13 min read
Considering Scoir for Your High School? Here’s What You Need to Know
Hey there, counselors! 👋
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If you are a high school student in grades 9-11, there is a very good chance you have begun to receive unsolicited messages from a range of organizations informing you of your nomination to be included in a special honor society or to attend summer leadership programs.
On the surface, such nominations are intriguing. In fact, what’s not to like about them? The very notion that you have been nominated to receive recognition for your achievements or to take advantage of extraordinary - not to mention seemingly exclusive - life experiences is almost too good to be true. And, who knows, maybe your participation will look good on your college applications.
Before you get too excited, let’s take a closer look at what is going on with these “nominations.” They are being sent to you by organizations - businesses - that seek to capitalize on your eager hopes as you apply to college. The content that is being offered might be valid, but it is rarely as meaningful as the nomination would suggest. For example, a leadership week in Washington, DC could be a great experience, but it is certainly not exclusive. And a listing with an honor society may make you feel good, but you shouldn’t expect it to gain much attention in the admission process.
You see, the same exact “nomination” that you might have received was sent to tens of thousands of other students around the country. So, how did these institutions get your name to begin with, you might ask? Well, it’s really not that hard. The sponsoring organizations might solicit names from high school teachers who, although they might not have direct knowledge regarding the program opportunity, don’t want to deny their students the chance to participate. However, it is more likely that the program sponsors will have bought lists of names of students who have been academically pre-qualified to some degree. They can purchase these lists from a range of sources - including testing agencies. If you have ever taken a test and agreed to make your results available to colleges, scholarship organizations and the like, your name is out there. In any case, the program sponsors objective is to sign you up!
We would like to offer the following tips, then, for your consideration as you evaluate the “nominations” that are bound to come your way.
Content produced in collaboration with Peter Van Buskirk.
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