Congratulations Class of 2023!

So much of my job has become managing the expectations of parents and students, trying to get parents to see that the college rankings have little value (they are based on a flawed methodology), helping students find colleges that go beyond those 50 most well-known and difficult to get into, and making sure my students put a few favorable and target schools on their lists so that they have great options!

This season I had the pleasure of working with many thoughtful, smart, and dedicated seniors who received acceptances to the following schools:

American University 
Arizona State University
Ball State University 
Baylor University 
Belmont University 
Boston College
Boston University
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal State Long Beach
Chapman University 
Chico State University
Colorado State University
Emerson College
Fordham University 
Indiana University 
James Madison University 
Loyola Marymount University
Michigan State University
Molloy University
Muhlenberg College
Northeastern University 
NYU
Oakland University 
Ohio State University
Oregon State University 
Pace University
Penn State University (Main Campus)
Purdue University 
Rider University
Rutgers University
San Diego State University
Syracuse University
TCU
Tufts University 
UCLA
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
University of Arizona
University of Colorado Boulder 
University of Iowa
University of Michigan
University of Nevada Reno
University of Oregon
University of the Arts University of Utah
University of Wisconsin Madison
Washington State University
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​Several people have reached out to me in the last week asking if this year was more brutal for my students and, honestly, I don't think this year was any different than the past couple of brutal years.

In CA, the UCs and more competitive Cal States continue to have WAY more qualified CA applicants than there are spots, and students are being compared to their classmates within their own high school in terms of rigor (# of AP and IB and college courses), GPA, activities, etc. Students in competitive public high schools, like here in Irvine and Tustin, are at a disadvantage because there are so many accomplished students taking those same classes and earning stellar grades. And since test scores can no longer be used, more students apply, and the admit rate remains low. For these reasons, the most desirable UC campuses: UCLA, UCSB, UCI, Cal, UCSC, UCD will continue to be selective schools for ALL students.

Ivies and other highly rejective schools that boast single digit admit rates are ALWAYS huge reach schools unless the student has an extraordinary accomplishment (nationally or internationally recognized talent, recruited athlete, published research, designed or created something and got a patent approved, etc.). Then it becomes a reach instead of a huge reach. 

Rather than focusing on what they can do to have a chance at these schools, I try to get my students to focus on what they like to do, the classes they are interested in, the activities that appeal to them. If they follow their passions, they will have an authentic story to tell, and if they go into the admissions process with an open mind and heart, they will find a college where they will be happy and flourish. 

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