A Lay of the Land in the Labyrinth of College Selection

Eileen Doyle knows plenty about the college application process.  In addition to navigating the college selection process with two of her own children, she also staffs the Robinson High School College and Career Center (RCCC.)   Doyle began as a volunteer in the center and has served in her current role for three years.   Acknowledging competition for acceptance to public and private schools has grown exponentially over the past two decades, she has plenty of advice to offer families facing the daunting task.  She recently took time to share some with Fairfax Station Patch.

'Be Thinking Ahead.  Have a Goal in Mind' 
Doyle advises both students and parents to "get a lay of the land."  While parents of today's college-age kids may have pursued a pre-prescribed college preparatory program with some assurance of acceptance at schools of their choice, times have changed.  Doyle suggested high school students decide on a major, or at least a field of study as early as possible, and tailor their high school courses to position them for acceptance at these schools.  Researching a school's location, size, specific academic programs, and cost also helps ensure that students choose the right school for their needs.  To this end, Doyle recommends incorporating casual campus visits into family trips and vacations well before applying. 

"The fit has to be there or students might not be happy," she said.

Thorough research on the front-end of the application process has dual benefits, according to Doyle.  While she concedes that freshman year of high school may be early for most students to choose a major, she said it is important for students to know their strengths and weaknesses and develop a firm idea of their field of interest based on those.  This not only improves a student's chance of acceptance at desired locales, but often "helps them to graduate quicker."

"Know the Requirements and Take a Challenging Course Load"
According to Doyle, it is crucial to know each schools acceptance requirements, especially in foreign language and math.   She said "lots of students don't know that many colleges and universities require a minimum of two to three years of a foreign language," but she stressed this as a minimum, saying three or four years of a language makes an application more desirable to many schools.  "Waiting until senior year is really late," she said.

Doyle stressed the importance of a challenging course load, but qualified that with "those you'd do well in."  That advice was echoed by Mildred Johnson, director of Admissions for Virginia Tech, who said she looks for "sustained achievement and academic rigor in a student's area of interest."

"The Student Has to Own It"
Asked how much parents should participate, Doyle said, "students need to to be proactive and drive the process.  Parents should double-check deadlines, provide reminders and transportation, but the student has to want it, has to own it, needs to be on top of it."

Increased competition among Northern Virginia students for a space in the Commonwealth's public colleges may, in part, be driven by the economic downturn.  In addition, costs are rising. NPR reported in October that the average annual cost of a private college now exceeds $37,000.

Johnson is also "trying to help demystify the process."  Her office received more than 20,000 applications for less than 5,400 freshman slots in Fall 2010.  She said she and her staff "pride themselves on reading every single application.  It's the most important thing we do."  Her advice to future applicants? "Have fun.  Yes, push yourselves, but enjoy school."

Doyle laments, "the kids are very stressed out."  While she concedes, "I don't know what the answer is," the Robinson College/Career Center provides plenty of resources to assist students and parents in this process. 

RCCC provides weekly program updates to families via e-mail.  In addition, "Family Connection" is a Web site that can be accessed through FCPS student's Blackboard account.  The site provides a host of resources to students and parents alike, including best practices and guidance on college visits, career research, college data, resume writing and summer enrichment programs.   The site also allows students to search for college acceptance statistics specific to their own FCPS high school. 

Robinson will also host a College Information Night on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. in Russell Theatre.  Representatives from George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University and NoVA Community College as well as other private Commonwealth colleges, will discuss the application process.  Robinson seniors who have recently completed the application process will also share their experiences. 

Speaking of how to get into college, Patch will be looking at an educational film titled"Race to Nowhere"  which examines "the dark side of the American achievement culture."   Exploring the spectrum of pressures American high school students are experiencing, the documentary has brought nationwide attention to the issue.  The film will screen at two area high schools this week: James Madison High School in Vienna on Wednesday, and Chantilly High School on Thursday.

More information about the film and upcoming screening is available at www.racetonowhere.com.  Look for Patch coverage of the film's area screenings.