Monday, August 21, 2006

High School Senior Blogs College Admission

Sam Jackson, a student at Phillips Exeter, is blogging about his experience with the college admissions process, promising “all the exciting parts, none of the rejection.” You can find the blog here. Posts range from comments on the Time Magazine article on alternatives to Harvard to comments on how Jackson (and by extension other prospective students) regard college-sponsored blogs. Here’s Jackson’s take from another entry about the authenticity of bloggers on college websites:

I think it is important for schools to be aware of every side of their online face, because if they don’t give students a branded outlet for their thoughts on their experience, someone else will--someplace where the school has less of an eye on things, less control, and less influence. Places like The U have student blogs which are not always as cheery as those the schools offer up. Our up-and-coming friends over at Real Ivy are in something of a similar boat. Personally, I regard those blogs differently from those “official” student blogs which I have found, because there is always the question of whether or not an apparition of an admissions officer is standing behind the student as they type away at those institution branded-portals. They are still useful resources, but they can sometimes lose some of their trustworthiness--just like tour guides--if their independence or motivation comes into question.

Admissions and recruiting •
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