The Pilgrim College Guidance Blog
News, trends, insights, and the occasional self-indulgent fluff piece
Photo credit: Jen Jordan Photography
Is it Possible to “Game The System?”
I’ve been getting asked a lot recently, “So how did this year go?” I know the real question is “Where did students get in?” And the real question is “Did students get into ‘good’ schools?” Without getting too much into specifics, I was pretty pleased with what I saw directly, despite another crazy, record-breaking application season. I also understand the overall sentiment. When something is hard to get, it just makes it that much more appealing, despite what the personal reality may be. But with the chase comes the feeling of doing whatever it takes to get that thing. I’ve seen it from students trying to write the perfect essay or being involved in some activities for the wrong reasons. I’ve found over the years that this has extended into the application process itself, as if there was an edge or angle wait to be utilized. It comes up often, even more so this year for some reason, so I’ll go ahead and address it.
College Admissions Squid Game - Reflections on the 2021-2022 Application Year
If you have Netflix, there is a good chance you’ve seen “Squid Game,” the platform’s most viewed show of all time. In this South Korean survival drama, hundreds of cash-strapped people compete in a series of children’s games in the hopes of winning billions of won. I have to admit that I was hooked from the start. Like much Korean television and cinema, the major themes focused on economic struggles and social class, but midway through the series, I was struck with the premise in a much different way. I couldn’t shake the idea that the whole series was a metaphor for the college admissions process.
What To Do If You Are Waitlisted
I was originally planning on writing a broader reflection of this application year, but I decided I needed more time to think about it, not to mention research. It seems like every year, colleges have to update their “most competitive year ever” announcements and I do have some thoughts about this, but maybe now isn’t the time. Instead, I will focus on something a little more pressing for many students–the waitlist process. The unfortunate reality is that the waitlist is standard practice for most colleges now. It leaves students in a difficult position, but there are a few things you can do in response.
Q & A With Sean Kim, Freshman at Amherst College
In my previous life, Sean Kim was a student of mine who successfully navigated through the COVID application year and is now a first-year student at Amherst College. After finishing his first semester, he was nice enough to share some insight regarding the application process and college experience.
8 Things About College Admissions That Will Never Change
With the start of the school year, there’s been a lot of talk about changes in the college admissions process—that the post-COVID landscape may never be the same. We’ve already seen SAT subject exams go away and the UC system going test-blind, but we’ll have to wait to see what else happens over the next few years. But no matter how much the college admissions world evolves, there are some essential truths that have emerged in my mind throughout my time on both the college and high school side. Some things will never change. And in no particular order...except maybe the last one, here they are.
Demonstrated Interest in a Post-COVID Landscape
I have to admit I had some hesitations about this post. I hesitated using the term “post-COVID” given everything that’s been in the news recently. This upcoming application season should still be considered a COVID application year in terms of policies anyway. My other hesitation was addressing demonstrated interest to begin with. The topic is covered well enough online, though the idea can still be a little misleading, as if it’s solely a strategic endeavor that students must master in order to gain a competitive advantage. But given that campus tours (a very direct way to demonstrate interest) are starting up again as the Washington Post recently reported, I figured it was better to address the topic head on.