Experts Give Advice on Deciding Which School to Attend

Experts Give Advice on Deciding Which School to Attend

Students have until the end of April to tell the universities that have accepted them if they will attend.

Most students found out if they were accepted in late March. Some students are accepted by their top choice school and immediately decide they will attend it. Others get rejections² and must choose another school. Still others are placed on a waiting list and might not find out if they are accepted to their top choice until the summer.

After all the studying, tests and applications, students are usually happy to be accepted by several schools. But choosing a college is not easy. This year, the decision might be more difficult than ever.

Lowest acceptance rates in history

Colleges and universities around the U.S. are reporting much lower acceptance rates.

That includes Rice University in Houston, Notre Dame³ University in Indiana, the University of Southern California and both Brown University and Harvard University of the Ivy⁴ League.

VOA spoke⁵ with two experts who explained why the rates are so low.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students delayed college, they said. In addition, thousands of universities decided⁶ not to require standardized⁷ tests. As a result, this year universities received many more applications than usual and have fewer places for students who are finishing high school this year.

Nicole Porcaro runs No Anxiety Prep, an educational advising company near Washington, D.C.

"A lot of students who in previous years thought they were shoo-ins for certain schools have not been [accepted]," she said.

Porcaro said some students she works with are now deciding between their second-choice schools.

"I encourage them to try to understand, which is really hard at that age, that plans and dreams change. And it may seem that you are 100 percent locked into a school or a major or a plan, and it changes."

Alix Coupet is an advisor⁸ for a company called Empowerly based in San Francisco, California. In the past, he was an admissions counselor⁹ at Stanford. He said some students feel "stuck."

Look for connection

Rice, a highly rated school in Houston, Texas, accepted only 2,691 students out of over 31,000 who applied¹⁰.

Yvonne Romero da Silva is the school's Vice¹ President for Enrollment¹¹.

Romero da Silva said students deciding between more than one college should think about the one they feel most connected to, even if it is not the one with the highest rank.

"Each institution has a unique element to it, culture to it. So I feel sad sometimes for the students who felt forced to make that decision of where they're going to go simply because the school was ranked higher than the school that they really, really loved."

Romero da Silva said many parents can get caught up in a school's rank. But the important thing for them to do is help their children get excited about going to a school where they will "thrive," or do well.

Not too late to visit

This year, many universities opened their campuses to visitors and are not closed because of COVID-19 restrictions¹². So, Romero da Silva said she believes high school students who went to events for prospective¹³ students will have an easier time deciding if they want to attend the school. Rice hosted its event for visitors, known as Owl¹⁴ Days, recently.

"Rice's campus is so beautiful, you just can't get a sense of the physical spaces until you're actually here," Romero da Silva said.

Many universities offer more chances for students to visit before requiring a decision. The experts said this is extra helpful for graduate students. They may be able to visit a laboratory or to meet with a professor who will guide their studies.

How to make a calm choice

Coupet said one of his jobs during this time of year is to remind students that they put a lot of work into choosing schools over a year ago when making applications.

"I become kind of a mirror to help reflect these things [the student] said were important," Coupet said.

What about the waiting list?

Both Coupet and Porcaro said it is unlikely, especially this year, that students will be accepted from waiting lists. But they should accept a place on the waiting list quickly. The next step is to contact the school and express interest for a second time. This is called a "letter of continued interest." The document should include any new information about the student.

The new information does not have to be "curing cancer," Porcaro said. "But as long as they can show they've been using their time well and not coasting."

The next thing students should do is send in money to hold their place at another school, Coupet said. This is called a deposit. They may lose the money if a spot at their first-choice school opens.

But "the peace of mind is precious at this stage," he said.

As the year goes on, send a short update every three to four weeks, Coupet added.

What about international students?

Porcaro said there is a lot of information available for international students. They should attend as many computer-based activities as possible. She also discussed a company called College Scoops¹⁵ that presents independent visits to college campuses.

Coupet said international students who are on a wait list should use two strategies: tell the university that they do not need financial aid and consider centering their studies on a different subject. The subject can always be changed later. After all, many American students do it.

"At a lot of schools around the country you can change your major on the first day of college back to biology. Students change their mind here all the time."

Words in This Story

application – n. a formal and usually written request for something (such as a job, admission to a school, a loan)

standardized test –n. a test that requires all test-takers to answer the same questions which is used to measure a person's abilities

shoo-in – n. someone or something that will win easily or is certain to win

lock into –v. (phrasal) to be sure about something or to have decided on something

stuck – adj. unable to move or change

unique – adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else

prospective – adj. likely to be or become something specified¹⁶ in the future

mirror – n. something that shows what another thing is like in a very clear and accurate way

coast – v. to progress or have success without special effort

precious – adj. very dear or valuable

strategy – n. a plan covering a long period of time

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 rejections   

拒绝( rejection的名词复数 )； 摒弃； 剔除物； 排斥

参考例句：

• Most writers endure a number of rejections before being published. 大部分作家经历无数次的退稿才守得云开，作品得到发表。
• Supervise workers and monitors production quality to minimize rejections. 管理工人，监控生产质量，减少退货。

3 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

4 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

9 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

11 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

13 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

14 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

15 scoops   

n.小铲( scoop的名词复数 )；小勺；一勺[铲]之量；（抢先刊载、播出的）独家新闻v.抢先报道( scoop的第三人称单数 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• two scoops of mashed potato 两勺土豆泥
• I used three scoops of flour and one(scoop)of sugar. 我用了三杓面粉和一杓糖。 来自辞典例句

16 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。