In what seems like a never ending stream of extraordinary college admissions news recognizing that this process is broken, the College Board recently announced that they will be assigning an “adversity score” to each test taker.  The College Board administers the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests.  This adversity score is assigned based on the socioeconomic conditions in the applicant’s community, school, family marital status and education levels, among other factors.

We all want a fair process for ourselves and our kids when it comes to applying to college.  But this is not the answer. While I applaud efforts to make college more accessible and diverse, this is an ill-conceived effort to level the playing field that comes at the expense of hard working and honest students seeking to put their best foot forward in this process and be evaluated on the merits of their applications.  

The adversity score exposes the college admissions process for the social and financial experiment it is at many schools: constructing a class consisting of mega legacies to increase donations, athletes that generate ticket sales from games, and those determined to be “in need”. Where the rest of the applicant pool fits in, is a mystery. 

The Wall Street Journal first broke this story, and can be accessed here.  The most interesting part of this story from my perspective is that 20% of Yale’s incoming class are from families where they will the first to attend college. At many highly selective schools, 1/3 of the class are mega legacies and 1/3 are recruited athletes.  So when Yale states that 20% of the incoming class is first generation, this means that over half of the “normal applicants” are being lauded for their socioeconomic status. 

In a perfect world, colleges would evaluate applicants based on their accomplishments, passions, and abilities.  Not whether a family can buy a building or qualifies for financial assistance. But alas, we live in an imperfect world.   

This process rewards those who are able to excel at what matters to them.  Rather than fret on some arbitrary score, focus on what you can control.  The SAT is not required.  The ACT does not assign an adversity score to applicants at the moment.  For students that have determined that the SAT is a better fit, and for the many more who will be taking Subject Tests, please do not fill out any demographic questions that are optional if you are concerned they will negatively impact you or your child’s applications.  This includes parent education levels, income, home addresses, etc.  If you can use an office address or PO Box in another community that may be viewed more favorably in the process, consider doing it.
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These external developments are frustrating, anxiety-inducing, and often unfair.  We are here to guide every family through this process and make the most of it.

The recent college admissions bribery scandal has shed light into the secretive practices at many highly coveted colleges like Stanford, USC, and Yale. Jason England, a former admissions dean and an assistant professor of creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University, provides an indepth look into how admissions offices work and why this process can be frustrating even to the most qualified applicants.  We highly recommend reading his article to understand how this process works and why many talented applicants are not accepted at their dream school.  Click here to access the article.  

The lengths families went to make it seem like they earned admission to colleges like Stanford, Yale, and USC is shocking, but not the fact that people but their way in.  It is the worst kept secret in the college admissions world that it is pay to play, and this is part of the reason it is such an uphill battle for doing it the old fashioned way.   

At the most selective schools, anywhere from 2/3 to 3/4 of the spots are spoken for even before a school begins to accept applications.  In a class of 1,500, 1/3 are claimed by recruited athletes and 1/3+ are claimed by legacy families.  This means that 50,000 people are competing for the 500 remaining spots, which makes it a 1% acceptance rate for “normal” applicants.  But it gets worse, these 500 spots must be evenly dispersed across the country, the world, and all different backgrounds—they all cannot come from the same over qualified community.  The numbers are tough. 

These figures are not meant to discourage students from applying to selective colleges.  Rather, I want us to have a healthy mindset about the odds and what this process rewards: hard work, creativity, and a willingness to look outside the box to find paths that ensure our kids develop into healthy, happy, and financially independent adults.  Let's recognize the challenge we face and find ways to stand out and build interesting stories to develop a niche.  Learning how to navigate a competitive process by building a story is a life skill that will propel your kids to do amazing things well beyond college and that is the most important part of this process.
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We will continue to encourage your child to his/her best and provide any support that we can for your kids to build their brand and ensure that they have the best odds to earn admission to a college that is a great fit.  We are excited to see what we can accomplish together! 

Out of our hometown of Newport Beach, California, we were rocked by posts emerging on social media of a Nazi drinking game at a high school party. 

There are two things wrong with this: (1) Nazism and (2) underage drinking games caught on camera.  I am not going to delve into how offensive/dumb this was—but rather focus on what these types of incidents mean for this process. 69% of college admissions officers report snooping on social media to search for applicants.  Demonstrating support or approval of hateful ideology or illegal underage drinking is not what an applicant wants to be associated with. 

Applying to college is the culmination of building a brand over several years.  This brand should demonstrate work ethic, leadership, and an ability to contribute to a community.  All it takes is one offensive post, tweet, or inappropriate picture to tarnish a person’s brand for their life.  Your kids’ employers will search on social media to find them.  The people deciding whether they are admitted to their dream school will do the same.  Poor judgment at a minimum can be a disqualifier in a competitive process. Please remind your kids as I do to: (1) set their accounts to private and (2) do not post anything that could be considered offensive or in poor taste to a hyper sensitive person.  This includes liking posts or commenting on them. 
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How do you determine whether something is in poor taste?  I ask students if they would feel comfortable having their name and picture on the front cover of The New York Times and a copy of whatever was posted/liked/shared.  If the answer is no, there is your answer.  We live in an era where it is easy to offend.  When in doubt, be conservative in applying this test.  Our perception of what is "OK" tends to diminish with age.  Also remember, we can be found guilty by association.  If every person is doing something illegal, and your child happens to just be there in the picture, many reasonable minds would assume that your child is also participating in that activity as well. 

It is common for parents and students alike to ask, “How many community service hours do I need to get into college?”  The answer: there is no magic number.  For community service, regardless of whether you dream of attending Stanford or any other college, the commitment and the significance of your community involvement far outweighs the sheer number of hours you spend volunteering.

There is no magic number when it comes to the number of hours you need to get into college.  Colleges will ask for how long you have been involved with an activity, how many hours per week you are involved with it, and the number of weeks per year.  That is it. 

Yet in a stack of 100,000 applications, the time spent volunteering does not paint a picture of why it matters to you, or more importantly, why it matters to an admissions officer.  To tell this story, expect to write an essay describing why the service matters and shapes your view of the world and your position in it.  Highlight what you learned in the activity and how it has influenced your perspective about your future plans.  If you were a leader in the activity, it is also beneficial to explore what you learn not only in terms of the outcome but also how you can increase your impact in society.  When admissions officers review your application, this is what they will be assessing—your ability to make a difference on their campus. 
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As this school year is in full swing, look for opportunities to make a difference and grow.  Focus just on the few activities that matter the most to you.  This will not only build your resume for college but, more importantly, provide you with the opportunity to learn about yourself and how you will contribute to society going forward.  

Goes way beyond just how to get into college.  As school is back in session we are faced with the reality, that applying to college, and high school in general is tough.  Whether it comes to applying to Stanford, the Ivy League, or schools that are less selective, this process rewards those who work hard and are not afraid of taking risks or not getting in.  It may be hard in the moment, but the skills you gain along the way are what will prepare you for what comes after school and ensure your long-term success. 
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My dad, forwarded an article by Courtney Connley featured on CNBC containing an interview with Suzy Welch of the legendary Jack Welch Management Institute.  It has been in line with his advice for my entire life.  I consider it a privilege to pass it on.   
 
Courtney Connley
CNBC - ‎Tuesday‎, ‎August‎ ‎14‎, ‎2018
The best way parents can set their kids up for career success
 
Bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch is often asked, "What's the number one thing parents can do to help their kids achieve career success?"

"That's a tough question," the mom of four millennials tells CNBC Make It. "And I can really only answer with what worked for me."

She says that like most kids, hers would sometimes "whine about the unfairness of life or how hard it was to make new friends at school or how much extra work it took to get an A instead of a B or a C."

Like many parents, she'd respond with lectures about hard work, discipline and perseverance. But Welch's lectures were always punctuated by a simple message that she says is key to helping kids understand the relationship between putting in extra effort and achieving your goals: "Everything good is hard."

"They didn't love hearing that," she says. "But pretty early on, even by middle school, it began to make its own case and they began to see for themselves how a boatload of effort did tend to pay off."

Now that they're adults, Welch says, her kids have been exposed to the normal adversities of working life, like job layoffs, bad bosses and difficult assignments. But despite these challenges, they've all found professional success, and Welch believes that it's because of her mantra.

"Believe me, I know all too well how impossible it is to control what your kids do at school or how they fare in the real world," she says. "Life happens, but don't discount the importance of your influence on their career trajectory."

She recommends that parents lead by example, demonstrating for kids that "when it comes to achieving lasting success, there are very few shortcuts."

"Hard things are hard for a reason," she emphasizes. "They're worth it."