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Positive Educational Direction |
December 2011 Table of Contents | Next Article » Introduction: December 2011
Dear All, Based on my experience in the field of college counseling spanning more than thirty years, I think "interest" is the most important word in the college admissions lexicon. For instance, when we review each of our applicants' college choices in the fall, our predictions of admission factor in our students' level of interest in each college to which they apply. And we suggest that our students work closely with their school guidance counselor to be sure that key person knows how students rank each of their colleges. In addition, more and more college representatives visit us in our office in New Canaan. We gather as many of our consultants for those sessions as possible, building our knowledge base with the most current information from the colleges in which our students are interested. The word "interest" clearly surfaces as the most important admissions term when students choose their academic courses. What courses students take is the first consideration for the colleges, and just as important as the grades is the level of genuine interest of applicants in those courses. This is especially true in subjects the colleges care most about: English, History, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and a foreign language. The final admission decisions come down to students' interest levels in their subjects, their activities and in the specific colleges on their lists. It is also an especially good idea for students to show interest in their teachers, as well as their guidance counselors. INTEREST, therefore, is our favorite admissions word. Cheers! Donald M.Dunbar ddunbar@dunbarconsultants.com |
