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Building College Qualifications

Posted by Hans Hanson

College is not a spectator sport. Don't be a spectator!

From a spectator standpoint, I understand how convenient it is to turn on the TV during the game's final minutes to watch how it ends. It's often the most exciting part of the game.

However, the coaches and players can't do that. Instead, they must prepare hard and long in advance to play well throughout the game.

The same applies to college, but we're the coaches and players, not the spectators!

Therefore, we must prepare diligently, long in advance, to excel in the college admissions and scholarship process. We can't jump in at the end and expect to receive the desired results.

2025 Admission Season Finale, Part 10.

With this in mind, the college qualification process begins no later than the 7th grade. Although it ends with admission decisions, it does not begin with submitting applications, as most students think.

We all know that GPA is a significant element in the qualification process, but college qualifications are not limited to GPA.

Other important qualifications include-

Taking rigorous courses, such as AP classes; the AP track begins in 7th grade
Pursuing activities related to the student's interests in studies or possible careers
Building personal skills, such as public speaking, debate, writing, or leadership
Excelling in performance, such as music, the arts, dance, or athletics
Contributing to the community, such as volunteering or fundraising
Being involved in the school, such as starting a Club or being involved in the Student Council

A key to continuous academic success is "mastering the content" as the student progresses into and through high school. High-level academics are cumulative—increasing in strength based on successive additions—and its foundation is formed in the 7th grade.

Too many students face struggles later in high school due to poor grades in previous years. A student's academic success or struggles are predictable.

Colleges value students having a "global perspective" and "worldly awareness." Students will need to demonstrate their understanding that we live in a globalized society and that we must look beyond our borders to better comprehend the world around us.

Colleges have a disdain for students with poor writing skills. Students need to demonstrate the ability to think clearly and express their views with meaning and purpose.

Colleges value timeliness, preparation, execution, and follow-through. The application process is the student's opportunity to present these skills. But the discipline and work ethic must be developed earlier.

Colleges value bilingual students, as does the world in which we live. This is something the American students need to value more. A few years of a second language in high school is not enough. International students have a strong advantage here.

Colleges, companies, and the world around us value a person's creative reasoning abilities and problem-solving skills. It's important to become an active learner rather than a passive receiver of education.

All of these things represent conscious thought, proper planning, and timely execution from early on in a child's life. They cannot be last-minute thoughts, as those turn into long-term regrets.

To turn these desired values into advantages for college and life success, both students and parents must play the game from the beginning.

This is our model for creating unique advantages for our students.

To Win the Game, Be Distinguishable

Posted by Hans Hanson

2025 Season in Review, Part 8.

I will add that you can't be remarkable by doing what others do. The key to winning admission acceptances is distinguishing yourself from the norm and standing out from others.

Distinguish- to notice or recognize a difference between people or things; make oneself prominent and worthy of respect through one's behavior or achievements.

Or you can be indistinguishable.

Indistinguishable- not able to be identified as different or distinct; impossible to judge as different when compared to another similar thing.

The world rewards people who distinguish themselves favorably. That could be just 1 in 10 kids and adults, though Scott Galloway might say 1 in 100.

High school and college students who distinguish themselves favorably will win college acceptances and desired job offers. Their habits are consistent with one another.

People who default to being indistinguishable, doing what everyone else is doing, will be left wondering what happened. Their habits are also consistent.

To be distinguishable, adopt this mindset. It's centered around things in your control:

Get up early to get your day going
Live each day with meaningful intention
Have a defined purpose for your interests
Build a Profile for Success
Become a great writer and speaker
Increase your preparedness
Master the content
Follow up with precision timing
Become fluent in a second language
Think globally and be world-aware

You will become more interesting to others. You will draw positive energy. People will recognize you as worthy of their consideration. Your outcomes will be significantly enhanced.

Do you want enhanced outcomes? Let's talk!

Prestige and College Rankings...

Posted by Hans Hanson

Don't be drawn into the hype. It's purposely misleading.

2025 Admission Season in Review, Part 9.

Choosing colleges based on their prestige value, or rankings, is at the forefront of many people's minds. It's a mistake. Let's see why.

Prestige - the root definition of prestige is praestigiae, which means "conjuring tricks" or "creating an illusion."

From praestigiae, "praesto" or "presto" is derived, meaning "suddenly as if by magic."

Colleges purposefully create prestige as a marketing strategy to allure people into falsely believing that there is some level of magic involved in the process.

Many parents believe that a prestigious college diploma ensures their child's lifetime success. For that, they are willing to pay a premium price.

It's a natural part of the college business model. And they are masters in conducting their business.

Creating an illusion of grandeur, charging a premium for it, and then having people line up to buy it is like a magic act, but college success is not a magic trick.

A common complaint among parents of children attending so-called elite colleges is, "Why aren't they doing more to help them?"

The answer is simple: those colleges don't have to. They will fill next year's class with full-tuition-paying students due to the perceived value of its certificate.

Regardless of the college's prestige, students must develop their substance, credibility, personal growth, experience, intelligence, knowledge, and value to achieve their desired outcomes. Students don't have to attend prestigious colleges and pay a premium price to achieve their desired outcomes.

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Rankings aim to assess academic quality. I'll review the criteria. You can judge if it accurately assesses academic quality.

Here are the 2025 weighted factors. Afterward, I will be sure to share the missing components.

22% - The six-year graduation and freshman dropout rates; who budgets for six years? Not me!

20% - A Peer Review of university administrators; what relevance is a peer review to the academic quality of a university?

20% - Faculty compensation, their degrees, and the school's student-faculty ratio; might that favor higher-cost schools?

15% - SAT/ACT scores and the proportion of freshman students in the top 10% and 25% of their high school class; this demonstrates the importance of SAT and ACT scores.

10% - Financial standing of the colleges; if they don't allocate a portion of their endowment funds to improve education and reduce tuition costs, it doesn't apply... and they don't.

13% - Other lesser factors make up the balance.

The following factors are disregarded in the rankings.

GPA of incoming freshmen
Four-year graduation rate
Job placement rate of graduates
Average pay of first-year jobs
Research opportunities
Study abroad opportunities
Internship opportunities
Student assistance programs

What's missing is considerably more relevant to assessing the value and quality of a college than what's included.

I'm unsure what the rankings are evaluating. Yet, many families allow rankings to drive their decisions. Colleges are aware of this and can effectively manipulate their ranking.

I know which are the better schools, and which ones could be the best fit for your child. Their experience is considered, not rankings.

One of my roles is to turn the imaginary belief of college into a real sense of intention, driven by purpose and meaning; to understand the reality of its-

Educational Opportunity
Anticipated Experience
Desired Outcome
True Value
Right Fit

I work to help families replace their belief in hype with a clear perspective on reality and reasonable expectations. If you'd like to learn more, let's chat.

The Transformational Bridge... where will your child land upon their graduation?

Posted by Hans Hanson

The Transformational Bridge helps kids transition from teenagers to young adults.

When I was 16, I was a top golfer, a good student, and a nice kid—shy and bashful. I had college plans ahead, but I had not given them much thought.

By the time I was 22, I had attended two colleges, enlisted in the USAF, was on assignment at Ramstein AB in Germany, and was married!

Those six years were anything but normal. But they transformed my life into who I am today.

Recently, my great friends Jim and Linda visited me in my new apartment. Linda peeked into my bedroom and said, "You made your bed!"

Jim quickly replied, "He was in the Air Force."

My transformational bridge was the USAF.

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2025 Season in Review, Part 7.

The 16 - 22 age range represents the most important transformational years in life. I refer to college as the "Transformational Bridge", turning a teenager into a young adult.

Arriving at college as freshmen equates to entering the front gate of the Transformational Bridge. Graduating from college equates to exiting the back gate.

Where the student lands upon leaving college needs to be an ongoing priority. The goal must be centered around the transformational journey, and where the bridge will take them.

You have total control of that journey and its transformational influence. But few families assert control of that, and it declares itself one day to people's dismay.

The results are more predictable than ever in 2025. Many students either transfer colleges or change their major a couple of times. Few students connect with the academic community of the college. Few students land meaningful internships while in college.

Too many students leave their outcome to chance. The result? Only 20% of college graduates get the desired jobs. It's all predictable!

Why so? The competition for desired jobs is tough. The competitors are better prepared, qualified, responsible, and accountable. They work from a more determined, structured, and inspired approach.

These students are more engaged and involved from early in the process, building their Student Profile throughout.

They -

Improve their writing skills
Express their passion more effectively
Enhance their credentials
Engage in career-related activities
Build meaningful relationships
Pursue college with a heightened purpose.

Successful college outcomes result from executing a defined plan. This plan includes choosing the right college and major for the right reasons while understanding the real purpose of college, which likely includes getting a desired job one day.

The college transformation yields desired results for those with a mindful approach and undesired results for those without. It's quite that simple and also that elusive.

A mindful approach to college, now before college, and when in college, makes a desired outcome much more certain. It's the CollegeLogic way.

Every Step Counts... you can be moving toward or away

Posted by Hans Hanson

"There are no shortcuts." - Stephen Covey

First, I have some commentary to share. While I have no problem with federal funds being withheld from universities that have billions in endowments, I'm 100% opposed to restricting international student visas.

We live in a global society. Too few American students have any understanding or awareness of the world outside the United States. One of the best learning experiences that a college can offer is having a culture that is rich in international students.

Fact: Restricting international students from attending U.S. Universities will significantly alter the educational experience and shrink the college culture.

The presence of international students represents the bright light and spirit of the world on our college campuses. Their beautiful smiles and amazing perspectives are so valuable. Learning from them reflects the purest form of education... and it's free!

2025 Season in Review, Part 6.

My business model is built around Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Why? Because the world values effective people.

Stephen Covey's first three habits are -

Be proactive.
Begin with the end in mind.
Put first things first.

I teach, coach, and mentor students to be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first.

This sounds simple enough. But it's rarely practiced by high school students and their parents. The significance of this is that their outcomes are primarily determined by their willingness, or unwillingness, to follow these three habits. Let's take a look.

In applying these principles, being proactive means taking the initiative and not waiting for things to happen to us magically. While most people hope, wait, and wish, our students take appropriate and timely action. They engage early to build their Student Profile. We work diligently to compile an accurate list of colleges. It's a winning platform.

There is no waiting around. It doesn't work. In the college process, there are deadlines. You will get "timed out." One day, it'll be over. Families will live with the outcomes forever. Most families wish they had started the process earlier and had more knowledge about it.

Hoping, waiting, and wishing for something grand to fall into your lap is a losing proposition. Being proactive in your college plan begins early in high school. There is no time to wait, and wishing doesn't win admissions, scholarships, or eventual job offers.

To begin with the end in mind means to be mindful of the outcomes from college that you desire. The "end" is not getting to college or finishing college. The end reflects how well prepared and qualified the student is to achieve their desired life ambitions upon graduation.

This cannot be overstated. Coming home to live unemployed after college is far too common and predictable. It often occurs due to a lack of foresight into what is truly important, and that's the continuous need to work toward your desired goals.

The most common goal from college is to get a job. Building personal skills, abilities, and gaining meaningful experiences beyond classroom academics is essential to qualifying for a desired job offer.

One of the more meaningful purposes of college is to become "worthy of pay." Worthy of pay refers to the value that an individual contributes to their employer. The value is determined strictly from the employer's perspective.

It doesn't mean students have to know now what job they want. Instead, it means they know now what they need to do to position themselves for future success and satisfaction. Obtaining a college degree alone doesn't accomplish that.

Putting first things first is knowing what to do right now, in this moment, as you take your next step.

Stephen Covey says that "You can't parachute into your destination; you must take every step along the path. There are no shortcuts."

In my practice, the first step is to build a college list that matches your child's qualifications and interests, while also aligning with your needs. Only then can you be proactive in this process. Otherwise, you will always remain reactive. It's guaranteed.

Would you like to know the next steps to take from there? Let's talk!