BRITTANY MASCHAL CONSULTING

Expanding Students’ Thinking about “Good” Colleges

By Brittany MaschalMar 23, 2016

The recent report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education entitled “Turning the Tide” suggests and recommends a lot of things. The report is in the news all of the time, so although I have no desire to read more about it, I do. Of all of the suggestions and recommendations, the one that I keep coming back to is recommendation #5: Expanding Students’ Thinking about “Good” Colleges

“Admissions officers and guidance counselors should challenge the misconception that there are only a handful of excellent colleges and that only a handful of colleges create networks that are vital to job success. It is incumbent upon parents to challenge this misconception as well. There is a broad range of excellent colleges across the country, and students who attend these colleges are commonly successful later in life in the full array of professions. There are many paths to professional success, and students and parents should be far more concerned with whether a college is a good fit for a student than how high status it is.”

The problem with this recommendation is that it ignores a) there are a ton of excellent colleges where meaningful networks can be created and b) there are many parents (and counselors) who have been for a long time encouraging students and families to look beyond the rankings, brand names and the haze of prestige.

I spend a good amount of time talking to parents and students who are “stuck” focused on a certain school or set of schools, many times unable to face the reality that attending one of these schools or school X of their dreams is slim. Most of the time, it has nothing to do with anything other than numbers, plain and simple, yet most students and families take this very personally because they have narrowly defined what a good (or even great) college is.

The saddest part of these conversations is knowing that either party is disappointed when they do not need to be, and that may of them wallow in this disappoints for the entire application process. There are so many GREAT colleges that fit the needs of so many students the choices are almost endless. I don’t know, but to me this is exciting. Having 3-5 solid options sounds like a dream to me, and this can be the reality for most students with proper planning and expectation setting (which includes having an expanded definition of what a ‘good” college is).

Having worked with college applicants for almost five years now, I know from experience how wonderful it is when a student receives a multitude of acceptances or acceptance to their top choice. This is not the result of luck, but of an appropriate college list. An appropriate list consists of a majority of match schools, and a few safeties and reaches—not a few safeties and then all reaches just for the heck of it. When you craft a list that sets your student up for success, nine times out of ten, the process ends on a positive note. The mindset of “just giving it a shot [regarding reaches]” is not a good one; it rarely if ever works out well.

There is very little if no luck at all in this process! Also, why would anyone want to attend a school where they are going be unsuccessful or be at the bottom of the class academically compared to their peers? Many people answer because they will build a better network, or because it is better to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. To this I say you will find people smarter than you wherever you go, especially in college—take a peek at any honors program and you’ll see. Regarding network, sure, there may be some merit to this argument in some cases, but if you want entry into certain circles, there are ways to make that happen with hard work and a little persistence. A degree from college X is not always the only way to reach a desired career or network related outcome. Lastly, I’d rather attend a school that fits my academic profile and do my best to excel and rise to the top of the class than fall somewhere in the middle. If you have grad school in your sights, then this is key—you need a killer GPA, no exceptions, for a top graduate program.

When students and families expand their thinking about good (and I say, great) colleges, they open up a world of possibilities and from my experience, avenues for not only academic success but genuine happiness with their college experience. It is time to stop thinking so narrowly about college.

Newsadmissions, be different, college, college admissions, college application, college counseling, Common Application, counselors, Harvard GSE, high school, hype, Turning the Tide

What If the E! Network Covered Engineering?

By Brittany MaschalMar 11, 2016

The title of one of my favorite (recent) IHE articles. Funny (really, really funny), but the intent of the video the article cites is also serious. I loathe E! and every other celebrity gossip network, magazine, and so on. I sincerely wish that society placed more value on exploring intellectual interests, working toward meaningful careers, and pursuing work that positively impacts others and leaves the world a better place.

From the IHE article:

“This comedy video campaign seeks to challenge public stereotypes about engineers (what they look like, what they do and how they affect our lives), as well as strengthen the pipeline for those who want to pursue engineering,” said Amy Blumenthal, a spokeswoman for the USC engineering school, via email. “We would like people to understand that there is not one type of person who becomes an engineer, nor one type of engineer — and engineers make incredible impact.” The video is live this week as part of National Engineers Week.

Newsbe different, career advice, career preparation, college application, college counseling, computer science, counselors, creativity, engineering education, high school, science, STEM

Colleges That Change Lives Reply to Turning the Tide

By Brittany MaschalMar 04, 2016

Love this note from the Colleges That Change Lives newsletter (you can subscribe here) from Maria Furtado, Executive Director of CTCL, on the Turning the Tide initiative.

The Turning the Tide initiative has lots of people in higher education and high schools talking about helping students maximize their high school experience – in all kinds of ways, not just with a plethora of AP classes. This is a good thing.

Ironically, however, the roughly 90 schools that have signed onto the Tide-initiative include some of the most selective (and perhaps stress-inducing) schools in the nation. As has been the case with college rankings, when the focus is on such a narrow band of schools (in this case, approximately 3 percent of the not-for-profit colleges and universities), it’s easy to lose sight of the reality that there are, and always have been, many wonderful opportunities for students at the majority of U.S. colleges and universities.

So, here’s another idea: Let’s encourage students to consider the “other” 2500+ colleges – large and small, urban and rural, public and private – that are inclusive, rather than selective in their admission policies.

Colleges That Change Lives has long encouraged students to consider their high school years as a valid life experience, not just a stepping stone to college. CTCL schools review applications with an eye towards admission and admit students who have spent their high school years living an authentic experience – taking courses that challenged and intrigued them intellectually, while also balancing a schedule that includes time for family, friends, activities, and even sleep. This focus recognizes that students who do what they genuinely enjoy are happier and that, by learning to balance their strengths and weaknesses, students are more prepared not just for college but for life.

Turning the Tide merely repeats what CTCL has advocated for years: Colleges should recognize the value students bring to campus, rather than requiring a “more is always better” mentality for applications. CTCL (and schools like them) are pleased to have everyone on the same page now.

Well said!

Newsadmissions, be different, college admissions, college application, college counseling, counselors, CTCL, Turning the Tide

The End of Average

By Brittany MaschalFeb 29, 2016

Todd Rose teaches educational neuroscience at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He’s also the co-founder of The Center for Individual Opportunity, a new organization devoted to “the science of the individual and its implications for education, the workforce, and society.” And, a new book on my to-read list, The End Of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness.

What’s unique about Todd is his past: he dropped out of high school with D- grades, and at 21, he was trying to support a wife and two sons on welfare and minimum wage jobs. Not your typical path to Harvard, right?

In the book, he argues that absolutely no one is precisely average—and that’s a big problem.

“We’ve come to embrace a way of thinking about ourselves as people that was intentionally designed to ignore all individuality and force everything in reference to an average person.”

Offices of admission, in particular, make life-changing decisions based on averages, which is a horrible way to try to understand an individual. Read more in his interview with NPR here, as well as the book review from the New York Times here.

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Books, Newsadmissions, be different, college, college admissions, college application, college counseling, counselors, creativity, EQ, high school, intelligence, underachievers

Brown alumni interview gone wrong…

By Brittany MaschalFeb 26, 2016

From the Brown Herald:

A YouTube video in which high school senior Matt Sarafa claims that his Brown alumni interviewer used racist and homophobic language during his interview has gone viral. Sarafa said that during his alumni interview in Southern California, the alum told him Brown was “not very accepting of your kind,” implying that Brown students would discriminate against him because he is gay. Sarafa said that Leora Johnson ’01, assistant director of alumni interviewing and admission, told him in a phone call that the alum had admitted to using homophobic and racist language but that there wasn’t enough evidence to remove him as an interviewer. Sarafa withdrew his application to the Class of 2020 following his experience.

Not a good move Brown!

Newsadmissions, alumni interview, be different, Brown University, college admissions, college application, college counseling, college interview, interview, Matt Sarafa