Every year, the bar for admission to selective colleges just seems to get higher. Elite schools receive mountains of applications from high schoolers from across the globe, all of them boasting superlative SAT or ACT scores, 4.0 GPAs, and 5s on their AP exams, to boot.
Whether you’re a parent or a student, this is a stressful prospect. Moms and dads want the best for their kids, and so eagerly gobble up any and all tips from college counselors. As an overtaxed and underslept junior or senior, you probably just want in. So bring on ALL the advice, right?
Well…not really. As it turns out, not all advice is created equal. Though I understand the stakes are high, it’s still not worth it to pull one of the unsavory moves described below. As out there as some might seem…they’re all real! I’ve seen desperate students and parents do some not-so-nice things to get that “yes” from HarvOxbridgeTon. Although it might seem like your competitors will do anything to get ahead—so why shouldn’t you?—the below “strategies” are more of a liability than a guaranteed success.
1) A COSTLY trip to [insert DevelOPING NATION here] TO GENERATE Common App essay material.
In my 12+ years helping students ace their applications, I have known only two who took a pricey trip across the globe for authentic reasons, then wrote about it in their admissions essay. These two high schoolers were actually and deeply passionate about community service; it’s who they were. (Also, one of them worked long hours every week as a babysitter for a year to pay for the trip herself.) But most of the time, a trip to build houses in Ecuador isn’t so much an expression of the student’s real priorities as it is an effort to tack on an achievement to their resume (while, paradoxically, attempting to come off as selfless). College admissions officers see this for the fakery that it is.
2) FOCUSING ON EXAGGERATED or REQUIRED community service.
Similarly, unless this is a huge part of who you are, or an effort that you went above and beyond with, keep it at the bottom of your activities list. This endeavor does not make you stand out because virtually every high school requires some form of community service at some point.
3) TAKING ON extracurriculars you don’t enjoy.
Perhaps you’ve joined the debate team because someone told you it looked good on college applications, or perhaps you’re spending two hours a day at practice for a sport that you feel zero enthusiasm for. Not only is life too short to do something you hate, BUT all the time you’re sinking into these blah commitments is time you could have been spending on things you actually find meaningful. College admissions officers know how to tell the difference between applicants who are inspired by what they’re doing…and those phoning it in because they think they need another notch on their application’s belt.
4) Spending all your time on an activity that you don’t plan on continuing in college.
Admissions officers’ goal is to cultivate a well-rounded college, one with a good diversity of clubs, teams, and departments. And so, they’re on the hunt for prospective students with the passion to join and keep up with those activities once they get to campus. Don’t mislead universities with your talent if they won't get to ever see it behind their gates. Instead, show them the joys and skills that you WILL contribute to their institution!
5) OVERFocusing on test prep SO MUCH THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TIME FOR A LIFE AND INTERESTS.
Even a perfect test score will not trump a lack of passion and personality when it comes to admissions decisions. Seriously.
6) Having someone else write your admissions essay.
There’s a slight possibility you may be able to get away with this form of fraud…but I do mean slight. Some schools cross-reference the essay you wrote for ACT (and previously, the SAT) to defend against such deceitful practices. Also, any interviewer with half a brain will know when the applicant she’s speaking with isn’t the same person who wrote the essay. Your “voice” simply won’t match. And if you get caught, you get cut from the list, no doubt about it. Definitely not worth the risk…not to mention the ethical compromise.
7) Getting a part-time job ONLY because you want to “show work experience” and “LOOK HUMBLE.”
If you wanted to pay for your pottery wheel yourself because your parents weren't going to shell out for it, that’s an engaging story about working independently to achieve your goals. But don’t run out and become a smoothie bar cashier so you can write your Common App essay about how down-to-earth you are for working in the service industry. Admissions officers have been seeing that essay for years now.
8) Founding a non-profit to show “leadership.”
I’ll admit that this idea can seem smart in a certain light. After all, lots of young people do dream of making the world a better place, and someday they might well lead such a charge. But…do you really need to demonstrate that by founding a whole org when you’re still in high school? If you’re serious about making a difference, you’ll be found doing the unsexy work of contributing to the efforts that already exists out there, not reinventing the wheel for the sake of your pedigree. And yes, once again…college admissions officers can smell a fake, and they’re understandably not so interested in students who think they have nothing to learn. This is a well-intentioned impulse that parents should caution their kids against.
9) Fudging a neuropsychologist’s evaluation for extended time on the SAT and ACT.
I’ll be the first one to tell you that neuropsychological issues, even previously-undiagnosed learning issues, can very much affect a student’s ability to get the score she deserves on a standardized test. Such setbacks can call for extended or double time, and maybe even accommodations, and I've worked with plenty of students who needed and deserved those things. That’s not what I’m talking about here.
What I’m talking about here is bribing or begging the family’s doctor friend to falsely say that your teen deserves extended time—as a test-taking strategy. You may get away with it, but you’ll know in your heart that the resulting score is unearned. College preparation should be a major step towards adult accountability and decision-making. This sketchy choice would be a very bad beginning.
10) sWAPPING OUT your real passion FOR something else, because you think your real passion won’t get you into college.
This may be the item on this list that makes me the saddest. You only get one life! When you discover what truly makes your heart sing, you should hold onto it and follow where it leads you. The right college for you is a place that will welcome and amplify what you have to offer. The wrong college for you is one where you have to become someone else to get in…regardless of how impressive the name may be.
And once again, the deceptiveness involved in this misstep will probably be clear to whomever reads your application. So you probably won’t get the result you wanted…and you’ll have lost a real source of joy.
Sensing a theme here? It’s this: be authentic.
Colleges want real people with real interests, real passion, real drive. Aren’t those the people we all want to be around? Knowing the system is one thing. You should know the system. Trying to game it is quite another matter.
The insanity of the college process can make even generally sane, grounded, self-assured parents and students consider doing things they otherwise wouldn't. Don't let anxiety and fear drive your college process! I've found that a good game plan (that’s where I come in!) goes a long way towards relieving the pressure of this stressful time. And always remember that your authentic self will get you into the right school for you.
