in your activities list?

YOU TELL THEM!

On our podcast, Anna Ren and I talk about the power of the Brag Sheet, and how to provide information for your recommenders to highlight. We outline and discuss four main ways your Brag Sheet can help you help your recommenders support you. Please know that teachers want to make the most of their time and be able to support you as effectively as possible. Help them, help you!

The information that you provide in your Brag Sheet will help teachers highlight, confirm, and provide a different and supporting perspective for information you outline in your essays and activities list. Be sure to provide teachers with a minimum of:

  • Your Activities List –
    • This provides specific and accurate information about how you spend your time and what kind of activities are most important to you. Teachers can use this as a guide to make specific references and provide current and accurate examples.
  • Why you are going to college and What you want to learn/study –
    • If a teacher can reference your specific intentions and mirror your statements in other parts of your application (usually essays), that will provide credence for your first-person statements about your academic, professional, and personal goals.
  • Your character traits and strengths –
    • This is not a time to be humble. What do you do well and what are those characteristics you will be highlighting in essays (leadership, tenacity, courage, curiosity) and are also represented and supported by your Activities List?
  • What you would like teachers to stress –
    • This is also not a place to be humble. Be very specific about information that will be highlighted in your essays and activities list. If appropriate, describe a specific event or experience you will be referencing in your essays that the teacher may/may not be aware of. Give your teachers a chance to make you shine and make the most of their time in writing an outstanding and powerful recommendation for you.

Choose your recommenders carefully. For example, many coaches are also teachers. A coach/teacher who can speak to your maturation and evolution as an athlete, student, and leader over four years is a golden opportunity for a powerful and effective recommendation letter. Think about those teachers who know you best and in as many settings as possible—including academics, sports, arts, and as an active part of your community.

If you have an opportunity to submit an additional recommendation, it is best to capitalize on that opportunity and ask for a recommendation from a third (non-academic) recommender. That person may be able to provide additional and important references and examples that will buoy statements about your character and academic/professional intentions. Having an external reference can greatly increase a holistic view of who you are and what makes you tick.

Activities List –

Some college representatives/evaluators openly acknowledge they like to read the activity list entries more than any other section of the application. Why? The activities list can say a lot about the applicant by how items are presented, the order activities are listed, what information is highlighted for specific activities, the breadth of curiosity and courage to try new things, which activities an applicant identifies as most important to them, and what they think colleges want to see and hear. Again, evaluators are gathering information about who you are and how you think as much as they are about what you have done.

Above all, take time to reflect and identify your greatest character strengths and specific examples that highlight those specific strengths, character traits, and behaviors. You only have 150 characters—make every character count.

Your list of activities also provides a timeline and evidence for how you have chosen to spend your time during high school. Evaluators can cross-reference the statements in your essays and recommendations to see if your statements are also supported by the activities you list and the amount of time you have devoted to each. Your list also provides evidence for the number of activities you have tried and how much time you have spent on each, as well as your role and responsibilities in those activities. Then they can examine your level of participation, the duration you have participated, and if you have actively pursued increasing roles of responsibility as a participant…or leader.

For example:

  • Don’t just tell… “I am a leader”…but show
    • “As a junior class ASB treasurer I gathered peers together to conduct three projects that raised over $10,000 for 5 local community organizations including X, Y, and Z.”
  • Don’t just tell… “I am passionate about politics and civic engagement”…but show
    • “During the past 4 political mid-term and two presidential cycles I have volunteered for 6 campaigns and have been placed in roles of greater responsibility including X, Y, and Z.”
  • Don’t just tell… “Cross country runner”…but show
    • “Varsity & JV runner; lead league in 9th/10th; recruited 19 new runners, current co-captain; 3rdat state championships (2021) & invited to 2022 Nike Nat’l XC Invitational”

As more schools are overwhelmed by applications, finding a way to separate yourself from “the sea of sameness” is becoming increasingly important in the application evaluations process. Take the time to look at your application components as an intentional, thoughtful, and cohesive singular statement. Create a powerful and effective holistic application by highlighting your unique character and experiences through different perspectives and evidence from multiple views and sources.

by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

I Did vs. I Can’t

One student wrote, “I couldn’t do anything.”

Another student said, “I did this,” and quickly outlined five things they made and did over the last year, enthusiastically adding details about what they learned in the process.

Which student do you think was accepted to more colleges and provided more financial aid?

The year of 2020 – 2021 was a year of challenges and hopefully many changes in perspective. I have worked with teens for over twenty-five years, and they are my continuous and highly vocal barometer of social trends, the incoming cultural perspective, parenting standards, and fervent offerings of the current “song of my generation” – Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi, seriously? Teens are amazing, when they want to be. I have witnessed this often. However, this past year has provided teens (and parents) with a blatant choice to seize this odd period and seek out treasure—or gravitate towards the human default statement: “I can’t.” 

I have seen more teens flush more time down the toilet in the past year because of one thing—apathy. While NetFlix and Forge of Empires are definitely part of the equation, apathy is the driving variable. In its most basic definition, apathy is the mental default to laziness and pessimism. Conversely, I have seen an equal number of students discover more about “learning more with less” than ever before. More than ever—and now buoyed by the evidence I have witnessed this past year—it is clear that the “apathy vs. intellectual resourcefulness” behavior is not genetic; it is learned.

While Carol Dweck opened the conversation about growth-mindset, I think there is much more value in helping students develop curiosity and gumption…and embrace a good failure now and again. Failure can be solid evidence for the pursuit of a worthy challenge, and gumption. One good failure is much better than a year of “I couldn’t.” Fail forward. Communicate learning and growth. Dare to look and be foolish.

I don’t like to frame everything for teens around college applications, or even education. That only diminishes self-driven and curious learners who later become thoughtful and intentional voters. However, I take great joy in helping students showcase their character, skills, interests, and talents in pursuit of higher education and financial support. And while colleges require evidence for academic challenge and metrics of success, good schools increasingly value and reward curiosity, gumption, and even failure. 

Most college admissions representatives are authentically open about what they look for in applicants and applications. While they admit being held hostage to metrics such as GPA and test scores, the best of them will openly admit they are human. They want to find a diamond. They want to champion the underdog. And they admit, a student who “did something” gains more empathy than one who “couldn’t do anything” every time. A student who can clearly and convincingly communicate what they learned when failing to create a sourdough bake bread starter, building a loom, creating a YouTube channel, starting an Etsy business, taking the free Harvard CS50 class online, or toilet training their cat, is going to gain more empathy and support in the evaluation and admission process than a student who announces, unapologetically, “I couldn’t do anything.” Carpe diem.

For those who want to be a student who says “I did,” or help support one:

by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

Professing vs. Teaching

As an educational planner I work with teens who are contemplating their next important academic and life step, college. We work diligently—sometimes for years—to identify the college experience they want and the types of programs and opportunities they hope to experience. Much of our time is spent qualifying important college attributes such as school size, location, programs, classes, and school culture. But there is one salient school attribute that we rarely discuss: professors, and the quality of their teaching.

Doesn’t that seem backwards?

First, there is a vast difference between professing and teaching. Most high school teachers—especially those who are Nationally Certified—have rigorously trained in and practiced practical pedagogy skills. Often, college professors have little or no training or background for effectively conveying information or how to authentically assesses a student’s understanding of information. This isn’t the fault of professors, most were hired because they are effective researchers, not teachers. High school students do not realize this…until they get to college. Shifting the responsibilities for understanding information from the teacher (in high school) to the student (in college) can be a shocking and unexpected revelation for many college freshman.

In addition to acquiring academic and practical experience, one would think—possibly even assume—that college professors must also have a background in cognitive development, teaching models and methodology, curriculum design, and even authentic evaluation with rubric/syllabus design. They have a position of great influence and power over the development and future paths of hundreds, if not thousands, of students. Surely, they have been trained in the craft of teaching and learning, right? This is actually quite rare. Ask any college student, especially those who attend large research universities. Some schools, however, have professors that are much more prepared to, and invested in, effectively sharing their expertise, experience, and understanding with students. This invaluable and important quality should be at least as valuable as the quality of the dorms and variety of cuisine, shouldn’t it?

I provide students and families with a “College Tour Tip Sheet,” that includes who to talk to and questions to ask. These questions are specifically developed to tease out the culture, rigor, and attributes of a school. However, I have recently added a few questions to my list for students and families to ask students on campus:

  • How many of your classes are taught by professors, rather than assistants?
  • How many of your professors have you spoken with personally?
  • Do your professors appear to have an authentic interest in your education?
  • How many professors do you think know your name?
  • Do your professors actually care about you and your growth as an academic and person?

In many cases, professors are researchers first, and mold students’ minds second—sometimes, far second. Many talented and passionate researchers are pressed to lecture and may even resent having to spend time away from what they love. For that reason, lectures, preparation, and students’ learning and understanding are not a priority. And, at some schools, professors are not required to take vested interest in student academic success. However, this highly significant variable in student learning, understanding, growth, and progress is rarely discussed in the college identification and application process.

Although there are many resources for knowing tuition, financial aid metrics, numbers of campus clubs, and even school traditions, there are few reliable measures of professor effectiveness available to students searching for colleges to effectively prepare them for the world. While there are some reliable resources that accumulate and aggregate students’ evaluations of professors (e.g. Niche.com), these are first order approximations at best. In order to get real feedback about professors requires a real conversation with students. This is just one more important reason to tour college campuses and talk with end users (students) about the product (education) they are receiving.

by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

How Much Is Too Much?

I recently spoke with a senior attending a prestigious film school in southern California about tuition and student loans. He told me, “My $109,000 college loan debt is just the price of a good education.” Then, I asked him if he knew what compound interest was; he wasn’t quite sure. Actually, he had no idea how his loans were structured, the relative impact this debt would have on his lifestyle after graduation, or why it was or was not a good investment. With a national student loan debt surpassing $1.6 Billion as evidence, I don’t think this knowledge gap is unusual for most students entering college.

There is a simple rule that many college admissions counselors suggest students and families us when considering student loan debt. Do not graduate with more debt than the average starting yearly salary of the occupation you pursue. If you pursue a computer science degree with an average (national) yearly salary of about $65,000 for new graduates, you can afford to take on some debt with some confidence you can pay it back without extraordinary or undue stress. Conversely, if you are getting your teaching degree, a new graduate can expect to earn about $38,500in the first year after graduation. Why is this important? If the boat is leaking faster than you can bail water, you don’t want to be the captain. This is also how compound interest can quickly drown new graduates and their future ambitions.

In addition, students must realize that all degrees—and later, jobs—within a discipline, such as “engineering” or “finance” are not the same. For example, some engineering degrees, such as aerospace, command a significantly higher starting salary ($72,000) than a civil engineering degree ($59,000). In addition, some degrees are worth more in some states than others. A teacher, for example, may have a starting salary of $51,000in New Jersey or Washington D.C., but only $30,000in Montana. That 40% difference is critical when trying to pay back student loans.

As students contemplate undergraduate education it is crucial they consider the amount of debt incurred relative to the earning potential of the skills they will obtain. This valuation is often referred to as the Return On Investment, or ROI. However, to fully establish the ROI for a specific school and specific student, other variables must also be considered. Is the student considering graduate school (and the associated loans/percentages) after receiving an undergraduate degree? Is a graduate degree in the specific area of work sought actually needed? How much will a graduate school degree in that area of study cost? All of these variables create a complex dance between debt, earning power, and time. However, choosing an undergraduate school before considering these questions can quickly create a loan burden that determines a lifestyle for decades.

The current average debt for a student graduating with an undergraduate degree is over $37,000. The average salary of a new graduate is just over $50,000. While this does not seem to present a national crisis, the current national college loan debt is over $1.5 Trillion and that is more than the national credit card or auto-loan debt. Much of this debt is driven by the pursuit of higher education at schools where the high costs of attendance require students to take out large loans to attend. According to the research collected by Frank Bruni, taking on inappropriate debt for undergraduate education has been shown to be a bad investment. Getting the best possible undergraduate education at a school you can afford (through personal finances or through grants and scholarship), getting high grades, and graduating with as little debt as possible is the smart decision and is supported by research and evidence. If you follow this path, graduate with little debt and with marketable skills, you have the choice to enter industry or taking on some debt for graduate school—and graduate school increasingly pays off in most, but not all, professions.

Do the preliminary work and reflection to identify the best college for you and your family and don’t be misled by unsubstantiated pressures to attend brand name, expensive schools. Your future will thank you.

by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

Too Young to Think About College!

“An eighth-grader should not be thinking about college. They should be focused on being a kid.”

I have heard variations of this statement for years, and as an educator and developmental psychologist, I completely agree. Kids should have the opportunity to be kids. But what if we change this conversation?

What if the opportunities, experiences, and conversations that middle-school students engage in also prepare them, intentionally, for college… and beyond? What if college is approached as just one point along the continuum leading to adulthood? Then yes, developing students before high school becomes a natural and healthy part of that development spectrum.

As college admission becomes increasingly competitive schools recognize that the most successful applicants have actually been preparing and thinking about college for more than eighteen months. Admissions evaluations now include an assessment of “niceness” (no, I”m not kidding) and schools look for evidence of social awareness and respect, things like saying “please” and “thank you,” which are cultivated over years of practice, not learned in a weekend workshop. If the goal is to provide appropriate cognitive challenges and opportunities that celebrate the luxury of being a kid and having fun, then why not focus on a long-term goal… like college, and adulthood?

There is no instant path to successfully applying to college. There just isn’t. There are many steps in the college application process that are accomplished over time and require varying amounts of effort. There aren’t any silver bullets. There are no quick fixes. A student’s college application cannot be saved in a few days… even if parents pay an obscene amount of money. The best approach is a thoughtful, appropriate and intentional series of experiences – some academic, some social, some cognitive – that start even earlier than high school. Entertaining the mind of a third-grader with the right questions during a walk through the zoo can easily inspire a future biology major. But there are also non-academic skills and behaviors that build character and are equally, if not more, important for long-view education goals.

Reflection, goal-setting, empathy, and self-regulation are skills that can be practiced at any age. Colleges know these skills are also associated with self-driven and highly successful students. Subsequently, these same behaviors provide students with a foundation to be internally-driven/directed and seek out healthy challenges.

I have met a handful of eighth graders who are more prepared to discuss long-term goals like college than 90% of the junior high school students I work with. While such students are rare they provide overwhelming evidence that students who have intentionally been asked to reflect and think responsibly – while also enjoying the time before life becomes too serious – are much better prepared to address important choices like college… when the time comes.

For more about intentionally and respectfully preparing students for college and life, I highly recommend: Ready, Willing, and Able: A Developmental Approach to College Access and Success.  By Mandy Savitz-Romer and Suzanne Bouffard

by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

College Applications: Secret Sauce Part II – Recommendations

College applications are evaluated on surprisingly few components: GPA, Standardized Test Scores, Essays, Recommendations, Extracurriculars, and FAFSA.

This can actually serve as a checklist for juniors as they tackle the college application process or a guide for freshmen and sophomores. I stress to students that they actually control many pieces of the college application process. Although maintaining high marks on some components – like GPA and the SAT/ACT scores – may not be easy, these metrics are actually a testament of making good choices, responsible time management, and understanding and communicating information effectively. These metrics also represent making good choices and seeking out support. Colleges know this and equate these numbers and habits with college readiness and potential, often using these metrics as the first major gatekeeper to admission. However, once this primary GPA/test scores gate opens, there are many equally – if not more important – pieces in gaining admission.

Essays are another important element of a competitive college application. Writing a good essay is equal parts formula, drafts, feedback, proofing and personal creativity. If enough time and resources are used appropriately, a student controls the success of his or her essay. Unsuccessful essays are most often the result of being rushed, undeveloped, and/or not proofed. Colleges know this.

Extracurricular activities are also a factor in providing an accurate and engaging illustration of character, interests, strengths, and potential. However, admissions evaluators mainly use this timeline and illustration of interests as supporting evidence of a student’s curiosity, passion, and commitment over time. But there is one piece of the application umbrella that is often ignored and left unattended and almost as an afterthought – recommendations.

In an increasingly competitive college admissions environment, recommendations are becoming more important than students can imagine. While many students come with high GPAs and test scores paired with impressive extracurriculars and compelling essays, recommendations are not controlled, created or submitted by the student. Or are they?

As a college admissions consultant and educational planner, I advise all students to practice building relationships with adults. Early! Although it may not be currently vogue among teens to seek out conversations with adults and ask for advice or help, the relationships built over time will be invaluable in life… and yes, possibly the source for references and recommendations. Colleges know that authentic recommendations provide evidence of a student’s long-term and genuine commitment to others over time. In addition, a good recommendation often gives insight regarding a student’s character, growth, maturity and even the applicant’s sense of humor.

While students often assume they have little control over recommendations written for their college applications, these application components often take the longest time to prepare and cultivate and are quickly becoming one of the most important. For this reason, one of the first things I teach students is an awesome four-step handshake… and challenge them to practice often. It’s just like Snapchat, but for real.

by Mark Hofer Mark Hofer No Comments

CRM – A Little Secret In College Admissions

All college applicants are constitutionally equal; however, they are not evaluated equally. Increasingly, more colleges are employing highly refined algorithms to quantify and qualify the current and future financial characteristics associated with an applicant and his or her family. These algorithms – called Customer Relationship Management tools, or CRM algorithms – can be used to identify which students and families will provide the highest return (dollars and social promotional impact) on their investment/admission. Students and families with a higher potential in these areas (according to CRM qualifiers) are favored more highly than those students and families with lower CRM evaluation potential. In short, applicants and their families are evaluated as commodities by a computer. Using this information for admission decisions may easily increase the gap – choose whichever gap you wish: education, economic or social mobility – rather than reduce it.

Colleges are in business. Each is required to meet a bottom line in order to serve its mission. For private and state schools there is a balance between meeting a financial bottom line while providing the best educational opportunity possible. A for-profit college must provide the greatest return for its investors, and additionally, meet its educational charter to maintain certification. CRM tools are employed by schools to identify those students – and their families – who can best meet the financial goals of the institution. For many colleges, the use of CRM tools is justified as a business and efficiency decision.

The gap keeps getting wider. While many schools pay lip service to increased diversity through everything from recruiting socioeconomically disadvantaged students to needs-blind admissions, percentages, and metrics of diversity continue to tell a different story. It is rare to find an elite private school with student body percentages of affluent Caucasians hovering near or less than sixty-five percent. This is driven by many factors, some transparent and justified, while others are covert and unspecified – CRM tools being one of them.

Schools justify the large financial expenditure on CRM systems by highlighting the very real need to evaluate increasing numbers of applications and identify students with the highest potential to graduate and successfully enter the professional world. These are true statements, and a school would not be practicing due diligence by ignoring these challenges. For example:

Ellucian CRM Recruit is advanced student recruitment, admissions, and enrollment management software that provides insight into your prospect pool, using enrollment probability and predictive modeling to help you identify your ideal prospects. – Ellucian CRM

The easiest way for universities to reach a harmonious state with their stakeholders is by implementing a modern CRM for higher education. A CRM provides valuable insights about your students, allowing you to nurture stronger and more personal relationships with prospective and current students but also with alumni.  – Full Fabric (CRM developer)

This sounds prudent.This sounds appropriate. However, some schools additionally employ CRM data and analysis to provide selective and biased admission as well as financial aid privileges. For example, two students with equal metrics (GPA, test scores, extracurricular activities) may not be provided the same financial aid package and incentives. Why? CRMs influence financial aid offerings based on each student’s anticipated and projected future financial as well as social marketing potential for the school. Those CRM predictions and recommendations are heavily influenced by the socioeconomic position of the student’s parents.

An admitted student from a wealthy family may actually receive a much higher “merit aid” offer than a student with the same metrics but with a much higher financial need. The reason is simple. The long-term financial and social return for universities has been shown (according to data used in CRM algorithms) to be higher for those students from affluent families. For this reason, schools will provide higher financial aid offers to sway affluent students to accept their admission rather than accept a lower offer from another school. Statistics show that this tactic works. Unfortunately, the CRM’s evaluation can leave an economically disadvantaged student (with equally high potential) unable to accept the admission. God Bless the Child…

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