For unparalleled insight into the college admissions process
Educational Consultants
Strengthening your college counseling program –
for satisfied families and better results
Today more than ever, families are looking for tangible results from their high schools. Among the most tangible is the college placement profile.
A profile rich with acceptances to strong colleges, tailored to families’ needs and circumstances, is a tremendous asset to a school – and a powerful means of attracting and retaining talented students. A weak profile, on the other hand, is a red flag that a high school isn’t serving its students well. When this happens, school reputations and enrollments can quickly suffer.
A profile rich with acceptances to strong colleges, tailored to families’ needs and circumstances, is a tremendous asset to a school – and a powerful means of attracting and retaining talented students. A weak profile, on the other hand, is a red flag that a high school isn’t serving its students well. When this happens, school reputations and enrollments can quickly suffer.
Unintentional mistakes that hurt your students
Unfortunately, hundreds of well-meaning high schools hurt their students in the admissions process without even realizing it. Among the most common mistakes:
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Revealing disadvantageous information on transcripts and school profiles (if you have class rank and grade distribution charts, you’re doing it)
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Overly restricting access to honors and AP courses
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Unwittingly selling students short in the caliber of colleges recommended
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Not knowing the true admissions standards at various colleges, including those that admit by major
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Advising students to get recommendations from the wrong faculty
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Not coaching faculty on writing recommendations or how grading systems impact admissions
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Advising students to take SAT subject tests that will weaken their application
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Using guidebooks and magazine rankings to assess colleges’ standards
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Using computer programs to choose colleges or gauge a student’s chance of acceptance
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Advising students to be “well-rounded” or have a “list” of activities for their college application
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To help schools assess their strengths in this area, we’ve developed a Quick Quiz on college admissions. If your staff struggles with these questions, you might benefit from some of the services Kennedy Consulting offers to high schools seeking to enrich their college counseling programs.
Affirming what you’re doing well
A large part of what we do for schools is to improve staff knowledge of the admissions process. Another important service we can provide is to affirm for strong schools what they’re already doing well. We’ve been invited by Parent Groups and schools themselves to serve as an outside expert through Parents’ Nights and college workshops. When our presentations reinforce what counselors themselves are saying, parent confidence soars. Families can relax, knowing they’re getting accurate information and sound advice, and effective counselors can enjoy a well-earned climate of trust and respect.