Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews

YCBK 628: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Applicant Pool-3 of 5

11 snips
Apr 6, 2026
Jennifer Gershberg, former professor and student-success expert who teaches college success and test-taking strategies. Conversation covers impostor syndrome and why it can be useful. Practical test-taking and active-learning techniques. Concrete ways parents can build executive functioning and critical thinking at home.
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ADVICE

Be Realistic About Academic Range

  • Be realistic about reach: if your transcript (grades, rigor, trends) isn't in range for a target, no amount of strategy will reliably overcome that gap.
  • Mark gave an example of a straight-B student eyeing out-of-state competitive publics like Florida and Wisconsin and urged expanding the list to realistic matches.
INSIGHT

Institutional Priorities Shrink Admittable Spots

  • Compositional priorities and hooks consume many slots at selective schools, drastically shrinking the open pool for regular applicants.
  • Carter and Mark noted recruited athletes, first‑gen, gender balance in majors, legacy, and donor-related admits as examples that gobble spots.
ADVICE

Study The College's Mission And Strategic Plan

  • Read a college's history, mission/values, and strategic plan to identify the adjectives they use and where they're headed.
  • Susan recommends listing those adjectives and aligning your application evidence to show you 'get' their mission.
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