The relationships between College Counselors and Admissions Officers

I hope that readers of this post realize that the College Counselors in this discussion are those working in the most selective private college prep high schools in the country. I wonder what the average tuition at the schools is where they work. Their “relationship between college counselors and admissions officers” is part of what parents expected for their tuition dollars. That is, a hot line between their school counselor and a selective college admissions officer might have been part of their expectation when they enrolled their child in one of these top high schools.

As an independent counselor who never has had, and never wanted, a “hot line” to admissions officers, I welcome this decline in private high school counselor access to selective college admissions officers. I believe this change levels the playing field.

I, for one, am glad that this cozy relationship is at risk.

An unsuspecting sophomore indicated interest in being contacted by colleges on the PSAT registration. As a result, that student received 44 emails from 44 different colleges during the first 7 days of March. Subject lines include such misleading teasers as:

* Time is running out
* Last chance
* I’m Intrigued [student name]
* Correct email address?
* You’ve impressed us
* Deadline Approaching
* Relax, [student name]
* Re: My previous email
* You still have time
* Only a few left [student name]
* I haven’t heard back from you
* Do you know the secret?
* I forgot to mention

Most invite action on the student’s part and imply that their offer is somewhat timely or “important”. One with the subject line “You still have time” promises to help relieve stress! That one reads, “Bottom line: When it comes to getting into a good school, you still have a little time – but getting started early can mean the difference between relaxation and stress when senior year rolls around.” [And to put that school in a "context", its middle 50% range for critical reading and math SAT scores is 1030 - 1200.]

Jokingly, I suggest that David Letterman do a top 10 most egregious! But more seriously, I invite college admissions directors to reflect on the effect of these practices on unsuspecting 15 year olds in 10th grade who are likely and maybe hesitantly just beginning to think about the world of college and college admissions. No wonder high school students and their families find the process stressful.

My choice for the most bizarre college email pitch follows. That one with the subject line “Relax [student's first name]” reads:

“Dear [student's first name],

One way to keep yourself relaxed during your college search is to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and say to yourself millions of people have gone through this – and most do NOT live out of their cars.

Another great way is to ask for A Short Guide to a Happy College Search [hot link].

This unique guide shows you the right questions to ask and the smartest things to do (and what NOT to do) to stay calm and find the right college.

When I send yours, I’ll also include information about X College and our unique program…”

Jane C. Hoffman, MBA
College Admissions Advisor and Founder, College Advice 101
http://www.CollegeAdvice-101.com

Associate Member: IECA
Member: NYSACAC, HECA, Westchester/Putnam/Rockland Counseling Association

Supporting students and parents in the college search and application process.
Helping to identify the colleges that are the “best” for the student.