I Was on a Panel Discussion with Fred Hargadon, the Retired Former Dean
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Don't Do Anything That Will Kill You Yet Another College Guide by Scott White Version 1.5 (c) 2012 by Scott White PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEW COPY The author requests your comments, edits, amplifications, endorsements and suggestions. Scott can be reached at: [email protected] Pre-Publication Review Copy 2 (c) 2012 Scott White This book is dedicated to Eve, Kira, Zachary and Benjamin. They are the lights of my life. Pre-Publication Review Copy 3 (c) 2012 Scott White Dear reader, This is NOT the book I really want to write. This book is called Don’t Do Anything That Can Kill You – Yet Another College Guide, I want to write Don’t Do Anything That Can Kill You – NOT Another College Guide. The world does not need another college guide; there are too many already. Please read this letter before the book because I want to tell you what this book is, why it is the way it is, what I hope to develop instead, and how you can help make that happen. The first half of this book contains essays that present my perspective on the college application process, and suggests attitudes you might adopt too. The second half contains a collection of reference materials that I hand out to students and their parents. I think all of it is useful although some of it is out-of-date. I am not sure I’d want to include this in the book I really want to write because it can be found elsewhere. It is in this edition because that way I can just give this book to my students rather than a loose collection of articles. The book I really want to write will clarify and expand on the themes from the first half. This is where you can help. Would you please write to me with your thoughts: 1) What resonates and what does not? 2) What should be ditched and what should be added? 3) Are there things that you have experienced or have affected you that you feel should be addressed? I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Scott White [email protected] Pre-Publication Review Copy 4 (c) 2012 Scott White TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Why Another Book on College Admissions? ................................................................................ 10 College Admission by the Numbers ............................................................................................... 12 A Few Thoughts on Admissions: ................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1: The State of Admissions ............................................................................................... 14 A Recent History of College Admissions ...................................................................................... 14 The Tail Wagging the Dog: One Perspective on the Process ....................................................... 17 National Share of Applications to Four-Year Colleges by Selectivity .......................................... 19 Chapter 2: Are the Best Minds of our Generation Being Destroyed by Madness? .................. 20 What’s Going on Here? .................................................................................................................. 20 The Admissions Process ................................................................................................................. 21 What’s Best for Students? .............................................................................................................. 22 A Few Modest Suggestions ............................................................................................................ 24 Chapter 3: Moving Forward ........................................................................................................... 27 Things Parents Should Do .............................................................................................................. 27 Things Parents Should Not Do ....................................................................................................... 27 Thirty-Four Myths About College Admissions ............................................................................. 28 The Ranking Game ......................................................................................................................... 33 The Myth of Selectivity .................................................................................................................. 34 Chapter 4: Options in Higher Education ....................................................................................... 37 Understanding Your Choices ......................................................................................................... 37 Universities vs. Colleges ................................................................................................................ 37 Public vs. Independent (Private) .................................................................................................... 38 National vs. Regional ..................................................................................................................... 39 Specialized Options ........................................................................................................................ 39 Two-Year Colleges ........................................................................................................................ 42 Combined Degrees ......................................................................................................................... 43 Finding Information on Colleges and Universities ........................................................................ 43 Developing a College List .............................................................................................................. 46 Choosing a Major and Developing a College List ......................................................................... 47 Values Assessment - What is Important to You ............................................................................ 48 Interests/Abilities Inventory ........................................................................................................... 49 Choosing a Major ........................................................................................................................... 50 Some Advice About a “Safety School” .......................................................................................... 51 Narrowing the College List: ........................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 5: The Admissions Process ............................................................................................... 53 Early Plans for College .................................................................................................................. 53 Early Variations .............................................................................................................................. 55 Comparing Regular and Rolling Admissions ................................................................................. 56 The Transcript ................................................................................................................................ 57 Pre-Publication Review Copy 5 (c) 2012 Scott White Red Flags to Avoid ......................................................................................................................... 58 Sample Senior Year Course Schedules .......................................................................................... 59 Do's and Don'ts on the Application ................................................................................................ 61 Do's and Don'ts for Online Applicants ........................................................................................... 62 Hints For Applying To College On-Line ....................................................................................... 63 Eleven Common Mistakes Students Make On The Common Application .................................... 64 Who Will Read Your Application .................................................................................................. 65 A Typical Candidate Evaluation Sheet .......................................................................................... 67 Highly Selective Candidate Rating System ................................................................................... 68 NACAC: Factors in Admissions ................................................................................................... 74 College Board Annual Survey 2003 ............................................................................................... 74 Standardized Testing ...................................................................................................................... 74 Nine Myths And Legends About The SAT .................................................................................... 78 Counselor and Teacher Recommendations .................................................................................... 80 Suggestions for Anyone Writing a Reference ................................................................................ 80 Abiding Guidelines for Writing College Recommendations