Lead in note: College Admission Counselors have said to me that only 1 of 10 application essays are readable and interesting... good for the 1, bad for the 9.

Welcome to my annual Admissions Season in Review. I have 6-7 critical thoughts to share with you over the next few weeks. I will share one at a time, twice weekly.

My first one is directed towards students. My next one that you'll receive on Saturday is directed towards parents. Let's begin... no mincing words here.

For a few years coming out of COVID 19, I kept hearing, "The process has become much harder."

My response was consistently, "No, the process is not harder. Students are softer. Applications show it."

Colleges told me that the applications were significantly weaker than prior to the COVID-era. I totally agreed. I saw it and heard it day after day. Reflecting on the past two years, this process has now become so much harder. How so?

Coming out of COVID, maybe 10% - 15% of the students took building their high school profile of academics, activities, and essay writing seriously. They had no trouble winning admissions. However, they were a silent minority. That is no longer the case.

In the last two years, the number of qualified students submitting quality applications have doubled. With a larger pool of stronger applicants, the competition for acceptances at preferred colleges is much higher. The process of winning acceptances is harder.

You can look at that as bad news. I look at it as being a great opportunity. How so? I have 3 ways to share.

1. SAT and ACT test scores have become much more important in Admission Offices. Going forward, "Test Optional" is a losing proposition. Research studies show a direct correlation between stronger test scores and higher college GPAs. Data proves it.

Colleges know it and see it first-hand. Although it's always been that way, it was lost during COVID but has reemerged as the new norm. My students are expected to work hard to improve their test scores. No excuses permitted. It's just a new requirement.

2. College admission counselors are disgusted by the present state of student's poor writing skills. I've seen it often. It's common to see a 500 word essay written in one paragraph. It's common to see run-on sentences used throughout an essay. It's common to see a writer going in different directions with no real beginning point or meaningful conclusion.  That's not my student's story.

They have great essays, interesting to read, flowing well from the first sentence to the last, using paragraphs to mark transitions, all while expressing meaningful and relevant content.

I have a "How to Write a Great Essay" tutorial with 30 great examples. If you'd like a copy, email me your request.

3. College admissions may be lost by GPAs and Test scores, but they are not won by them. Rather, they are won by students who have built their Profile for Success. A Profile for Success accounts for academic performance, rigor of classwork, and meaningful activities both in school and out of school. In total, it reflects upon-

• the substance and credibility of the student
• their ability to handle the rigors of higher level education
• their intention to study a meaningful and relevant degree program.

This takes a few years to build. It's not a last minute decision to make as applications are coming due. I work on this with students from 9th grade on up. It's a winning platform for both college and life thereafter.

One last thing, building relationships in the admissions office of private schools is still very important, though the willingness to connect has been lost upon by today's students.

My students connect with the key decision-makers of the colleges in a meaningful way- emails, Zoom calls, and visits.

They have thought-provoking questions to ask. They learn how to provide extended responses to the counselor's questions. It's all designed to become memorable while building value in themselves.

This is our CollegeLogic way. It is our student's way of winning, and it can be yours. 

Would you like to discuss this further, let's talk.

Send me a memo- hans@mycollegelogic.com