ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS: REVISE YOUR EXPECTIATIONS!

Every time I meet with parents of high school students,  many of them tell me "I want to keep my child close to home",  “My wife/husband and I have our heart set on College X for our son/daughter”, or  " I know my son/daughter wants to go to College A, but I want them to go to College B".  I kind of cringe when I hear these comments because I always feel they want me to assist them in a their promotional agenda to their child. Sadly, I can't.  After a moment and grabbing my thoughts , I respond to them like this,  “Well, this is YOUR CHILD's college years, not yours, and it is your CHILD who needs his/her heart set on the college they attend, not you.”.  I am sure this is not what they want to hear, but they have to.   Colleges Admissions Officers are very savvy, and they know when a parent is pushing a school, especially one their child does not want to attend, or one where they won't fit in.

In today's college admission landscape and climate, all the parental wishing in the world will not help a kid get into USC, Stanford, UCLA, Berkley, Princeton, Brown, Harvard, or Yale.  First, it is the Indian and Asian cultures that train their children through  their cultural upbringing to tackle these rigorous requirements , making these students very strong candidates for admissions.  Second, these schools may not necessarily be the best schools for your child.  That does not mean there is not a school for your child.

The GOAL of  our company is first evaluate where you child is, what their goals are, and what talents they have. Based on that information, we match his/her personality with the right schools, often introducing you to school you had not considered before hand, working with your child to introduce them to the schools they select through their application, brag sheet/resume and essays to reach their potential.

We can’t create an award-winning talent; nor would you want us too, you would have a whole different child, one you love.  If  your 9th, 10th or 11th  grade child has no amazing skills or talents, such as a National Merit Winner of the Science Fair, doesn't display exceptional talents on the  piano, french horn, or art,  and/or is someone who is taking non-honors classes because the can't or they don't want to, there is a good chance that he/she is not going to be accepted into one of the  top tier schools.  That said, it does not mean there will not be a school where your student can strive! 

Our job is to assist students and their families prepare for college and point them in the direction of college success allowing them to maximize their grades, scores, academic effort and outside activities to be the best of their abilities, and they assist them with financial aid at the same time so that parents are confident about the process.  As your student looks at the 4,000 colleges across America, and we get to know them, we will suggest schools that are the best matches for their god given talents and skills within a range of top tier, 50/50 and safety schools. The range set for your child  is determined by grades, scores, national prominence in academic areas, awards, etc… ( and while school counselors tell you that they can do the same stuff for FREE,  it is true, but they don't necessarily have the same specific expertise that we are able to offer to you, nor do they have the time). 

It is said the approximately 35% -40% of all the freshman class spots at top tier schools are set aside for  candidates who fall into certain categories, such as  athletic recruits, or other categories established by the university,  and then the admit rate becomes more like 4% of all the applications received.  Top Tier schools then usually fill the remaining pool with candidates who are valedictorians holding huge national awards, talents, etc..   These are tough odds to contend with, however, if you child's dream is to attempt to go to one of these school, I always say, submit an application, and wait for the outcome.  Sometimes students need to hear what you saying from the schools, and sometimes crazier things happen.

Your child's dreams, hopes and aspirations are very important, and they can be met, but when it comes to college admissions and the applications that go with it, parents need to be a little more realistic, and recognize that they are not the key players that they have been up to this point;  the CHILD is now the key player.  , and it’s not fair to anyone to put pressure on a student and set them up for failure just to be in a school like that.  No matter how proud or optimistic a parent may be, parents and students alike must understand that they are dealing with a system over which they have little control over,if any.

Love and respect your child for who they are.  You would not want it any other way!  There is a school for everyone, and  parents need to revise their expectations and to fall in line with their child’s abilities, talents and skills, or it’s a recipe for disaster and will demoralized your son or daughter.

If you find you need assistance, we are here to help you get through and point you in the right direction. Call us for a FREE 1/2 hour consultation on how we can help you and your family.