Are You a Quetzal?

A quetzal, resting in splendor.

Subject: Quetzal!!!

For a long time, my mom and dad wanted to see a quetzal. When they finally saw one in Costa Rica, my mom sent me an email with the subject line "Quetzal!!!" and the above picture attached. As you can see, the quetzal is a great bird -- not just a very good bird like an...I don't know. I'm not a birdwatcher. I have no examples of very good birds. All I know about birds is that the ones outside my window chirp when the sky starts to lighten around 5:30 a.m., and then I wake up, and then they stop, and then I am still awake.

The Quetzal Problem

On some level, we all like to think of ourselves as quetzals: great, rare, special. This is the quetzal problem. To succeed with college applications, you can't just assume you're a quetzal. You have to think of the college's perspective. You have to ask an uncomfortable question: From the college's perspective, am I a great student or "only" a very good student?

This is rarely a fun question. When I discuss this with families, I usually end up doing gentle reality checks for very good students who think they are great students. But it must be done. If you're a very good student who mistakenly thinks you're a great student, you're going to limit your college options. Instead of applying to just 1 or 2 ultra-selective schools (the purple stars on the Essaywise College Map), you'll apply to 4 or 5.

That means you won't have given enough time and energy to researching and applying to your target and safety schools. If you take this road, you might be setting yourself up for a disappointing spring: rejected by the ultra-selective schools and accepted by a few target and safety schools you didn't spend much time thinking about and, now, don't really want to attend. So no, asking the "very good or great" question isn't fun, but yes, you still have to ask it.

Very Good or Great?

Before we get to answering this question, let me lay out my assumptions:

• You have no "hook." If you don't know what a hook is, please take a minute to read my How to Apply to Stanford post. If you do have a hook, then good news -- even if you're a "very good" student, you might have a reasonable shot at those ultra-selective schools.
• Yes, you're smart. I mean, we all know an SAT score of 2300 is better than a score of 2100, but what's the difference, really? One is 99th percentile, and one is 96th percentile (Source). Both students can do the work at an ultra-selective school.
• But if you have no hook, small differences in numbers matter. This is just my intuition. Put yourself in the admission officer's shoes. Suppose you're filling one slot with an applicant who has no hook. If you're choosing between two candidates with similar quality letters of rec, essays, and activities, why would you choose the kid with lower numbers? I don't think you would.

To help you assess yourself honestly, I present you with this nifty infographic. I don't claim it's scientific, but it does reflect my own experience in working with both "very good" and "great" students.

Now What?

It might turn out that you're not a quetzal after all. That's fine. Maybe a little disappointing, but it's better to figure out you're "only" very good now than later, after you've submitted your applications to a bunch of ultra-selective schools. If you're a very good student, yes, take your shot at 1 or 2 ultra-selective schools, but load up your list with some schools with acceptance rates in the 15-30% range, too.

Quetzals are not the only birds in the jungle. You don't have to be a quetzal to take flight.

Good luck writing!

Jon

I have a B.A. in English from Stanford and a J.D. from Harvard. I hate seeing stupid mistakes. I hope that by writing my thoughts down, I can help you make good decisions that give you more options.

My Wife Betrayed Me

It happened last Saturday night. I put the kids to bed, went back to our room, and turned on the TV. Christa was watching some old show - maybe Frasier, or The West Wing - on her iPad. Then, after 45 minutes, it happened.

The Conversation

"Wait, are you really watching this?" she asked me. "Uh, yeah..." I said. "I can't believe you're watching this," she said. "Have you seen this already?" I asked. Then, the betrayal. "Yeah, I saw it two years ago. I have it on Amazon," she said. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. You've known about Pitch Perfect for two years, and you never told me? You deprived me of this joy?"

There's no way around it. Sometimes the people closest to you let you down. Had she not known me since I was 17?

The History

She knew I'd been dragged to my three sisters' dance and singing performances since I was little. She knew about family road trips with those same sisters, in the pre-iTunes era, where we took turns choosing which cassette [Editor's note: a cassette is an ancient sonic output device] would play for the next 45 minutes. She knew my sisters annoyed me by choosing soundtracks of musicals. The Sound of Music. The Music Man. Les Miserables.

When it wasn't my turn, my only reprieve was my dad's selection: "I choose silence." That shows the desperation we faced, since the I-5 through the Central Valley is mighty bleak in silence. But Christa knows all this history. She knows that along the way, I fell in love with my musical captors, that occasionally I will cite those great musical works. Look down. The hills are alive! Don't judge. If you were me, would you do any differently?

Plus, she knows one of the reasons I support Liverpool F.C., aside from its glorious history, is its moving tradition of singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel at the opening and closing of each game. #YNWA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go-jJlGd1so

And knowing all this, she didn't tell me about the musical wonder that is Pitch Perfect? I was shocked. I won't get those Pitch-Perfect-free years back, you know.

The Betrayal, Summarized

To make sure I have an easy way to remind Christa of her betrayal, I created a quick summary:

• Topic: Injustice. If you love someone, like, say, your spouse, and you find something that person might like, justice demands that you share that something immediately.
• Setting: Home. That it happened at home makes this betrayal all the more stunning.
• Emotion: Cheated. I should have had that a cappella pleasure sooner, but I didn't.
• Opponent: Friend. In this case, my opponent was not just any friend, but my dearest friend, my wife, my sweetheart.
• Time: At Night. It happened in the evening, when I was least prepared.
• Motive: Power. I was seeking that power we all feel when we find a new source of joy.

How it turned out

Fortunately, we talked it over, and we are putting the pieces back together. Trust has been restored, at least for now. The reason I mention all this to you is so you can see how easy it is to turn everyday events into some kind of story. It's not some abstract, complicated project.

Good luck writing!

Jon

Jon Perkins holds a B.A. from Stanford and a J.D. from Harvard. He has completed the Independent Educational Consultant Certificate Program through UCI Extension. Jon has been helping families through the college application process since 2011, and he still enjoys it. In his free time, he rides unicorns, surfs rainbows, and writes about himself in the third person.

Where to Apply to College: Essaywise College Map

Essaywise College Search Map

Problem #1: Information Flood

flood

Most college search websites you that there are THOUSANDS of colleges out there. This is true, just not helpful. You start to scroll through page 1 of search results (showing 50 of 329!) and quickly realize that one college you've never heard of sounds pretty much like some other college you've never heard of. Maybe it's just safer to stick to the schools you've heard of? But you don't want to miss out on those "hidden gems" rumored to be out there. What if you're missing out on the perfect school? Panic!

So, yeah, with input from my mom (thanks, Mom!), I made this Google map to kind of help out with that anxiety. This map does not have thousands of colleges. It has about 140. It includes schools that kids from places like Palos Verdes, Palo Alto, San Marino, Arcadia, and Westlake Village actually apply to and attend. OK, and it might have a few that aren't super popular but still merit a second look. Otherwise, they wouldn't be hidden gems, right?

The idea here is that if you start with a universe of 140 schools instead of 4,000 schools, you'll feel much calmer about putting together your list. If you just can't wait to check out the schools, click this link to the Essaywise College Map, or click the map image above.

Problem #2: Optimism Extreme

rainbow

Now let's talk about that putting together your list process for a minute. You need to be ruthlessly honest with yourself. As I mentioned in my Don't Apply to Stanford post, being a great person doesn't always make you a great applicant. Colleges have idiosyncratic views of "greatness" (aka hooks, like being a legacy) so it's not a knock on you if an ultra-selective college decides you don't measure up. Who cares? That doesn't determine or diminish your character.

Look, you're in control of this process. You decide where to apply. The challenge for many parents and students is coming up with a balanced list of schools. A balanced list is a list with a mix of high-probability (safety), medium-probability (target), low-probability (reach) schools, and for some students, depressingly-low-probability (dream) schools.

Oh, sure. Everyone can do the dream and reach schools. Stanford! Harvard! Yale! Princeton! Caltech! UChicago! Northwestern! And so on. That's no problem. But in my experience, applicants consistently struggle to identify good target and safety schools. They are too focused on the reach! The dream! Safety? Target? No, thank you. Away with you, dream-slayer. Be gone.

I know you're a special snowflake the sheer awesomeness of which has never before blessed this earth. And yet, on the off chance you land far afield, unnoticed by a dream or reach school, then what? Then you're left with your safety schools and your target schools. The other day, my mom shared one of her tips for making sure everyone is paying enough attention to the bottom of the list, the target and the safety schools. Look at just your safety schools. Ask yourself if you would be happy if those were the only schools you got into. Repeat for target schools. If your answer is "No," then you got that optimism overload problem thing in spades, in oodles, or in whichever measure of bounty you prefer.

How to Build a Balanced List

cookiemonster

Oh, snap. This is where the blog post gets boring. I mean, I know you don't like how-to guides, and I don't blame you, but it must be done. Swiftly. Avast!

1. Explore the Essaywise College Map. Colleges are color coded into four groups: (1) colleges for B/B+ students, (2) colleges for A- students, (3) colleges for A students, and (4) ultra-selective colleges. Zoom in, move across the map, and click on a location to get links to more info.
2. Make a "big list" of about 30 schools. You're not stuck with this, so include whatever catches your eye. Try to include 3 schools you've never heard of or know very little about. Hidden gems.
3. Label each school as dream, reach, target or likely. If you're like many of my students - top 10% "average smart kid" with no hook - then here's a hint. Any school with a purple star on the college map is a dream school. Period. End of discussion. Beyond that, you're going to have to look at where your ACT / SAT stacks up against the percentiles for admitted students. Above 75th percentile = safety; 25th-75th percentile=target; below 25th percentile=reach. What about GPA? You tell me - what about it? GPA alone is not that useful in figuring out your chances. Each school seems to have its own formula, and most schools are measuring your GPA against your classmates. Not just GPA, but also how challenging your course load is. Yes, a 4.6 weighted GPA sounds great, but if 20% of your school has above a 4.5, and if you've taken easier AP classes, then that 4.6 isn't going to count for as much as you hope. Because ACT / SAT is standardized, it's an easier starting point for categorizing schools.
4. Balance the list. If you're an average smart kid, guess what? 1-2-4-3. That's just how I count. 1 dream, 2 reach, 4 target, 3 safety. Think of it this way. You expect to get rejected from your dream and reach schools. You expect to get accepted at 1-3 target schools. You expect to get accepted at 3 safety schools. At the end of it all, you should have about 4-6 choices. Real respectable.

That's as fast as I could do it. If there's one thing I would add -- and there is -- it's that none of this is difficult. We're not trying for the third time to finish reading Lord Jim (I will try a fourth time this summer, will keep you posted, you can't wait for an update). The concept is easy. Research schools. Make a list of ones you like. Label each one as dream, reach, target, or safety. Make a balanced list of 1 dream, 2 reach, 4 target, and 3 safety. The enemies are wishful thinking (If I got in to my dream school, it would be amazing.) and aggressive self-esteem (I DESERVE to go to these schools, and anyone who tells me otherwise is a scoundrel.).

As a human, you're more than your ACT or SAT score, but as an applicant, your ACT or SAT score is an inseparable part of your identity. Accept that, and be ruthlessly honest with yourself. It's not easy. But it's easier than deluding yourself now and racking up the rejections in the spring.

On that somber note, I'm reluctant to end with my usual cheery farewell of "Good luck!" No matter. Good luck!

Jon

Jon Perkins holds a B.A. in English from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He helps students with their college, law school, and medical school applications.

Where to Apply to College: 27 Liberal Arts Colleges for the A- Student

Let's see if we can get a clearer look at some more college options for the A- student. In my last post about where to apply to college, I focused mostly on large and medium schools. This post will focus on liberal arts colleges, which tend to be smaller. They're not for everyone, but if you're willing to explore, you might uncover some surprising possibilities.

27 Liberal Arts Colleges for the A- Student

1. Bard College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
2. Bates College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
3. Bucknell University. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
4. Clark University. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
5. Colby College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
6. Colgate University. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
7. Colorado College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
8. Connecticut College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
9. Davidson College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
10. Denison University. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
11. Dickinson College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
12. Elon University. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
13. Gettysburg College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
14. Hamilton College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
15. Hampshire College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
16. Kenyon College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
17. Lafayette College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
18. Lehigh University. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
19. Lewis & Clark College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
20. Occidental College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
21. Ohio Wesleyan University. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
22. Pitzer College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
23. Skidmore College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
24. The College of Wooster. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
25. Trinity College. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
26. University of Puget Sound. Medium-sized, 4-year, private liberal arts college.
27. Whitman College. Small, 4-year, private liberal arts college.

Good luck!

Jon

Jon Perkins holds a B.A. in English from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He helps students with their college, law school, and medical school applications.

Where to Apply to College: 28 Choices for the A- Student

Onward we ride, with determination.

Last week, I thought it would be useful to explore college choices for the B student. This week, I'm turning my attention to the A- student.

By A- student, I mean a student who is getting mostly As and is taking some honors and AP classes -- but not necessarily every honors or AP class available. This student probably has an SAT score in the 1900s or an ACT score of 28-29. It's a student who might be top 25% of her class, but not top 10%. This is a student who probably understands that Berkeley, UCLA, and USC are reach schools.

The list below covers some schools that an A- student -- at least an A- student from California -- might consider. This list might also be useful to an A student looking to round out her list with some higher probability schools.

28 Colleges for the A- Student

1. American University. Washington, DC. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
2. Baylor University. Waco, TX. Medium-sized, 4-year, private Christian university.
3. Boston University. Boston, MA. Large, 4-year, private university.
4. Case Western Reserve. Cleveland, OH. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
5. Clemson University. Clemson, SC. Large, 4-year, public university.
6. College of Charleston. Charleston, SC. Medium-sized, 4-year, public college.
7. Fordham University. Bronx, NY. Medium-sized, 4-year, private Jesuit university.
8. George Washington University. Washington, DC. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
9. Indiana University. Bloomington, IN. Large, 4-year, public university.
10. Loyola Marymount University. Los Angeles, CA. Medium-sized, 4-year, private Jesuit university.
11. Northeastern University. Boston, MA. Large, 4-year, private university.
12. Santa Clara University. Santa Clara, CA. Medium-sized, 4-year, private Jesuit university.
13. Southern Methodist University. Dallas, TX. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
14. Syracuse University. Syracuse, NY. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
15. Texas Christian University. Fort Worth, TX. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
16. Tulane University. New Orleans, LA. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
17. University of California - Davis. Davis, CA. Large, 4-year, public university.
18. University of California - Irvine. Irvine, CA. Large, 4-year, public university.
19. University of California - San Diego. San Diego, CA. Large, 4-year, public university.
20. University of California - Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara, CA. Large, 4-year, public university.
21. University of Maryland - College Park. College Park, MD. Large, 4-year, public university.
22. University of Miami. Coral Gables, FL. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
23. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Minneapolis, MN. Large, 4-year, public university.
24. University of Richmond. Richmond, VA. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.
25. University of South Carolina: Columbia. Columbia, SC. Large, 4-year, public university.
26. University of Washington. Seattle, WA. Large, 4-year, public university.
27. Villanova University. Villanova, PA. Medium-sized, 4-year, private Jesuit university.
28. Wake Forest University. Winston-Salem, NC. Medium-sized, 4-year, private university.

Good luck!

Jon

Jon Perkins holds a B.A. in English from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He helps students with their college, law school, and medical school applications.