@mom2pysics “Personal success can be defined in innumerable ways and the only absolute I have as a parent is that it is not connected to an admissions letter. My absolutes for the college admissions process is to affirm my kids that they can be successful no matter where they attend”
While I agree with most of what you said, the point of the thread is to identify areas that will increase a kid’s chances to attend colleges school of their choosing (i.e. to have options). If a kid’s goal is not “connected to an admission letter” then this thread is not for them.
College admissions is a whole lot different now than it was 25+ years ago. I believe students and parents need to have a more structured game plan and be more proactive in the admission process especially when some schools have 50k - 100k applicants.
Someone said they didn’t think the college admission process involved competing with their HS peers, I respectively disagree. From bell curve grading, getting a role in the HS play, class rank, first chair in an orchestra, getting a summer internship, and applying to colleges, etc. our kids, whether we like it or not, are competing with their peers. It’s the same in the 'real world" once they start their professional career. It never really stops but knowing how the process works and positioning yourself in the best possible light can only help you and is one of the goals of this thread.