Wow! This article hit me in the middle of the forehead and I've been thinking about it ever since.
On one hand, I make my living as a college counselor. I'm paid by the private high school I work for to help/guide/wedge kids through this process...and, frankly, I love my job! I think I love it so much because I try my best to keep all parties involved grounded. The kids need to be grounded enough to actually pick good college choices and complete those applications. The parents need to be grounded enough to temper their expectations of their child and to be supportive no matter what. The colleges need to be grounded enough to understand how stressful this process is. And the high school needs to be grounded enough to keep each student on track and presenting their best self to the admissions committee.
Do I think I help kids jump through hoops they really shouldn't need to? Absolutely! In particular, two things: finding your BEST FIT college and the college essay. Now, I'm not saying that kids shouldn't be on the lookout for a great fit school or that they shouldn't have to write the college essay. What I do believe is that kids should be looking for a school that feels right. For some, that will be what their parents can afford but, for the population I have been working with for the past six years, that means finding a place where they will succeed in the classroom, find meaningful and engaging extracurricular activities, and where they won't get in too much trouble...or at least they will be near someone they know to help them get out of said trouble. For kids who have the luxury of visiting schools, yes, I hope they will have that "ah ha" moment at I did (did I mention that I love my alma mater, Trinity College? Go Bantams!). For every other kid, I just hope they find a school where they can be happy. Also, I agree that the college essay is a highly edited version of a true personal statement and that some students haven't reached that moment of true introspection in which to write about but, hey, you wouldn't go to a job interview in sweatpants and sneakers! You would go dressed as the best version of yourself and that is what the college essay has become.
All that said, I love the line, "For good students, I would estimate that about 90% of future success depends on their native talents and willingness to work hard, about 5% on the college they attend and about 5% on luck. And I think I am underestimating the luck."
Can you pass that statement along to all of my students with Harvard on their list? They don't seem to listen to me when I tell them that!
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