 |
Ask the college counselor: The benefits of visiting |
 |
Q: My son is a junior and I thought that later this spring, and over the summer, we’d start driving to see some college campuses. Now he is saying, why bother, no one gets in anyway. He is friends with a number of seniors, and some of them have already gotten rejection letters from colleges. Their disappointment is affecting him and making him think very negatively. How do I build up his interest?
A: You can’t prevent your son from hearing negative information from some of his friends, but you also need to get him to hear the positive as well. He needs to see the big picture, and the big picture shows us that pretty much every high school student who takes academics seriously and plans his/her college applications carefully will indeed get in. They may not get into their #1 choice, but they will find a college, in many cases more than one, which will accept them.
Of course, if your son’s friends are talking about Ivy League schools, where the acceptance rate is usually less than 10%, most applicants are going to be disappointed. But freshman places at Ivy league institutions account for a very small percentage of freshman places nationally. The vast majority of admissions decisions for this year’s seniors have yet to be made. I am confident that by the end of this academic year, all of your son’s friends will have been accepted to colleges where they will be happy. (more…)
Have a question for Jane? Search archives | Contact the College Counselor
Subscribe to 
