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You are the buyer. College is the seller. After spending thousands $$$, don't expect to receive a "thank you" note.

The Season in Review - Part 5. Know better what you are about to buy--College.

When during this journey will you ever feel like you are a valued customer of the university?

You won't. And why not? Because you won't position yourself as a customer. Instead, you will do everything that they tell you to do. They own the process unless you take back the ownership.

They take ownership the moment you arrive on their campus. They tell you to take a tour, so you do. From that moment, they own the outcome. Parents become puppets of the colleges. That's not a winning platform.

To take ownership, you must understand the big business of college, its rules, policies, and ways of getting you to buy what it is selling.

They will tell you they have a job placement rate of over 90%. As false as that can be, parents "buy" into it. Just ask them how they track the number. They don't. 90% job placement rates are fake news.

College costs- what is your budget for a four-year college degree?

You're thinking you don't have one. Why wouldn't you have a defined budget for buying a college education? In any event, colleges know you don't. They know you will make a psychologically driven purchase to make your child happy. That works for them, not for you.

Most private colleges cost over $80,000 per year. Many colleges cost over $90,000 per year. Multiply that by four years and add related costs into the equation, and a four-year college degree could cost $350,000 - $400,000.

The national average time to graduate with a four-year degree is 5 1/2 years. That's an extra 100 K. Who budgets for that? Not me. The additional term(s) serve the college business well, but not you. It's part of their plan, and they get little resistance. Why not? Few families have thoughtfully planned how to execute and work toward a four-year, on-time, meaningful graduation.

Are you relying on scholarships? Over the past 10 years, merit scholarships have mostly been replaced by "sticker price discounts."

The top 50 private colleges don't generally offer scholarships. Why not? They don't have to. They have enough customers willing to pay their full price.

The next 250 top private schools all followed the increased cost patterns of the top 50. However, they don't have enough parents to pay the full price. Therefore, those colleges must offer a sticker-price discount, masked as a merit scholarship award, to fill their desired enrollment.

If you know how to ask, up to 50% of tuition is available for scholarships to many excellent colleges. Few people do.

In April alone, my families received over $400,000 in added scholarships through the "Appeal" process. We know how to ask, so it's good for us.

Are you relying on financial aid? Over the past 10 years, colleges have become lenders. They have replaced need-based financial aid dollars you don't pay back with Parent Loans. Worse yet, they refer to loans as financial awards.

Parent Loans are used to meet a parent's EFC, as determined by the FAFSA. This negates the qualifications for receiving need-based financial aid.

I call this the Financialization of College. They lend money to make it easier for potential customers to buy what they are selling, and they keep more of the money. It's good for them, not for you.

Colleges have mastered their business model. They are experts in applying parent-child psychology to achieve the desired outcomes.

I'm not blaming the colleges at all. They train their customers well and manage their businesses to perfection.  You don't have to give in to it, but you must know better what you are about to buy.

If you'd like to know better, let's talk. 

True or False- I only need a high GPA and SAT score to win admissions?

The Season in Review - Part 4.

Of course, the answer depends on the schools you apply to. For the Top 300 colleges in the U.S., that statement is false.

I don't understand. My son was denied, but his friends with lower GPAs were accepted. I don't understand.

My daughter had a 1520 SAT score and was denied admission to her top schools.

They're right. They don't understand. These people's comments show a misunderstanding of how college admissions work.

The initial 10-second glance of an application determines whether the applicant's academic credentials merit further consideration. While an immediate denial is determined in thousands of cases, acceptance requires further evaluation.  The ultimate decision is made based on the importance of the remaining factors, and each college weighs them differently. Let's examine them.

On a side note, SAT/ACT scores are becoming increasingly essential and required by more colleges each year. Applying "Test Optional" is a weakened platform for admissions into top schools.

Factors considered for Admission Acceptance

Once an application passes through the initial academic review, which includes GPA, AP, and SAT/ ACT scores, admission decisions are deferred to a combination of the following ten factors. Five tangibles for creating significant advantages:

1. Course rigor is measured by the gap between unweighted and weighted GPAs. Every college values this factor.
2. Essay quality is determined by the applicant's ability to convey their thoughts in a meaningful and interesting way—a way that makes complete sense to the reader.
3. Student substance is reflected in their Student Profile, which shows the real purpose of a student's chosen major, ambitions, intentions, mindset, and goals.
4. Activities and extracurriculars measure an applicant's holistic perspective. They reflect a broader involvement in life with a deeper meaning and purpose for each activity.
5. Senior year performance is more critical than ever before. Most colleges now hold off their final decisions until after receiving the applicant's first semester grade report. Hence, the increasing use of "Deferrals" over the last two years.

Five intangibles for establishing worthiness:

1. Family wealth position measures the family's ability to pay the cost of school. Do not underestimate the importance placed on this factor by many schools.
2. Relationships are determined by the student's genuine engagement with the admission office and are still valued in many situations.
3. Global mindedness reflects a student's ability to respect other students' perspectives, contribute to the student culture, and bring value to themselves.
4. Submitting early applications and then tending to the portal reflects the ability to manage matters in a timely and disciplined manner. This is where most students drop off.
5. Expressing one's interests shows an ability to think, speak, and write. The college's biggest frustration with applicants is this. However, it also creates our biggest advantage!

While this is bad news for students and parents who don't pay attention to it, it's excellent news for the students who prioritize building their Profile for Success early on in high school.

In much of this, students have complete control in creating their unique advantages.

For those who wait until the end and rush to submit random applications with poorly written essays, their outcomes are predictable, and their excuses are widely heard. The outcomes are equally predictable for those who become involved early and own their performance. Their celebrations are well earned.

Outcomes from this process result from each family's knowledge, involvement, effort, performance, and ownership.  If you'd like to build for your child's Application Success, let's talk.

Hans

The Harvard saga reminds me of a famous Linda Ronstadt song- "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me"

People tell me they've heard things on the news that concern them about the U.S. university system.

They heard the federal government is holding back $2B of funding from Harvard. People are protesting. Harvard is suing, claiming it's unfair or even unconstitutional.

Poor Harvard. It has a $60 billion endowment fund, charges $90,000/ year for college, and caters to the wealthy. Harvard is the richest college in the U.S.

Are we supposed to feel sorry for them, apologize, or even protest in their favor? Not me. Is this something to be concerned about? No. It has no direct effect on the quality of education.

People heard that political, social, and cultural activism has recently risen on certain campuses. I don't like that. College is for building academic and intellectual capital, not promoting political or social agendas that put people in potential harm. Should we fear this? Not really. I prefer to stay away from those colleges for now.

There are constructive and peaceful intellectual forums on college campuses throughout the U.S. for debating and discussing critical global matters. I favor these. They work to improve the students' learning environment.

People heard that some international students had their student visas revoked, causing concern among international families. I don't know the merits behind each situation, but I know that concern is inconsistent with the college's perspective on international students. U.S. colleges are more desirous of international students now than ever, and the presence of international students remains highly valued on U.S. campuses.

International students are poised to be among the U.S. system's most successful students and young adults. They tend to have preferred skills, abilities, mindsets, perspectives, and work ethics. I am not concerned about their future in the U.S., provided they are here for the right reasons.

So, while the news media is quick, constant, and loud in stirring fear, I don't buy an ounce of it.

The U.S. university system thrives and offers the best opportunity to launch students' early careers. My concern is rising costs and the likelihood that fewer people can afford it.

Community colleges offer the lowest cost with strong credentials for moving into 4-year degree programs.

Online degree programs, such as Penn State World Campus, offer tremendous value and results.

State universities are thriving. They offer their students excellent education, extensive research, study abroad opportunities, and experiential learning, which their in-state students receive at a much-discounted cost. There are at least 50 outstanding state universities.

Private colleges are private businesses. Like any business, running a private college can be challenging. Many have full enrollments and multi-billion-dollar endowments, yet many struggle to fill their classes each year and maintain their cash flows. That's business. It's something to be aware of but not to fear.

I track 200 private colleges. Some are available in every state, and each one can fulfill a family's needs, whatever those needs are. You must understand the college landscape better to find the right colleges for you and your family. My fear is for people who leave it to chance.

Are you worried about college majors? I'm not concerned about it for those who put enough thought, consideration, diligence, discovery, and experience into determining which study path is right. For those who are "undecided", they will be leaving much to random choice and friendly persuasion. I fear for those people.

Fear can be real or falsely perceived. If it's real, it can encourage proper action. If it's falsely perceived, it can ruin your plans.

It's long been said that choosing the right college and major is one of the two most important things in a person's life. The other- choosing a partner for marriage. 

It is more important than buying a house, although buyers of houses will exercise far more diligence and understanding than do buyers of a college education — Parents.

Think about it, when searching for and evaluating a new home purchase, who is your primary source for information? Certainly not the seller. But when it comes to buying a college education, parents will use the college as their primary resource.

That is buying right into their interests, not yours. I call that taking the bait. Parents, don't be a fish.

Let's evaluate the bait. From attending information sessions, what have you heard regarding the "Job Placement Rate" of its students...90%, 95%?

How does that make you feel when you hear it? Parents have told me that it makes them feel the college will be worth it. Oh, what a mistaken feeling!

If you were to ask them how they track it and if they gave you an honest answer, they would say, "We have no idea. We are just told to say it. We know people will believe it."

Do you believe it?

If so, where on a college campus is there an office staff dedicated to tracking the jobs of its graduated students? What resources are provided for that?

The answer is, there's no such staff and no resources. Never in history has a college ever had anything close to a 90% job placement rate. Yet, parents put their faith and belief in that possible outcome. It's just bait and parents swim right towards it... don't be a fish. 

It then continues with the tour where they show you what they want you to see and tell you what you want to hear. Ask them if you can speak with a professor for a few minutes. Professor? They wouldn't know what to do.

The point is that here in 2025 with costs of college ranging from $250,000 - $400,000 over four years, parents have to know better. Parents have to be savvy to understand the college's intentions—to get more money out of you. And they know how to do it.

Unless you decide otherwise, they own the process and own the outcome. Yet, they are the seller. You are the buyer. You would never let that happen when buying a house. 

Parents don't make many mistakes when buying a house. Why not? Because they know the process. You know to take certain proper precautions. You have a realtor to show you the right homes. You hire attorneys to make sure you don't miss anything. When using a bank, they even make sure that you don't overpay. 

However, parents make many mistakes when buying a college education. Why so? They don't know the process. Parents miss out on steps to take along the way despite the fact that parents know this time has been coming for many years.

Without having someone playing the role of a realtor, banker, and attorney to oversee the purchase commitment, predictable mistakes are made and excessive costs incurred.  

Parents of kids attending elite universities- Georgetown, Emory, UCLA, Cornell, and many others will call me after 3 years and ask, "Why aren't they helping my child get a job?"

I ask them, "Why do you expect them to do that?"

They are in the business of selling educational products. You are in the business of buying educational products. Getting your child a job is you and your child's responsibility, not theirs. 

The three most important things in this process to protect with fierce determination are-

1. Choosing the right college for the right reasons
2. Choosing the right studies for the right reasons
3. Paying the right price for the sake of the family bank

How are you going to search, visit, evaluate, explore, and ultimately, choose the right college? I track and follow 500 colleges. What do you know about the college landscape other than elite names and rankings that don't reflect an ounce of interest to you.

Do you know what goes into a ranking? Connect with me to discuss this further if you'd like.

Are you going to rely on your high school's guidance counselor or Naviance system to produce a college list for your child? That's a big mistake.

Are you going to let your child choose a college when they know little about colleges and less about the total college experience? If outcomes are important to you, that's a bigger mistake.

With the rising costs in 2025, I encourage you to become highly engaged in understanding the college landscape a whole lot better. Or, have a well informed advocate, such as me, on your side. 

Shifting here, what's the most common response when students are asked, "What would you like to study for college?" 

If you open your ears, you will hear it over and over again, either "I don't know" or "I'm undecided."

That response is the reason why the national average length of time it takes to graduate in a 4-year degree is over 5.5 years and it's highly predictable. Who budgets for that? Beware, it's often part of the college plan for your child to spend an extra year in school. One or two changes in majors will see to that.

"I don't know" or "I'm undecided" is not the platform for an on-time, on-budget, meaningful degree.

Students and parents don't dedicate time and thought to exploring the various possibilities. Rather, it's all too often left to random-chance, a game of chase, and some unfortunate persuasion in the academic advising office.

Well, that doesn't have to be your story. 

None of these things are the story of my students and their parents. They are knowledgeable, informed, involved, and engaged. When it's time to make decisions, their best decisions are made. It's okay if things change afterward, but it's not okay to make random-chance choices along the way.

Guesswork doesn't work!

Would you like to eliminate all guesswork? Let's talk. 

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