College admissions taken too lightly

Letter to the editor: As a senior at Yale University, I conduct information sessions at college fairs and high schools in Florida, New York, and Connecticut. Although I did not attend an area high school, I thought that it would be beneficial to local students to answer any questions they might have about Yale or the general college admissions process. The first school I visited was East Stroudsburg Area High. No one had signed up. I was disappointed because I had gone out of my way to talk to their students. They had failed to encourage their students to take advantage of an opportunity to gain insight on the college admissions process. Apathy and a lack of encouragement caused these students, mostly underprivileged minorities from New York, to miss out. At Port Jervis High, only one enthusiastic boy asked me a question, and before he could even open his mouth, his math teacher walked by and told him not to apply because of his SAT scores. Horrified, I left. At Delaware Valley, I asked the secretary if I could meet with the college guidance counselor, but she told me not to bother. I sat in the cafeteria alone for three lunch periods. Still, that was better than Minisink Valley High. They told me that they didn’t conduct college visits anymore. The only encounter that was an exception to this nightmare was Wallenpaupack Area High. Gerald Wierbowski - the only guidance counselor that I can remember - eagerly asked me questions for over a half an hour. Students asked me about applying to out-of-state schools, financial aid at private institutions, and college essay advice. And, as trivial as it is, one could not help but observe that his was the only office to bear a single college poster, or even some tables and chairs to conduct such presentations. I wonder if the army recruiters who also visit these schools are as poorly received. Were these counselors actually responsible for guiding their students? It was evident that these administrators had a lack of respect for my time and the service that I was willing to provide. I don’t blame the students- they are taught to believe that they are incapable of attending a competitive college. Many choose not to apply to private institutions because of money or SAT scores, but what they do not seem to know is that selective schools have higher endowments which enable them to offer amazing financial aid-and better educational resources. And, contrary to popular opinion, standardized test scores don’t weigh nearly as much as a consistent transcript-and that can be achieved through good academic support at the ministerial level. It takes a village to raise a child. I blame the administrators who let opportunities like these go to waste and quit on their students by not encouraging them. Above all, I blame the administrators who fail to take college admissions-and by extension, the future of their students- seriously. Flora Mendoza Yale University, Class of 2008 (Flora attended the Delaware Valley School District for eight years.)