Fit Over Rankings

The stress surrounding the college admissions process causes many families to lose perspective. It can be easy to forget that one grade, test score, or admission decision has never prevented anyone from becoming a happy and successful adult.

At Colorado Rocky Mountain School we try to be realistic about each student’s strengths and weaknesses. As the Director of College Counseling, I encourage them to balance six to nine applications between schools where they are “likely” to get in, schools where their chances are “moderate,” and schools that constitute a “reach.” Most importantly, I try to understand each student’s personality well enough so that I can assist every CRMS senior to find a college to suit his or her talents, tastes, and learning style. In other words, together we are looking for the best fit.

Last fall the Stanford Graduate School of Education released a study specifically addressing this topic. To read the paper, A ‘Fit’ Over Rankings: Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity, click here.