Instagram… 11/20/24

I’ve been watching college counselors on Instagram for years now. I know they all have the best of intentions to get your children into the college that is the best fit for them. I also know that there is a contingent of folks who believe it’s the Ivies or nothing (well maybe Stanford or MIT will be ok). And I don’t know if it’s just me, but all the counselors I see are the ones making the pushes for these types of schools. You’ll hear the statistics about the number of high schools in the US which means that there are so many valedictorians, and there’s only so many spots, etc. etc. So, now’s the time to apply for summer programs! 

Ok, let’s all take a breath…in….out….Good. I don’t have the answers, I hate to say at this point in my writing. I do know that most families do not have kids that are prepared for this kind of pressure. If they were anything like me, I just thought college planning started at junior year! It still can. Maybe your chances to get into the Ivies go from 4% to 3%. Or if you think of it another way, you’ll go from a 96% chance of rejection to a 97% of rejection. 

I’m not the type of counselor who is looking to push all my kids to the stars. If they want to go there, I will stand by their side. But not all kids are suited for that, and that’s okay with me. Maybe one day I’ll get on Instagram and tout these words and hopefully they’ll be heard between the ones telling you to do things PhD students would do. The Ivies will always be there, and so will I.