Why the College Admissions Process is Harder Than You Think

You get good grades, you take the test (maybe twice, maybe three times…), you write the essays, you hit submit.  And you wait.

Except there’s way more to applying to college than that.

With all the little details, nuances, and action items in between those big milestones, the process becomes much harder than we’re expecting.

It’s Not Familiar

Unless you’ve gone through this process before in the exact same way, this isn’t familiar to anyone.  It’s not natural! Parents may have applied to the school down the street and got in, without even studying for the ACT.  What even is “ED” and “EA” and why are we talking about it? FAFSA, CSS, EFC, COA, L-M-N-O-P? Even with multiple children, each student’s experience will be a little bit different, causing new and unfamiliar things to arise through the process.

Information Overload

Yeah, you think?  There are so many pieces to this process to know and learn.  It’s as if you have to become an expert on something for just a few years and then you can forget all about it.  Colleges you’ve never even heard of are sending you snail mail (not yet? Just wait…) and it’s relentless. On top of all of those unfamiliar things mentioned above, it’s difficult to even navigate all of the various college websites because each one has so many links and pages.  Times that by infinity schools! It’s becoming incredibly difficult to be well-informed and keep up with all of the new information.

Prepare for Rejection

Both on the student and parent ends, rejection isn’t going to feel good.  It’s hard not to take those obstacles to heart, but just know that students will find their best fit where they are surrounded with like-minded students and supportive resources.  This will be at an institution where they are accepted! Let those rejections (which I like to call “passes”) go, and focus on schools that know how awesome you are and that are excited to welcome you or your student to their campus.

You Won’t Understand Everything

A lot of pieces in this process, like when colleges pass (or reject) on your application, won’t make sense.  You or your student have the grades; hours and hours of studying went in to preparing for the SAT; and being student body president has to count for something!  It doesn’t make sense - but that’s okay. There are so many behind-the-scenes details on the college’s side of the process that are difficult to understand. Even when it seems like your family has done everything right, something is going to seem like you’ve done it wrong.  Communicating with a counselor or consultant can help you make sense of some of those seemingly impossible details.

It’s Not Just About Grades and Scores

And with all of this in mind… it comes down to the fact that it’s really not just about grades and test scores.  Over 3.5 million students graduated high school in 2019. While not all will go on to pursue higher education, that is a lot of competition, and colleges have to figure out a way to navigate through the hundreds of thousands of students with good grades and good test scores.  Criteria like demonstrated interest, academic trajectory, and ability to pay are all becoming indicators of student acceptance.

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The college admissions process isn’t confusing or hard because colleges and universities want it to be.  Students are becoming more competitive, colleges are having to adjust how they admit students, and the number of details are simply growing each and every year.  My biggest piece of advice is to find someone or something to help you and support you and your family through this process. Don’t feel so overwhelmed that one of the most exciting times of your life becomes one of the most stressful.