CCO Hosts Upper College Counseling Weekend
The College Counseling Office hosted its annual college admissions weekend from February 19-20 for parents of the class of 2022. Parents had the opportunity to meet with their students’ college counselors and admissions directors, and participated in a two-part mock admissions exercise. The weekend also featured keynote speaker Dr. Chris Howard, a Rhodes Scholar and the current president of Robert Morris University.
Many parents found the weekend engaging despite its virtual format. “I wasn't sure how connected I would feel to the other parents in a virtual format, but it was well-executed,” Dina John P ’22 said. “I appreciated the guidance, advice, and support offered by the counselor. This is truly a team effort.”
“For parents, I would question the value of trying to do this any other way than virtually… I have the sense that it is designed to put the parents at ease with the process Exeter takes our children through when looking at schools,” Bill Meaney P ’22 said.
“I thought that the virtual format was brilliant, and I much prefer it to the 'in person' CCO parent's weekend,” Laurie Cameron P ’22 said. “I loved the efficiency of hearing from parents and from college counselors and seeing their names when they speak!”
Cameron further mentioned the benefits of the virtual setting. “Getting Admissions officers on the phone from California might have been a little strange if we were all in the same room and they weren't, but the Zoom format for the college admissions officers comments on the three student cases was excellent,” Cameron said.
Alison McMahan P ’22 believed the event did not cover the pandemic enough. “I did feel that the whole process took place in a kind of bubble,” McMahan said. “Hardly anything was said about the pandemic, except to rue the fact that the students hadn't had the same extracurricular opportunities pre-pandemic students had.”
McMahan continued, “Apart from that, everyone seemed to be assuming the world is going to go back to what it was pre-pandemic in a matter of months. It is not. All this talk about what it takes to get into an Ivy League doesn't really consider that Ivy Leagues probably no longer offer the best preparation for the world that faces us.”
Others appreciated the opportunity to ask college admissions officers questions about the admissions process.
“I was impressed that several directors of admission participated in the program and spoke to us frankly regarding the process,” Shahrzad Sheibani P ’22 said. “They each gave an overview and steered us as a group into focusing on the positive aspects of a journey that unfortunately has become more stressful for many students and their families.”
Some parents of international students found the college admissions panel especially helpful. “Similar to many parents of students at Exeter, we are located outside of the U.S. and, as a result, much of the college application process is a new experience for us and our daughter,” Ted Hastings P ’22 said. “The ability to listen to college admissions officials dissect a common application and note the important parts was insightful for us.”
Parents also shared new admissions insights they learned over the weekend. “Going in, I knew academics were key, but I may have underestimated the importance of recommendations and the value of non-academic pursuits as part of the complete admissions package,” Rachel Seba P ’22 said.
Some discovered the subjectivity present in the admissions process. “One large takeaway for me was that admission officers seemed to choose students on a very personal level,” Jerry Talleri P ’22 said.
Many parents want to prioritize student satisfaction over college prestige in the admissions process. “When it comes to college, there are probably 100 great schools our children could land in and be very happy. For us the ‘logo’ is not terribly important when it comes to university but rather the fit,” Meaney said.
John agreed. “The key takeaway for me was to encourage my student to apply to a college that speaks to their interests and passion, rather than for its prestige.”
Others appreciated the detail and attentiveness of the Academy’s college admissions weekend. “Although we had another student go through the college process in the past, Exeter's was much more thorough and realistic,” Ann Tan P ’22 said. “We appreciate the valuable insights shared from the Exeter team.”
“One of the most important takeaways for me was that a student needs to self-assess to make sure they head in the best direction,” Jim Reale P ’22 said. “While parents can help the student with the process, it is the student that has to figure out what fits best.”
