Can you guarantee college admission?

Once in a while, I’m contacted by a parent who hopes I can guarantee college admission for their student. Perhaps they’ve seen advertisements from other college admissions consultants who brag about their placement rate at Ivy League schools. Or they come to me with a college list that includes ten highly selective colleges, each with a 10% admissions rate, and insist that ten colleges times 10% equals a 100% chance that their student applicant will be accepted, at minimum, at one of these selective colleges.

Of course, that’s not how statistics work, and that’s not how college admissions works. Cornell University, for example, has a 9% acceptance rate. But that doesn’t mean that each applicant has an equal 9% chance of being accepted there. Cornell has a holistic admissions process that considers a range of factors, and assesses those in relation to the kinds of students they’re looking to bring into their student community.

If you’re a student with a 4.0 GPA, you’ll be in a different category compared to a student with a 2.9 GPA. If you’re a concert violinist who has performed in front of a thousand people, that experience will be looked upon favorably by the admissions committee and may help offset a slightly lower-than-average GPA for that college or university. If you have a compelling life experience—say, you lived in Tanzania with your family for two years as part of a mission trip—and can tell the story of how that experience changed your perspective beautifully in writing, it can sometimes move your application from “maybe” to “yes.”

Where I can help as a college admissions counselor has several components. First, I will help you figure out, based on your qualifications, whether a particular college is a “reach” school for you, a “target” or “match” school, or a “likely” or “safety” school. Then we’ll develop a list of colleges (for most students I recommend applying to 8 to 12) that represent a balance of these categories. This approach increases your odds that you’ll be accepted somewhere, and it also maximizes your potential for attractive financial aid offers. I will help you polish your application materials, including your personal statement and supplemental essays. And finally, I’ll help you get the best financial aid package possible at the school of your choice. I'm transparent about my process, and I don't make guarantees or empty promises.

Of course, there are colleges and universities that accept 100% of applicants who meet their admissions requirements. So there can be some predictability to the process as well.

To learn more about how I can help you plan your college admissions process successfully, schedule your free consultation today!