Maria Laskaris, the director of admissions states, “I think it’s important that we build a community here that includes a strong cross-section of international students to bring the world to Dartmouth. The perspective international students have in the classroom and in the dorms and the extracurricular activities, I think, enriches the experience for everybody.”

Given Dartmouth’s numerous off campus study programs and international outlook, increasing the number of international students makes sense, but where do you draw the line? Sure, many would argue that international students give a lot of bang for the buck on real diversity and I would agree. But for every international student who comes to Dartmouth, the admissions odds go down for American students and with the current admissions scene, that can be discouraging to aspiring Dartmouth applicants.

For the class of 2011, international students comprise a record 9 percent of the class. Most Ivies cap the number of international students at 7-15%, no more and the odds for international applicants are generally lower than the odds for American students given how many students apply from so many different foreign countries. What percentage of international students is ideal? Hard to say given so many other priorities. Is it fair that international students compose only a tenth of the class while recruited athletes compose nearly 20% of the entering class? How much diversity do recruited athletes bring to campus versus a brilliant student from Norway? Or a minority student from Harlem? None of these are easy questions – what do you think?

You may find that schools that you’d barely considered before end up being top in the country in particular areas. How can you check? First, it’s often helpful to consult the graduate rankings in a publication like US News and World Report; although, keep in mind that sometimes graduate programs and faculty are separate from the undergraduate, and are sometimes shared. Once you have that list, comb the web sites, course guides and published information from colleges to see if they are strong in your area(s) of interest. Finally, call the school or visit and speak to professors, visit the library, check out the holdings — in short, make an informed decision about where you are applying and why.

Also, bear in mind that if you state a reason for applying to a school, it should be an academic reason.  Unless a particular school has an extracurricular program that is truly unique (and, ideally, ties in to an academic interest), the school is going to care far more about what you want to study than about the backpacking trips you want to lead and the underprivileged children you want to tutor.  Those are all great things, but clubs, community service programs, and intramural sports are available at almost every college these days.

Even a student who is No. 1 in a top public school will not be accepted to top colleges if he or she has low scores on the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. Another thing to consider is the competition: at top private schools like Andover and Exeter, only the top students get into the very top colleges. It’s actually HARDER to be in the top 5-10% of the class at a place where almost everyone is qualified versus a big public school with some “dead weight.” In short, you should make this decision based on the options, comfort level, course offerings, sports and specialty offerings for your child rather than trying to outwit college admissions officers who will not be impressed just by a big name private school.

Most importantly, students will perform better – and be happier – at a school where they feel most comfortable. If a student truly loves Andover, and the family believes that the expense is warranted, then Andover is the right choice. If the local public school has great teachers, neighborhood friends, a full line up of AP courses, and a safe environment, then it may be worth more to a student than any of the famous prep schools.

As you probably know by now, the Common Application has added a new category called WORK EXPERIENCE with five or so lines of description. Getting a job is as important today to admissions officers as community service was ten years ago. Likewise, many students are more career-oriented than ever before.

Many well-heeled and well-intentioned parents are convinced that it would benefit their children to talk to someone who could arrange an unusual or prestigious internship for summer. Their goal is to pull in a favor or two to acquire fancy internships for their kids. Colleges are not stupid and can usually figure out that someone pulled a string — otherwise, how could a normal 16-year-old with virtually no qualifications end up working in a high-profile law firm or an investment bank?  In fact, having this kind of internship often backfires because colleges then hold it against the student because he/she obviously couldn’t find his/her own job or meaningful experience without adult help.

Colleges look for students who create opportunities for themselves, not simply those who have things handed to them on a silver platter. With that in mind, here are some ideas for summer:

1. Take classes at a local community college or school to deepen your interest in a particular scholarly area.
2. Pursue an activity or hobby on your own to take it to a higher level.
3. Get a real job — try bus-ing tables, pouring coffee, bagging groceries — show that you can handle responsibility.
4. Do some serious reading and keep track of what you read – some colleges ASK what you’ve read lately.
5. Investigate in detail specific departments and programs in colleges you are interested in so you can provide real evidence as to why you are interested in X school.
6. Do not sign up for a high priced program that sends you complimentary mailings about how you’ve been “selected.”
7. If you are a top level athlete, sign up for elite sports camps where college coaches will be recruiting attendees.

If you want a more productive use of your time both during the year and during the summer, get a job! The Common Application now lists five spaces for WORK EXPERIENCE. You don’t want to leave those spaces blank. If you’re too young to work a real job, start your own business: dog walking, house-sitting, whatever! Not only does holding down a job show responsibility, it also shows that you’re not a spoiled, pampered child who has never had to work. Remember; most admissions officers reading your file probably held a job at your age. Don’t delay — get a job today!

Take time to get to know your college counselor. Remember, your college counselor will be writing your college recommendation letter and if he/she doesn’t know who you are it will show. He/she provides an important piece of the puzzle for college admissions officers. They are the “voice” of your school, summarizing how you stack up next to your classmates in the academic competition. They are also your official advocates throughout the college admissions process, even if you use an outside counselor. It’s never too early to set up an appointment to introduce yourself and to keep him or her updated on your latest accomplishments. Prepare a short summary of all your extracurricular and academic accomplishments, especially if they took place outside of school. How else will your counselor find out the necessary information to support you? They are your strongest ally besides teachers, so USE them to your advantage throughout your four years of high school!

One of the best tools available for determining your odds at a particular college is Naviance. This is software many high schools have added to their college counseling services. If your school is not yet on Naviance we urge you to advocate for the addition. Naviance will show you exactly where you are (using your GPA and tests) in relation to other students who have applied to specific schools. The scattergram is a graph with clear indications of past students results and where you fall in that rubric. If your school has Naviance, use it. If not, advocate that they add it ASAP. One thing to point out, however, is that Naviance does NOT show if a student has a hook (minority, development case, athletic recruit), so the info can be a bit skewed.

If your school provides stats on college acceptances in a report style, study it carefully. It might show GPA, as well as scores, and indicate if a student was accepted, rejected, waitlisted at colleges. That way, you can compare yourself directly with other students from your school and get an even better impression of how you stack up.