More and more colleges across the country are adopting the practice of having multiple admissions counselors divide up the parts of a student's application for review. One admissions counselor might see a student’s scores and grades, while another sees their essay and extra-curricular activities. The desired result for the college is that the total review time is reduced, thereby helping colleges cut down on labor; the result for students is a less holistic review of their applications. While historically, students have always needed to make it past an initial review process, now the decision of whether an application moves forward might be made by a counselor who sees only a small portion of a student's overall abilities, and those decisions are final. For students who have learning differences, this new trend is particularly disturbing as it limits their ability to show an admissions committee their skills in a variety of areas. This review method effectively sells students with learning differences short because many of them excel in areas that are not measured in the traditional categories. A holistic approach is much better because it allows students with learning differences to put their best foot forward and to be considered as a whole rather than a few of their parts. Realistically, as volume of applications increases, more colleges are likely to join this trend; regardless, students should understand what that means in terms of choosing colleges and how their applications are considered at those colleges.
An individualized approach to helping students plan and achieve their educational goals
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Here you'll find the archive of my blog Straight Talk, where I discuss what's new and relevant in the world of learning differences.
Berg Advising & Placement
An individualized approach to helping students plan and achieve their educational goals
Trained as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Michelle Berg works with families to help them navigate the academic, social and emotional challenges of students who have learning differences from kindergarten through college. Dr. Berg has developed a highly individualized process to understand and help meet your child’s educational goals. She takes the time to figure out how your child learns and does individualized research to find the right educational environment and support for your child. Based in Westport CT, she works with families locally and all over the world.
Berg Advising & Placement | , Westport, CT, U.S.