College Application Consultant Offers Advice

To Stay On Course

By Nancy K. Crevier

“We use the nautical terms,” said Dr Paul R. Lowe, president and founder of BHA Education Consultants, “because there is an analogy to applying to colleges. One has to keep your balance, maintain control, and obtain correct information to succeed.” What causes “shipwrecks,” whether sailing the waters of the ocean or the uncharted seas of the college admissions process, he explained, includes poor planning, procrastination, simple mistakes, and hubris on the part of students and parents.

Dr Lowe presented “Navigating the College Admissions Process” to several Newtown parents and students preparing to set sail for higher education on Tuesday evening, October 18, at The C.H. Booth Library. BHA Education Consultants prepares students interested in applying to Ivy League, highly selective, and competitive colleges and universities to maximize the chances of being admitted, but much of the advice set forth Wednesday evening was applicable to students applying to any level of higher education. Indeed, so-called “secondary” schools become selective as the thousands of rejected Ivy League applicants seek alternatives.

Lisa Sapienza, a junior at Newtown High School, is toying with applying to colleges in Boston next year. She attended the talk with her mother. “We’re just trying to get a feel for what we need to do,” said Lisa.

Other parents present had tackled the college application process before, but felt some updating was called for. Pat and Noreen O’Brien have a son who is in his junior year of high school. “We’ve already had two go through the process and we’re just trying to see if we can get a few pointers,” said Mr O’Brien. Mrs O’Brien added, “It’s been a few years.”

In one and a half hours, Dr Lowe highlighted for the studiously focused audience what does and does not work in the college application process. “Pay attention to the small details,” he urged.  “The process is complicated and riddled with costly mistakes.” For example, he said, “Consider the questions on the application as ‘mini-essays.’ Take them seriously.”

Prestigious schools want more than top athletes, legacies (children of alumni), top musicians, and valedictorians, said Dr Lowe, who has served as an interviewer on the Brown University Alumni Schools Committee and Fairfield County Area Chair for many area high school and prep schools. Schools accept classes, not individuals. They want a diverse class that can add to the world, he stressed.

A diverse class, he explained, is a well-rounded class of talented students. Schools look for evidence of accomplishments when reviewing applications, for intellectual curiosity, for proof of the ability to succeed in a broad-based curriculum, and for social and community involvement.

Prestigious schools, such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth or any of the other top 40 schools his company has analyzed, consider ambition, motivation, enthusiasm, and other intangibles. They will look for dedication, not what he called “clubbers,” students who belong to many organizations but show little consistency or involvement in any of them. As one admissions officer confided to Dr Lowe, they want “talented young people who make the most of what is available to them….”

Taking The Initiative

The interest quotient is another thing admissions officers consider. How interested is the student, not the parent, in gaining admission to a particular school? Does the student take the initiative to call the school with questions, to set up interviews themselves, to find out for themselves if they are a good match for the school? “There are some schools that track that,” admitted Dr Lowe.

Admissions officers also look at what is out of place, and why, on an application. Grade drops, unexplained or extended absences or poor test scores can often be reasonably explained, and admissions officers want to know what is behind them. It is best to clarify any inconsistencies upfront.

It is crucial to market a student’s qualities, Dr Lowe emphasized. An applicant must convince the admissions officer that he/she is the better of not just one, but five or ten other applicants with the same tests, the same grades, and the same scores. There is little time to convince the officer that an application warrants a further look, the average application being on the table only between five and eight minutes.

“Add as much helpful material to the application as possible,” recommends Dr Lowe. The application offers the chance to tell a student’s unique story and should not be underestimated.

The essay is another opportunity to make an application stand out. “It [the college application essay] is absolutely one of the most important essays you will write,” said Dr Lowe. Include the proper content. Answer the question and demonstrate a match between yourself and the college, providing examples to support that. A friendly, enthusiastic essay tone is desirable, and the topic should highlight an experience that exemplifies who you are, was Dr Lowe’s advice. “If a reader wants to drop everything and meet you, you’re in!”

Myths

It is a myth that the essay counts only in close calls, said this advisor, and went on to explode other myths of gaining admission to competitive schools.

“Make yourself look well rounded” is a myth. Emphasizing the one exceptional quality that makes a student stand out is more important than appearing to have a hand in everything.

Another myth? Be modest. No, says this consultant. This is not the time to hold back on accomplishments. This goes hand-in-hand with the myth that says, “Don’t be eager.” Said Dr Lowe, “Show interest in the college. Visit it. Meet the dean. Do the interview.” Schools want to see a perspective student’s zeal for their institution.

It is also a myth that if a teacher writes a recommendation, that it will be good. Pick a teacher, said Dr Lowe, “who knows you best.”

As a professional consultant and a parent of teenagers, Dr Lowe has learned that the college application period is when students and parents often are unable to see eye-to-eye. “Students at this juncture don’t listen to what parents know. So, there is a knowledge gap, a break in knowledge transfer.” His delivery was forceful and direct as he added, “Parents, in this process there is not a democracy. One small mistake can result in a rejection letter.”

The audience, which had barely breathed throughout his talk, furiously scribbling notes, took advantage of Dr Lowe’s offer to field questions at the end of the evening. SAT vs ACT tests (“Whatever the school requests”), test preparation courses (“Individual tutors in the home are best”), retaking tests (“Schools will look at the highest scores”), what is a good number of advanced placement courses for a student to take (“Four or five, but do very well”), and what are other ways in which parents can help their child prepare for applying to college (“Read. Read The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Talk with students who have gone through the process. Use the guidance counselor at your school — bother them”), were just a few of the questions Dr Lowe answered.

In closing, Dr Lowe reiterated that it is never too soon to begin preparing for the college admissions process.