<p>Recently posted on </p>
<p>is an interview with Jon Reider, a guidance counselor at San Francisco University High School (an academically focused private high school). Also as part of the web posting is a summary of Jon Reider's view on the five top things students need to do to get into and prepare for college.</p>
<p>Does he have it right? What did he miss?</p>
<p>the only thing he “missed” was that average students exist and succeed after high school; not every student is an “A” student in honors and AP courses (except on CC)…</p>
<p>would have been helpful if that was mentioned…makes everyone else feel like a failure IMO</p>
<p>I think that there should be a rule that for every article written about how to get into college, there should be at least a sentence about how to pay for it.</p>
<p>Completely agree with both of you. And here at the private school I work at, we see the ramifications of both issues. In many cases, the students who went to good colleges, but not the top 20, are some of the happiest students who return to visit us. They feel challenged, but not overwhelmed. Some of the students who did manage to gain acceptance to top schools are the least happy. They are struggling academically - getting the first C’s of their lives. Very hard to go from being the brightest student in hs to average or even below average at Prestigious Univ. So many kids just want to apply to top 20 schools based solely on the name and the perceived prestige - they really know next to nothing about the school itself. Our message is that college admissions is not a prize to be won, it is a match to be made. Not sure who originated that line, but we preach it.</p>
<p>And how to pay for it - oh what an issue. I am working with a few students right now who have college acceptances, but parents have just informed them they can’t afford to pay for it. Really heart-breaking.</p>