http://www.wsj.com/articles/college-applications-parental-exasperations-1444257715
I went away to college at 18, became a professor and never left. So when my first child applied to college, I figured I would be an expert.
Wrong. Now that child No. 3 is embroiled in college applications, I’ve been driven over the edge. How has the admissions process exasperated me? Let me count the ways:
1. College visits.When did looking for a college turn into a modern version of the 18th-century Grand Tour? The first time I saw my college was when my parents dropped me off to start my freshman year. Now a college search involves traipsing the width and breadth of the United States. All this, when getting information is easier than ever. My children can go online and learn the course requirements for any program at any university in a matter of minutes. They can look up the content of every class offered, and check out which ones are scheduled late enough to let them sleep until noon. So why the cross-country junkets?
The answer: the elusive idea of “fit.” A prospective student is supposed to step onto the college quad, be struck on the forehead by a ray of light, feel a sense of divine inspiration, and say: “Yes, I have found It. This is the place I belong.” Do you want to know my definition of “fit”? A good fit is a college that your parents can afford with a strong program in the field you want to study. Plus a place to buy Cheetos at midnight.
3. Standardized tests. People tend to forget that standardized tests were introduced to give children with fewer advantages the opportunity to compete with the products of prep schools. But the students were supposed to go into the tests “cold” and answer the questions with the information already embedded in their heads, not after they’ve attended a dozen coaching sessions.
So what do standardized tests actually predict? I know of only one correlation: Your belief in the validity of standardized tests is strongly correlated with how well you did on them. I did very well on the SATs, so I think they’re a great predictor of college performance. Although I’m still annoyed about my math score.
For good students, I would estimate that about 90% of future success depends on their native talents and willingness to work hard, about 5% on the college they attend and about 5% on luck. And I think I am underestimating the luck.
I went away to college at 18, became a professor and never left. So when my first child applied to college, I figured I would be an expert.
Wrong. Now that child No. 3 is embroiled in college applications, I’ve been driven over the edge. How has the admissions process exasperated me? Let me count the ways:
1. College visits.When did looking for a college turn into a modern version of the 18th-century Grand Tour? The first time I saw my college was when my parents dropped me off to start my freshman year. Now a college search involves traipsing the width and breadth of the United States. All this, when getting information is easier than ever. My children can go online and learn the course requirements for any program at any university in a matter of minutes. They can look up the content of every class offered, and check out which ones are scheduled late enough to let them sleep until noon. So why the cross-country junkets?
The answer: the elusive idea of “fit.” A prospective student is supposed to step onto the college quad, be struck on the forehead by a ray of light, feel a sense of divine inspiration, and say: “Yes, I have found It. This is the place I belong.” Do you want to know my definition of “fit”? A good fit is a college that your parents can afford with a strong program in the field you want to study. Plus a place to buy Cheetos at midnight.
3. Standardized tests. People tend to forget that standardized tests were introduced to give children with fewer advantages the opportunity to compete with the products of prep schools. But the students were supposed to go into the tests “cold” and answer the questions with the information already embedded in their heads, not after they’ve attended a dozen coaching sessions.
So what do standardized tests actually predict? I know of only one correlation: Your belief in the validity of standardized tests is strongly correlated with how well you did on them. I did very well on the SATs, so I think they’re a great predictor of college performance. Although I’m still annoyed about my math score.
For good students, I would estimate that about 90% of future success depends on their native talents and willingness to work hard, about 5% on the college they attend and about 5% on luck. And I think I am underestimating the luck.
