There never seems to be a shortage of theories (expressed as fact) for why certain kids did or did not get into particular colleges. If you’re immersed in a high school student-parent community, you’ve probably heard them. And if not, you will soon, as they usually start in earnest right as seniors begin their journey towards college application season.
“She got in because she wrote a great essay.”
“He was denied because he didn’t take AP Calculus.”
“That kid had an advantage because their mother was an alumn.”
I understand why it happens. Students and parents want to make sense of a complex and confusing process. So they examine the evidence presented and look for the logical string that explains the outcome. It’s human nature to satisfy curiosity with conclusion.
But here’s the most important thing to remember as you hear those theories from students or parents: They just don’t know.
They might be presenting a perfectly logical explanation. And they might even be right. But they still don’t know. The truth is that in most cases, the only people who know with absolute certainty why a student was or was not admitted to a college are the members of the admissions committee who sat in the room, discussed it together, and ultimately came to a decision to admit or deny.
The exceptions to that rule are high school counselors with whom admissions officers often communicate, especially when information about the applicant is missing, unclear, or contradictory. And just as your doctor would never tell you, “Your friend Fred has high blood pressure because he’s overweight and eats bacon like it’s a food group,” a counselor will integrate their learnings into their forthcoming advice, but they won’t share the admissions particulars of the student.
I mention this because seniors are gearing up to begin their own college application process. They’ll soon be making decisions about where to apply, how to present themselves, what to write their essays about and whether or not they should avail themselves of an early application program. These are important decisions worthy of seeking advice from others. But don’t build an application strategy around theories posing as facts. Your friends and family know you well. Your counselor knows the admissions process well.
But that student or parent who swears up and down they know the specific reason a decision was reached? They just don’t know.