Here is an opinion piece I think might be worth sharing with your son or daughter during the stressful times of college apps:
Important Advice About Chancing and Admissions
Congrats rising seniors you've done it! Many of you are about to enter or have entered the season of college applications! As a graduating senior from the class of 2016 and incoming college freshman I know exactly how you are feeling; nervous, excited, stressed, or any combination of emotions. And those emotions are all valid, college is the gateway to your future. Because of the importance of such an endeavor I'd like to offer some important advice that was told to me when I went through this journey.
"Will I get into an Ivy?", "Wow Stanford's admit rate is now below 5%!", "What's the chance I get into ______?" are all questions I see being asked all the time. And yes, it is important to understand where you land in a colleges admission spectrum because college apps require a lot of time, energy, and money. However no one can accurately predict where you are going to get admitted too. 2400 SATs and 5.837 GPAs are all important but they do not guarantee an acceptance. Instead during your application, focus on highlighting what makes you special as a person. Spend some time researching freshman profiles of schools that you can be competitive to but also be realistic and add safeties. That is a much more valuable way to spend your time than asking on forums for random people (especially fellow seniors) to throw out phrases like "uh high match" or "eh possibly a low reach". In the end you should create a portfolio of schools that you can afford and would be happy attending.
And this leads to the most important part of the admissions process- staying true to yourself. I know it's easy to get caught up in the ladder game comparing yourself all the young inventors, the youth poet laureate, and state athlete - trust me, I've been there- but reiterating what I mentioned before let the application show the reader how brilliant you are. Each applicant is unique and special in his/her own way and will fit into the college they are meant to attend. The colleges you will eventually be admitted too see something in YOU that they feel will complete the campus. So don't get discouraged if you're not admitted to school x and attend school y because school y wants you. An acceptance and denial doesn't make you any less or more of a person than before the decision. You are still you and that's the only thing that matters. When I got denied from one of the colleges that topped my list I was disappointed but I didn't let that one decision bring me down because in the end that wasn't the right place for me. Getting acceptances also didn't make me a better person, I was still me. I'm so excited to be attending the school I chose to commit to and had I not been denied from other schools I wouldn't have met the people I have and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
In conclusion enjoy the journey. There will be times when it's frustrating or you'll wonder what the future holds but it's all apart of maturing and entering the next chapter in life. Don't forget to enjoy senior year and make lasting memories because childhood really does end fast. You will have the rest of your life to worry about adult things. Best of luck and remember every single one of you is going to go to the college you were meant to be and looking back you will have no regrets. Again congrats seniors, you've made it.
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