Why College Counseling is Like Matchmaking

Liz Jackson, USM’s new director of College Guidance, takes us inside the world of college admissions.

I fell into my college guidance career by accident.
I was a history teacher and a crew coach at a private school in New York, and they asked me if I would take over as a college counselor for a colleague who relocated mid-year. I said yes, and I just loved it. 

Many colleges and universities are harder to get into now than they used to be.
The acceptance rate at Harvard University, where I was recruited to row crew, is now probably one-third of what it was in 2002 when I graduated from Madison East High School.

College counseling is like matchmaking.
We’re trying to know each student, what they care about, where they see themselves, and what’s important. We’re also learning about colleges, their programs, campuses, and student life. When I visit a school it’s exciting to think, who can I see here? Whose college list should I suggest this for? I find the process of putting those two things together really fun. 

Higher education is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it is more than a piece of paper.
Living and learning with people who are different from you, or delving deeply into a field of study, is a new and valuable experience for most. If you are intentional about finding a place that really fits you, that institution can enhance your life for decades.

When it comes to college, students often have more choice than they think.
For most, there are dozens of schools that would be a great fit and provide the kind of springboard to the life they want. It helps to think broadly about the college experience rather than focus on a small handful of schools. There are incredible options out there and not all of them are obvious. 

Colleges give a lot more grace to applicants than families realize.
Admissions officers want to feel an authentic 17-year old coming through the application. They don’t want it to feel like it was written by a 50-year old with an MBA. Colleges want to see what’s wonderful about your kids more than they want to see a semicolon used correctly.

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I loved my high school guidance counselor, but helping kids with college applications was not a major part of her job, and there were probably 700 kids in my graduating class.
I remember lots of conversations about her dogs, her daughter’s wedding, things like that.

When I got to Harvard, I had a real case of imposter syndrome. I thought I was the only one struggling.
I remember a TA telling me that my research paper lacked a clear thesis and I thought, “what is a thesis?” I had never had to write one before. But the reality was everyone was struggling, and in the end, I was grateful for the challenge. 

I’m really excited for the team we have in the office.
Our group brings varied and complementary experiences and expertise and we all work really well together. I realize the College Guidance office has experienced a lot of changes over the last few years, but we’re ready to help and support families however we can. 

A new initiative within higher ed that’s really exciting is the character collaborative, which is group of universities that intentionally consider students’ character in the admission process, alongside academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
I think USM students are really well prepared to demonstrate character traits on applications because of the school’s Common Trust. Character education is a wonderful component of a USM education and I’m excited that colleges are more explicitly looking for it.

Jackson previously served as the Upper School dean of students from 2015 to 2017.