College Admissions Counseling in What’s Changed — and What Still Matters Most

I’ve been guiding students through the college admissions process since the turn of the century.

When I started working with high school students from Connecticut’s shoreline communities, the admissions formula was relatively clear. Grades and test scores led the way. Activities mattered. Essays and recommendations provided texture. Diversity, legacy connections, and demonstrated interest rounded out the picture.

That clarity has largely disappeared.

The New Reality of College Admissions

As I work today with students from Essex, Deep River, Chester, Ivoryton, and across the Connecticut River Valley, I’m candid with families: the rules of the game are no longer straightforward. Test-optional policies, shifting diversity considerations following recent Supreme Court rulings, and the growing subjectivity of holistic review have made the process harder to navigate — and easier to misunderstand.

My core counsel to every Essex family I work with remains the same: focus only on what you can control. Remarkably, the factors most within your control are still the ones that matter most.

---

What Essex Students Can Control — and How to Do It Well

Academic Performance: Still the Foundation

Grades remain the single most important element of any college application. Colleges aren’t just looking at your GPA snapshot — they’re looking for trajectory. A student who earns a 3.4 sophomore year and a 3.8 junior year tells a more compelling story than one whose performance plateaus or declines.

For Shoreline CT students navigating the demands of Valley Regional or other shoreline schools, the strategy is straightforward: manage your time deliberately, identify subjects where you need support early, and get that support before grades suffer rather than after.

Course rigor matters nearly as much as GPA. Challenging yourself with honors and AP coursework signals college readiness — but only when you can genuinely perform at that level. The goal is demonstrating that you can handle difficult work, not accumulating impressive-sounding classes while your grades erode.

Standardized Tests: Still Worth Taking Seriously

Despite the test-optional movement, strong SAT and ACT scores remain a meaningful differentiator — particularly at selective schools and for merit scholarship consideration. Essex students who invest real preparation time, use quality resources, and are willing to retake tests when improvement is genuinely achievable give themselves a measurable advantage.

Don’t assume “test-optional” means “test irrelevant.” For many students, a strong score is one of the clearest ways to stand out.

Extracurricular Activities: Depth Over a Laundry List

Admissions officers are not impressed by students who joined a dozen clubs and led nothing. They are impressed by students who found something they genuinely cared about and pursued it with real commitment over time.

For students in Essex and the surrounding River Valley communities, this might mean a sustained passion for sailing, environmental advocacy, local theater, athletic leadership, or entrepreneurial initiative. What matters is authenticity and depth — not a résumé padded to appear well-rounded.

Leadership and initiative carry particular weight. Starting something — a club, a project, a community effort — demonstrates exactly the kind of agency that colleges want to see.

Personal Essays: Your Story, in Your Voice

The college essay is the one place in the application where your personality can step forward fully. Grades and scores tell colleges what you’ve achieved. The essay tells them who you are.

The most effective essays I’ve worked on with Connecticut students are specific, honest, and reflective. They aren’t trying to sound impressive — they’re trying to sound real. Have trusted mentors review your drafts, but never let their voice replace yours.

Letters of Recommendation: Invest in Relationships Early

Strong recommendations come from teachers and counselors who know you well — not just academically, but as a person. Students who build genuine relationships with their teachers throughout high school, not just in senior year when recommendations are due, are the ones whose letters carry real weight.

When the time comes, help your recommenders help you. Give them a clear picture of your goals, your growth, and the experiences you’d like them to speak to.

Community Service and Work Experience: Real Engagement Only

Colleges can spot performative community service from miles away. What resonates is sustained, genuine engagement — whether that’s working a part-time job, volunteering consistently with a local organization, or pursuing a passion project that serves others.

For students in a community like Essex, with its rich civic culture and strong sense of local identity, authentic engagement opportunities are everywhere. Use them.

---

A Final Word for Shoreline, CT Families

The college admissions process has become more complex, more subjective, and in some ways more stressful than it was a generation ago. But the fundamentals haven’t changed as much as the anxiety around them suggests.

Students who perform well academically, challenge themselves appropriately, pursue what genuinely interests them, and present themselves with honesty and clarity are still the students who end up well-placed — at schools that fit them, prepared for what comes next.

At The Learning Consultants, we’ve been helping Connecticut families navigate this process for 25 years. We know the shoreline communities, we know the schools, and we know how to help students build applications that reflect their genuine strengths.

The goal was never just admission. It was always preparation for what admission makes possible.