| Are you worried that you, a friend, or a family | | | | But, most students do not have to worry about the |
| member may not get into a good college? | | | | almost impossibly high requirements of the very most |
| That's not surprising given all the articles about the | | | | selective colleges. For them, good grades in a solid |
| increasing number of students applying to colleges. | | | | college preparatory curriculum and decent ACT's or |
| It's true that applications are up, particularly at the | | | | SAT's will open the doors to the colleges in which |
| most selective colleges. But that fact, taken alone, | | | | they are interested. |
| can be misleading. More important is the reality that | | | | Most students, surveys tell us, think colleges are |
| only a small percentage of colleges and universities | | | | more selective than they actually are. In truth, the |
| are highly selective. | | | | average college admits about seven out of ten |
| Stanford, NYU, Massachusetts Institute of | | | | applicants. So, even if you are not building rockets |
| Technology, and schools like them are denying more | | | | and toying with Einstein's theories in your spare time, |
| students than ever before. | | | | there are many fine colleges which will be happy to |
| Some of them are now admitting fewer than one in | | | | have you. |
| ten candidates. When you consider the high quality of | | | | If you are a little nervous about getting into college, |
| their applicant pools, it becomes clear just how | | | | use that nervousness to motivate you to do your |
| difficult it is to gain entrance to such a college. | | | | best in school and conduct your college search |
| Furthermore, it is not uncommon for first tier colleges | | | | thoroughly and diligently. But, don't worry needlessly. |
| to turn away valedictorians. | | | | And, don't be afraid to apply to a few colleges that |
| Students with perfect ACT or SAT results are also | | | | might say no to you. Just be sure you apply to two |
| frequently denied admission to top schools. The truth | | | | or three at which your profile (grades and test |
| is that no student, however strong, is assured | | | | scores) puts you above the average admitted |
| admission to a Yale, a Harvard, a Princeton or a | | | | student. Choose your safety schools well and your |
| similarly competitive college or university. | | | | worries are over. |