I try to regularly feature other admissions experts on this blog who 1) know what they’re talking about, and 2) share good information that lessens the anxieties that permeate the college admissions process. Jay Mathews of the Washington Post and Patrick O’Connor of the Cranbrook Schools are in that category, as is Parke Muth who shares this fabulous post, 5 Unusual College Applications and Why They Didn’t (or Did) Work. But seniors and their parents, before you read it, I have a request: don’t skim past the gems.
Families often discount good advice from experts with the retort, “But I heard…” — followed by advice from a friend of a friend, second-hand information, or the story of one kid who somehow beat the system. These stories and rumors are viruses that infect otherwise healthy, smart admissions approaches. As someone who spent nearly 30 years as an admission dean at UVA, Parke doesn’t just know what he’s talking about, he’s also seen it all. You’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you ignore his advice with a, “But I heard…”
Online content has become a skimmer’s paradise, but if you read his advice carefully, you’ll come across some real gems, so good that I wish I could take an online highlighter pen to them. For example, after describing the student who sent in copies of every commendation, certificate, test score, etc., Parke writes:
“…failure to follow a school’s suggestions or requirements draws attention to the student’s noncompliance, and usually not in a good way.”
It’s gentle, it’s nice, even subtle. But that is a former dean of admissions telling you how important it is to follow the application’s instructions (which sometimes even the best applicants fail to do). Don’t skim past this gem or any of the other ones.