Myth Busters College Edition

Don’t be fooled by these common college myths

Admission isn’t all about scores; look for best fit, not big name

Gaining admission to some of the most elite colleges is remarkably more competitive today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Unfortunately, this increased competitiveness has spurred myths that need to be dispelled.

Myth # 1: Only the best and brightest get accepted.

Reality: Most colleges work very hard to create and implement a holistic admissions process. It’s very important to colleges to understand how you spend your time outside of the classroom. There are many variables at work simultaneously.

Your rank in class, your GPA and your SATs may say a lot about you, but your personal essay and letters of recommendation provide greater insight. Colleges want to know not only that you will be able to succeed academically, but also what you will contribute to campus life.

Many colleges promote the fact that they have rejected hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of valedictorians. While at first glance this appears ominous, what it is really saying is that colleges are looking at more than numbers. They are trying to create a balanced class that has jocks, artsy kids, geeks, activists and so on. So play up your strengths and try to figure out what sets you apart.

Myth # 2: If you haven’t heard of a college, it can’t be very good.

Reality: Don’t fall prey to “prestige panic.” Colleges and universities come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Some students think that if the college doesn’t compete in Division I sports or isn’t in the Ivy League, it’s not a “good school.” The question to ask yourself is not if the school is “good,” but is it a “good fit” for me? Does it have what I am looking for academically and socially? Is it the right size? Will I feel comfortable with the other students on campus? Is it a good distance from home? Guard against stereotypes, preconceived notions and hearsay.

The concept of “fit” has been waged convincingly by an interesting organization — Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL). In 1996, Loren Pope, former New York Times education editor, wrote a remarkable book of the same name that profiled 40 colleges that place a high priority on holistic admissions, developing student potential and placing a high value on initiative and risk-taking. A movement is afoot to encourage more colleges to adopt these student-friendly approaches and focus less on college rankings and test scores.

Some of the core beliefs include humanistic concepts that focus on making learning collaborative, not competitive; a discussion of values inside and outside the classroom; a sense of community that extends beyond graduation; and perhaps most central to its mission, the idea that students are there to learn, not just earn a degree.

Myth # 3: Courses and grades in the spring of senior year aren't important because students already have been accepted by a college by the time those courses are done.

Reality: Most colleges make statements in their admissions materials that they will look at a senior's spring grades. If the student's academic performance has dropped off substantially, colleges have been known to cancel an offer of admission.

Myth #4: To make it in today's world you need a four-year college degree.

Reality: Someone with a four-year degree may have more career options, but there are many satisfying and good-paying jobs that are possible with certain technical or two-year degrees. Your teen should start with the fields that are of interest to him/her and learn what kind of education is required and what the job opportunities are in those areas. Then, get the degree he/she needs for the type of career he/she wants.

Myth # 5: The college with the lowest price will be the most affordable.

Reality: Not necessarily! Some of the colleges with a high "sticker price" have raised significant amounts of money for scholarships from their graduates and friends. As a result, they have more money to give to students in the form of scholarships, which reduces the "sticker price." After taking financial aid into consideration, a seemingly more expensive college may be more affordable than a college with a lower list price. Tip: Find out what kinds of scholarship options are available at the colleges you are considering.

Myth # 6: It really doesn't matter if I wait a year or two to go to college.

Reality: Many students who don't go to college right after high school never get around to it. Others bring great experience to the college when they enroll because of what they did with the time off from school. It is wise for a student to apply to colleges of interest during senior year just like any other student. He/she can then ask a college to defer enrollment for a year or two, if the student needs the time away. Most colleges will hold the offer of admission, especially if the student has plans that will ultimately make the student even more interesting or valuable as a member of the campus community.

Caution: If the student works during this time away, the income of the student (if substantial) may hinder his/her need-based financial aid eligibility when he/she goes back to school. Because the student will in many cases still qualify as a dependent student, only a small amount of income will be protected under the federal formula. Amounts beyond that can hurt financial aid eligibility.

Myth # 7: You need to start planning for college during your junior year of high school.

Reality: While some students may wait this late to do certain things like visiting potential colleges or taking the SATs, there are other things that should never wait this long. For example, high school course selections and grades represent the single most important consideration in most colleges' admissions decisions. High school course decisions are made sometimes as early as middle school. Financial planning, saving for college and finding out which colleges will be affordable also should be done well before the junior year.

Myth # 8: Students today have so much loan debt that it doesn't make sense to pay a lot to go to college.

Reality: Most students who have huge loan debt usually have either done a poor job of finding a college where their family's financial aid works well, or they made a conscious decision to take on that kind of loan debt so they can attend a particular college. (Remember, the average loan debt of undergraduate students today is roughly $20,000 - that's less than the cost of most new cars!) The goal for most families is to find schools that will be financially reasonable for them, usually by using a published financial aid estimator to understand where they stand under the federal formula for financial aid.

Myth # 9: There isn't a lot of financial aid available, and what is available only goes to a few of the very best students.

Reality: Each year more than $135 billion dollars in financial aid is awarded. The vast majority of this money is doled out by the federal government through grant, loan and work-study programs, while colleges' own grants and scholarships account for almost 20 percent of all financial aid. States help too by contributing more than $5.5 billion to the pot. That's a lot of money for a lot of students. In fact, more than 70 percent of students nationally receive some kind of financial aid.

Myth #10: You should use the essay to tell the college anything and everything about yourself.

Reality Your personal statement should focus on one detail or life event. It’s almost impossible to tell a college everything they need to know about you in 650 words or less. This is why students should pick a significant event or story that either shaped them or offers some insight into who they are today, and write only about that. Choose a topic that will help admissions officers learn something new about you that they can’t learn from any other part of your application. Be detailed, set the scene, and clearly articulate why this topic is important and how it relates to who you are as a student and a person.

Myth #11: Big words are impressive, so you should use as many as possible.

Reality: Colleges want to hear from you, so write in your own voice. It’s easy to see the college application essay as an opportunity to sound extremely intelligent and perspicacious (see what we did there?), but you don’t have to break out a thesaurus to do so. Write in your own voice, using your own vocabulary to convey your message. It’s okay to look up some alternative words here and there in an effort to not sound too repetitive, but don’t use it for every adjective, and don’t use words that you’ve never heard before. Be genuine, not ersatz.

Myth #12: In order to stand out, your essay needs to be shocking, unusual, funny, or something other than an essay.

Reality Gimmicks will often make your essay memorable for the wrong reasons. With so many students applying to college, it can be tempting to want to find a unique way to “stand out” from the tens of thousands of other applicants. Writing about personal and intimate details, like your romantic life, strange topics that don’t relate to you, trying too hard to be humorous, or implementing other gimmicks like poems, songs, etc., in lieu of the essay won’t help you get in. You’ll stand out for sure, but as an example of what not to do on your college application. Colleges want a genuine, thoughtful essay, so give them that.

Myth #13: An outstanding college application essay is your ticket in.

Reality Just like any other application component, the essay is just one piece of the admissions puzzle. Don’t think your admissions chances, good or bad, hinge solely on the essay. Just like with anything else colleges consider – grades, test scores, recommendations, and more – one component isn’t going to be deciding factor that gets you in– or keeps you out. This is why it’s important to do thorough research on the school you’re applying to and consult with your college counselor on a course of action. An outstanding essay won’t make up for poor grades or recommendations, the same way an average essay won’t negate excellent test scores, grades, or extracurricular involvement.

Myth #14: It’s okay to repurpose essays on more than one supplement.

Reality You should tailor your application essays to each school you’re applying to. While the main Common Application essay is meant to stay the same, many colleges have their own school-specific supplements with prompts meant to gauge a student’s knowledge of the institution and their motivations for applying. While many supplemental prompts can be very similar, it’s important to make sure you tailor your essays for each school. Don’t copy and paste your “Why Columbia?” essay into your Penn application. Repurposing parts of some essays, like an activities essay, can be okay if the point you’re tying to make is the same, but on the whole, avoid using the same essay on more than one application – and make sure if you do that you don’t accidentally mention Harvard in your Stanford application.

Remember that the most important thing students can do when writing their college application essays is to be themselves! Colleges want to get to you know you, so craft an essay that showcases the best version of yourself and helps admissions officers gain some insight into who you are.