Kristen BixbyThis time of year, we at Campus Bound like to reflect on the year that is nearly over and set some goals for the year ahead. It’s been one of the most controversial years in the history of college admissions, but also one of the best.
The Ugly
Let’s start with the ugly stuff first and work our way to the good. The college admissions scandal, let’s face it, was ugly! We’ve known that there are people and organizations out there that engage in, let’s say, less than ethical activities when it comes to helping students with college admissions. But it was always kind of an urban legend, and never impacted us much. We are happy that the scandal didn’t impact us much either. It’s not at all how we do business; we are so far removed from those practices that they don’t even resonate with us. Campus Bound helps students put their best foot forward in the college admissions process. We answer questions and demystify the process for families. We were able to hold our heads high during this time and say with pride, that’s not how we do things. We may have been taken aback, but we were never set back by the scandal.
The Bad
College admissions seems harder than it ever has before. Applications are more intense, there are more essays to write, and at many popular schools, the acceptance rate is steadily going down. We wish every student could get into their favorite school, but it’s just not always possible. There will be some bad news coming home this week, and we are in the process of picking those students back up, dusting them off and encouraging them to keep their spirits up. It’s really hard when the first news isn’t good news, but life isn’t always entirely full of good news. There’s a really powerful lesson to be learned from rejection. And while we hate to see our students, and our children, go through it, it’s an essential part of life. We are thankful that our students and the families we work with trust us to be there for them through all of it.
The Good
This time of year also brings about our favorite texts and emails…”I got in!” The reality is that Campus Bound students who followed our advice and applied to a balanced list of schools that they like will get in somewhere and will be happy about their options. All in all, we are proud of the work we do at Campus Bound and for helping families navigate what can be a stressful and overwhelming process. We adore our students and are happy to build meaningful relationships with them. We are proud of them too, and the determination they have to achieve their dreams. They are the true heroes of 2019. Next year, we will focus more on the good and keep in our minds all that we are grateful for. We will think about all the students we have helped over the years and continue to do our best work with the new group coming up. We will take care of ourselves so that we can best take care of others. And we will continue to be positive and supportive during times of stress, uncertainty and disappointment. 2020 will be our best year yet and we hope the same for you.