It’s easy to understand why students attending the West Windsor-Plainsboro high schools — two of the best in the state — may still be intimidated by the college admission process. With Princeton University — one of the best in the country and the hardest to be admitted into — just a few miles from their doorstep, it’s impossible to forget the old adage: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
“College admissions, of course, have become a very competitive and intricate process,” says Valerie Brown, a former longtime college admissions counselor. “But fortunately there are things that students can do in order to increase their opportunities and make the application process a rewarding one.” Brown, along with co-partner Sharon Joachim, is head of College Catalysts, a Lawrenceville-based business that offers strategies to help students in grades 9 through 12 get into the college of their choice.
Her company will host “College Admissions Camps” for students who will begin their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior years this fall. Dates are Monday, July 10, through Friday, July 14, as well as Monday, July 17, through Friday, July 21, at the Redding Circle Learning Center in Princeton. Cost is $350.
“This past year the most popular universities and colleges in the nation have had a surge in applications simply because there are just so many people graduating right now,” says Brown. “That means that the acceptance rate has decreased all around at these schools and that makes it that much harder for students to get into their first choice. We want to help students understand what admissions officers are looking for in a college applicant.”
This year’s camps are the first of what Brown sees as an annual event. Each five-day camp will offer attendees seminars on empowerment and leadership; self-assessment skills needed to create a prospective college list for their application process; how to navigate through the college admission process including how to make the most of your college visit, essay writing, interviewing skills, working with a mock admissions committee, and resume writing; a tour of select area colleges, as well as a hands on assistance from camp staff for rising seniors with their respective college applications.
“I think the program we have for rising seniors is the most appealing for many students and parents because we go through the entire admissions process and personally assist them in completing their applications,” says Brown. “That way, when they go into their final year of high school in the fall they might decide to do things like take the SATs over again or gather their recommendations. The application process itself will be done by then.”
According to Brown, it is important to understand right at the outset of the college application process that, just like when they are applying for a job, they need to promote themselves. “Universities and colleges are not just looking for students who are smart, but students who are willing to learn and explore inside and outside of the classroom,” she says. “They are also looking for students who can add to the campus environment, right across the board. They are looking for the opportunity to mold young graduates who will be successful in our society because that will ultimately look good for the university.”
Raised in Boston, Brown graduated from Wheaton College and worked as an admissions counselor at Lesley University in Massachusetts for six years before attending graduate school at Columbia. A resident of Lawrenceville, she started her business last year with Joachim, whom she met when they both were undergraduates at Wheaton.
Joachim, born and raised in Princeton, has taught at Stuart Country Day School and the Peddie School and has served as an admissions counselor at Wheaton. Says Brown: “We both felt that with our collective experience, the time was right for a business that can help students get into the colleges of their choice.”
When thinking about college admissions, Brown says that it is important for parents and students to be realistic, while at the same time be careful not to sell themselves short. Despite the ever-increasing competition for admittance into the top universities and colleges, many people make the mistake of not even trying. “Some people think that if they don’t graduate from a private school, but only from a public high school, they will never get into the school of their dreams,” she says.
“But the most important thing is for students to be well prepared. A Harvard, Yale, or Princeton all want to see diversity in their students. Those who come from public schools will bring their experiences to the table and admissions officers know that. If you have the right preparation, you can be a viable candidate.”
College Catalysts offers two separate “College Admissions Camps” in Princeton: Monday, July 10, through Friday, July 14, or Monday, July 17, through Friday, July 21, at the Redding Circle Learning Center, 1 Redding Circle. Cost is $350. Each session is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features college tours, leadership and team building, and panel discussions. Also, workshops in essay and resume writing, interviewing, and financing your education. Personalized after camp sessions available at $25 per hour. For more information or to register call 609-530-0550 or visit www.collegecatalysts.com.
In addition another camp will be offered Monday, July 24, through Friday, July 28, at 584 Middletown Boulevard in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
