So the Winter Break is over and we're back to work here at College Admissions Clinic. For 2011, we have many exciting things planned. You will hear about them shortly as the details become clear. In the meantime, we have a little spring in our step because the early decision/early action acceptances have rolled in. While our job can be tough, working intimately with people is never only roses and sugarcakes, this time of year is always rewarding.
After putting in the work of the fall application season push, we can sit back and watch the rewards come in. In a way, it's similar to a farmer's harvest. Not every single seed that we planted in...
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According to the
National Association of Colleges and Employers, only 24.4% of the class of 2010's college grads had jobs upon graduation. Those are not exactly stellar numbers nor a great return on a college education. However, this is an uptick over last year's job numbers, when only 19.7% of the class of 2009 had jobs upon graduation from college. Missing from these job statistics are any indication of the quality of the jobs being offered to recent college graduates. I have no data to back this up, but my intuition is that actual hiring for "career oriented jobs" (i.e. those not in retail or restaurant sectors) is flat, with total job numbers up only because more grads are...
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I take all of the data I see with a huge grain of salt, especially when it comes to average salaries, because gathering accurate salary data is nearly impossible without access to tax returns. However, even if the below salary numbers are not accurate, they are likely representative of an overall pattern. For some number of years, engineers, particularly in the chemical and petroleum sectors have been receiving higher starting salaries than their classmates. Computer Science majors have also been both highly sought after and well-paid. As for grads with Business or Marketing degrees, their starting salary may appear to be respectable, but the demand for their services has not been high...
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Each year some highly qualified students are rejected by colleges they should have been accepted to. Yet mysteriously, some less-qualified students are accepted by schools that were seemingly beyond their reach.
Do you want to know why?
THEME, NOT NUMBERS IS THE KEY TO ADMISSIONS SUCCESS.
Grades and standardized test scores are only the first standard by which admissions will decide to take a candidate seriously. Admissions’ interest in a particular student is only maintained if the application has a coherent theme.
"All roads lead to and from the theme." -Karen Spencer, Georgetown Admissions Officer
The families that have not understood this critical point (
THEME, THEME, and THEME), will be surprised and disappointed by letters of rejection.
If you rely on the data from...
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Take a look at this
website highlighting some of UMd-Baltimore's Class of 2010. If I were a 2010 grad, I'd consider creating my own web page in similar fashion. I especially love these photos, as they really bring out the humanity and personality of each student. The size and scale renders well on a computer monitor and is much preferable to a head-shot. One could highlight experiences, interests, and even add a brief video self-interview or a link to a resume. It is good to stand out, especially when everyone else is doing the same thing. Don't be afraid to highlight your strengths and interests to potential employers. Many young adults struggle when talking about themselves because they are...
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