Don’t Worry: It’s Out There

Dont-Worry

Don’t Worry: It’s Out There
What I hear most often from the parents of my students is that the college process is so different nowadays. They often say, “I just picked some colleges to apply to, sent in my applications, and went to school. No one helped me and my parents didn’t even know where I was applying.” Well, today’s college admissions process is different than it was twenty or thirty years ago.

Everything is different: the number of students going to college, the level of competition, the desire for elite education, social networking, marketing, subject tests, the Common Application, financial aid—and the list goes on.

Students have a lot to be stressed about—frenzy over the admissions process starts early and continues through senior year.

But parents and students have to remember that the process can go smoothly—and successfully—as long as they are open-minded and realistic. There are schools out there that you haven’t heard of that may be a great fit for your child or offer the course of study your child wants or have the type of social life that makes your child comfortable. Parents say to me all the time, “Thank you so much. We wouldn’t have known about College X if it weren’t for you.” It’s my job to remind students all the time: There is no one perfect school. There are many schools that can meet a student’s needs. We just have to find them.