Quintessential Careers:
Q&A with Gen and Kelly Tanabe
Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted
career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview
in the current issue of QuintZine,
our biweekly newsletter. Here is one such interview.
Gen and Kelly Tanabe, authors of
Get Into Any College and Get
Free Cash For College (see
our reviews) and founders of SuperCollege.com.
Q:
What is one secret to college admission that you share with
students but that may not be widely known?
A:
Many students say that the admission process is a mystery. They
send off their applications and several months later receive either
the coveted acceptance letter or hated denial letter in the mail.
They wonder who the dark figures hiding in the shadows are who read
their applications.
The truth is that they are real people. They come from all kinds of
backgrounds, former English majors who love to read, alumni who love
their colleges, and educators. And perhaps even more surprising is
that they are not your critics who take evil pleasure in denying you.
Admission officers are actually rooting for you, looking for reasons
to admit you.
Of course the reality is that colleges cannot accept all applicants,
but for the most part admission officers approach the applications
they receive positively. They review all of the pieces of the
application, building a complete picture of who you are from your
academic record to the passions you describe in your essays to what
others say about you in recommendations. While your academic fit with
the college is the most important, admission officers also seek to
find your personal fit with the college as well. Will you thrive on
the campus? Will you be challenged? Will you contribute to the campus
community?
The truth is that the great majority of admission officers enjoy the
process, especially when they see the new students they have admitted
on campus. Help them by giving them reasons to admit you. Don't be
afraid of showing them who you really are and what is important to
you.
Q:
What are the most important factors in choosing a college?
A:
One of the best ways to select a college is to ask yourself
questions so that you can determine your priorities. While there are
a lot of important questions you can ask, we feel three are the most
essential:
First, will the college equip you with the knowledge and experience
you need for the future? If you have some career direction, will the
college provide you with the education you need to enter that field?
As an example, students who plan to become journalists will want to
attend a college with a strong journalism, communications or English
program and that offer support to find internships in the field.
Second, will the college help you to continue growing? Will the class
and campus environment challenge you, introduce you to new
experiences, and foster the development of your personal ideologies?
Lastly, will the college fit your needs on a social and personal
level? It's important that you find the best match academically, but
it's also important that you fit in the social scene and enjoy
yourself. You can only spend so much time in the library. College is
a time for living.
Q:
To what extent
should students incorporate career planning into
their decision about what college or grad school to attend?
A:
Reaching your career goals is like taking a train. It may be a
direct route to your goal. You may be a pre-medicine major in
college, attend medical school, and become a doctor. Or, as is the
case for many students, it may be a less direct route with
connections in between. You may gain experience in several careers
before selecting the one that fits the best. And your final
destination can be very different from what you expected it to be.
Ideally, your career goals should play a role in your college or
graduate school choice. You will want to find the college or graduate
school that offers the best preparation for your career. The better
idea you have of your career goals, the more clearly you can
determine how well a school fits them. It's important to speak with
those who are in the field now to get their advice and to speak with
students and professors at the school to understand what the college
or graduate school offers to help you attain your goals. Know the
courses that are offered, the approach to learning, and the support
that is provided for finding internships and jobs.
If you are not sure what you want to do, try to select a school that
offers strong programs in the subjects in which you excel. In any
case, be ready for and even welcome changes to your plan along the
way.
Q:
What is the biggest "reality check" students face once they are in
college? What surprises them most?
A:
When we were in high school we learned a lot of facts. From
American history to biology to geometry, we learned what year the
Declaration of Independence was signed, how photosynthesis worked and
how to compute the area of a trapezoid. One of the biggest
differences between high school and college is that in college you
are required not only to know the facts but to apply the facts to
support your opinions. You will debate your classmates, write papers
that support a particular position, and take final exams that test
your interpretation of the big picture. It's not enough to memorize
the facts. You need to interpret, manipulate and draw your own
conclusions. This difference is perhaps one of the things that
surprises as well as excites students the most when they start
college.
Q:
What do you feel
is the most exciting or hopeful trend in college admission?
A:
When students sit down to take the SAT, many of them think that
their scores will make or break their chances of getting into
college. And while colleges are primarily concerned that students are
able to handle the academic courseload, they are widening their
evaluation of students beyond grades and test scores.
This is a recent trend that we view positively. Even some of the
largest public institutions in the country that receive tens of
thousands of applications are moving to give greater weight to
students' essays, extracurricular activities and achievements, and
recommendation letters.
For you this de-emphasis on grades and test scores means that if you
don't have a perfect academic record, your other achievements and the
essay that you write will help you to get accepted. Share with the
colleges your talents and abilities that are not easily reflected on
your academic transcript. Ultimately, this trend is giving you much
more control over the admission process.
Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the award-winning authors of
Get Into Any
College (second edition) and
Get
Free Cash For College and the
founders of the Web site SuperCollege.com.
Together, they were accepted by every
school to which they applied and won more than $100,000 in
merit-based scholarships. The husband and wife team write the
nationally syndicated column, "Ask The SuperCollege.com Experts," and
have served as expert sources for respected publications including
USA Today, the New York Daily News and the San Jose Mercury News.
Contact them through their Web site at www.supercollege.com.
