Director of College Advising Jami Silver led a Zoom webinar on Monday, Feb. 22, introducing KO sophomores and their families to the college admissions process.
Ms. Silver ’96, who has been involved in college admissions for the past 20 years, along with Associate Directors of College Advising Peggy Clark and Matthew Waldman, shared information to help families navigate the college search and application process in the coming years.
The webinar preceded the official assignments of college advisors to students which were released via email on Tuesday, March 2. The college advisors said that by making these assignments early, the college search process is made easier for students. “We wanted [students] to have a person to go to,” Ms. Silver said, “and a whole part about the college process is really about a relationship and having trust in the person that you’re talking with and talking to. And so, the more we can do that the better.”
The Feb. 22 webinar would have traditionally been held in person, but due to COVID-19 safety precautions, was hosted over Zoom. The college advisors pointed out that like nearly every other aspect of life, COVID-19 has also impacted college admissions.
While many co-curriculars and athletics have been disrupted during the pandemic, the college advising department made sure to let parents know that COVID-19 has had some positive impacts on the college search process. For example, they noted that the pandemic has allowed more time for students to explore other areas of interest, made colleges more accessible through online resources, and diminished the importance of standardized test scores. Ms. Silver said that 70% of schools are currently test optional or test blind.
Ms. Silver also emphasized that more free time, a result of COVID-19, has given students more opportunities to get involved in activities they enjoy. These activities enable students to consider their interests, an important aspect of the college search process, which the webinar touched on. Ms. Silver and the other college advisors encouraged families to begin speaking to students about what they truly enjoy doing and, more importantly, why they do it. “They [colleges] want you to be a full human being,”Ms. Silver said.“The question isn’t what do I need to do to get into college? The question is, what do I need to do to be a happy, healthy, successful adult? Right? And the happier you are, the more you find the things you enjoy.”
After returning from spring break, sophomores will take both a practice SAT and ACT to get a feel for what each standardized assessment is like. However, the college advising office doesn’t think it is necessary to begin additional test prep just yet. Instead of doing test prep, the office advised that it’s better to focus on the more introspective aspects of the college search because those are what will ultimately impact a student’s collegiate experience.
A question the office is frequently asked is whether or not junior year courseload should be based on rigor or performance. “We know when we say it depends, that’s kind of a frustrating answer for people to hear,” Mr. Waldman said, “but it’s rooted in a philosophy that’s meant to dispel the kind of pain and anguish of an overburdened and struggling junior, and instead is meant to find a balance and management within junior year.”
The webinar also focused on the importance of summer plans, as the time to begin applying to summer programs and volunteer opportunities is now. Ms. Silver debunked the myth that the prestige of the activities students participate in over the summer is critical. She said that it matters more that students are doing something that they enjoy.
Sophomores Jhanvi Daddala and Jacob Joseph both said they are thinking ahead to the summer. Jhanvi mentioned that she was looking into pre-college programs relating to the medical field, an interest she’s developed further in her AP Bio class this year. Jacob is planning on returning to Camp Micah, where he has been attending summer camp for the past seven years. “My camp, in the summer between sophomore and junior year, takes a trip to Israel where you can learn about the past history of the country and the politics of it,” Jacob said. “It’s just a really interesting process, so I can’t wait to go.”
Ms. Silver said that while everyone wants a list of activities you need to do to get into college, this checkbox has never existed. “I think it’s a false narrative that there ever was a checkbox,” she said. “I think that people just looked at others and said, ‘Well, how could they do it? Well, if they did it that way, then that must be the way I do it. Right?’ And, and that’s incorrect.” Ms. Silver stressed that every student’s college admissions journey is unique, and having a good understanding of oneself will enable students to move through this process without the “checkbox” mentality.
Jhanvi and Jacob shared what aspects of the process they were feeling most nervous about. “I feel like when I’m going through the application process, I’m going to realize that I don’t have anything to write down,” Jhanvi said. “I feel like when I’m doing it, I’m just going to have to go through a couple of sections and be like I can’t write down anything.” Jacob said that tests have always made him nervous, so the standardized test portion of the admissions process is what he’s feeling the most uneasy about.
Ms. Silver and the college advising office assured families during the webinar that the questions or concerns they or their students have, like Jhanvi and Jacob’s, are totally normal and they are here to guide students through this process. Anyone with questions is encouraged to reach out to Ms. Silver or any of the college advisors, who are very much looking forward to beginning this exciting journey with the sophomores.
