#141 Lessons Learned from 200+ Colleges with John Durante

Flourish Coaching

Sep 24, 2024

In this episode, Lisa and John discuss:

Identifying the controllables and the non-controllables during your teen’s college application process.
What your teen should include on the college application to ensure they are accurately representing themself.
What should be included on your teen’s activities list in their application.
The accessibility of admissions representatives.
Tips for writing college essays.

Key Takeaways:

Colleges want to know first whether your teen can handle the work once they’re on campus.
The admissions reps look at your student’s transcript in the context of their high school – meaning what is offered, how your student challenged themself, and how they performed.
Anything not included on the application is left up to the admissions rep to speculate as to why it was left off. Make sure to include things like family situations, jobs, and medical challenges, that would explain why your student’s grades or activities might look different than expected on the application.
Essays should add something new to your student’s application beyond what is included in their transcript and activities list.
There are over 4000 schools in the US, and there is something for everyone. However, not every school is going to be the right fit for your student. Be mindful of what the right fit is for your teen, not anyone else.

“Don’t reach out to ask anything that’s easily accessible on their website. You want to be mindful of reaching out with a question where you’re showing them that you put a little bit of thought into it that you, you know, research their website, perhaps you went on a tour, and you have a follow-up question.” – John Durante

About John Durante:

Dr. John Durante has been an integral part of the Syosset school community since 1994, serving initially as a teacher of world languages and assistant principal before assuming the role of Principal at Syosset High School for over 14 years. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Durante has been honored with numerous awards, including the prestigious Best Principal on Long Island accolade from the Bethpage Federal Credit Union in 2016. He is also a recipient of the esteemed PTA Founders Day Award and Jenkins Award, reflecting his unwavering commitment to educational excellence.

For more information about “The College Admissions Process Podcast” or to listen to the insightful episodes, please visit www.collegeadmissionstalk.com or contact Dr. John Durante at: collegeadmissionstalk@gmail.com.

Episode References:

#057 College Admission by Major with Andy Borst

#123 College Institutional Priorities: Understanding Who Gets In with Aly Beaumont

John’s Podcast: https://www.collegeadmissionstalk.com/

Start with Why by Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/

Who Gets In and Why by Jeffrey Selingo: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Gets-Why-College-Admissions/dp/1982116293

Johns Hopkins University – Essays that Worked: https://apply.jhu.edu/college-planning-guide/essays-that-worked/
Hamilton College – Essays that Worked: https://www.hamilton.edu/admission/apply/college-essays-that-worked

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

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