An important part of understanding college campuses and finding the right fit for our students is actually visiting.  Taking a tour gives us a feel for what happens on campus and provides valuable information about admissions trends at that campus.  Talking with admissions reps allows us to understand what they are looking for when reviewing applications each year.  Check out our most recent visits to Chicago and NYC schools.

Undergraduate Population: 3,367
Admission Rate: 57%
Most Popular Majors: Architecture, Graphic Design, Illustration

Undergraduate Population: 7,552
Admission Rate: 6%

Supplemental essays are one of the most important factors that Columbia Admissions uses to determine if an applicant is a good fit.​

Parenting a child is hard work.  Early on there are the sleepless nights, the messes, the tantrums....  Your child is completely dependent on you and it is exhausting.  You dream of the days when they can take care of themselves - dress themselves, bathe themselves, do their own homework, drive themselves where they need to be..., it sounds gloriously freeing.  But along with it comes an independent person with their own identity and own ideas, one who doesn't always (ok, hardly ever) listens to your advice and begins a journey that can be extremely frustrating and mentally exhausting as a parent.  

We have a philosophy in our household - "just give your best effort, we will never be disappointed if you just try your hardest."  That phrase is easy to say, however, hard to implement.  It just isn't possible that this child who has "so much potential" has done his best when he brings home a B-, a C, or worse.  He needs to work harder, he is not doing his best, he is LAZY.  Or, is there something else going on?

Anxiety?  No, you say, that is not possible - my kid is happy, he isn't panic stricken, worrying about every little thing.  In fact, he couldn't care less about things going on with his school work - that is not anxiety, that is being lazy.  The kids who have anxiety are "super-achieving academic elite - kids who are enrolled in multiple Advanced Placement courses and volunteering at the local soup kitchen while mastering  an obscure Chinese classical instrument and holding down spots on several sports teams."  These "Harvard or bust" students are the ones under real pressure, the ones suffering from anxiety, not my snap chatting, xbox playing, homework forgetting child. 

don't care one bit about academic pressure but that behavior is "a direct response to the  stress they are experiencing."  These kids aren't lazy - they are faced with pressure and demands and they are fearful that they just can't do it, and their response is the "opt-out" response.  Their perfectionism and fear of failure doesn't manifest as doing everything 110% to make sure they don't fail, their coping mechanism is to do just enough not to get into too much trouble but never doing too much to put themselves out there to experience the failure they fear.

Does this sound familiar?

• Teachers are stupid
• The curriculum is irrelevant
• Math is just moving numbers around and English is just moving words around
• No one ever needs to know Geometry
• Shakespeare is an absolute waste of time

He's Not Lazy, written by clinical psychologist Dr. Adam Price, explores anxiety in the "opt-out" teen.  Learn more about the pressures your child is facing - from peers, from growing into a man, from you.  You may be taking actions with the best of intentions to help your underachieving child that are actually making things worse and increasing his anxiety. This book was eye opening.  The more I read the more I could identify with the kids that were being described and the desperate, well-intentioned actions of the parents; everything done out of love and caring, but resulting in the exact opposite of what was intended by the parent.  

None of this is to say that your child doesn't have huge potential - he absolutely does.  The thing is, everyone gets there on their own timetable.  Your child is not destined to be less successful just because he didn't figure it all out in high school.  In fact, high school is the place for a child to develop and practice new found independence.  Their decisions, both good and bad, made while still under your roof helps to prepare them for when they leave for college; and even then you need to remember that "your son needn't, and really can't, be completely grown up before he leaves for college."  He can and will get it and your interactions with him (whether you are a parent, counselor, advisor, or teacher) can make the journey easier or harder.

With teen anxiety rising to epidemic levels we need to recognize and help teens who manifest anxiety in all ways, and that may be by changing your view of what anxiety really looks like.

Summer Reading:
Almost everyone has some type of summer reading and assignment to complete prior to the start of school. While it is tempting to put it off as long as possible, like say to the night before school starts, it really isn’t a great idea as the chances of Amazon Prime being able get it to you in a matter of hours is highly unlikely. Go ahead and take a few minutes to jump on your school’s website to identify which books are required for this summer and go ahead and order them. The entire process should take less than 15 minutes and will save you from unnecessary stress and your parent’s unnecessary grey hair. Plan out when it will be best for you to tackle the reading and assignment-this will require looking at a calendar. You may choose to knock it out in a few days in between trips, or you may choose to spread it out-the choice is yours, so make a plan and commit to it!
Volunteer:
Everyone should do some type of volunteering over the summer months-it can be a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks, as the opportunities to give back are endless. While some non-profits have age requirements, there are many that will happily accept help of all ages. Most importantly, volunteering should be authentic to whom the student is: Do you like to play tennis? Maybe consider coaching at a neighborhood tennis clinic and work to instill a love of the game to the younger crowd. Love to read? Volunteer at the library or host your own book drive to donate the books to a local children’s hospital or school.
College Visits:
In your travels this summer, find a college or two that are on the way to or from your destination or even in the city where you are visiting. It doesn’t need to be a school that is at the top of your list, or even on your list, as most any school will give you the opportunity to start developing what it is that you hope to have (or not have!) in your college experience. It can be as casual as driving through the campus and surrounding area, or a more formal tour and information session which lasts about two hours. If your schedule allows, the tour and information session is the way to go, and these are typically offered numerous times on the weekdays, and some Saturdays as well. 
Fun:
While there is so much focus on using your summer to advance your cause, whatever that is, remember to spend some quality time (ummm, perhaps without technology?!?!) with your friends and family enjoying the fun and freedom that should come with summer!