Concordia senior admissions counselor Linda tells SocratesPost her no-no essay topics, how involved parents should be in the app process, and how “gut feelings” play into college decisions. Continue to read the last installment of our exclusive interview with this liberal arts college admissions officer.

Exclusive Insider Interview: Senior Admissions Counselor, Concordia University Chicago

SocratesPost: Some admissions officers have strong feelings about how parents should be involved in the app process. What’s your take on that?

Linda at Concordia: I am strong believer that parents should be involved because this is probably the biggest decision the 17 or 18 year old will be making and some parental guidance is helpful. I encourage parents to come visit the campus with their student, to call and ask questions themselves, to review the award letter and compare it to others, to help financially as much as possible, and lastly to be supportive about their students major, time management, and even mental health.

SocratesPost: What are most applicants surprised to learn about the admissions process at CUC?

Linda at Concordia: Our conditional acceptance route! I think since we require an ACT or SAT score, the students assume if they are below that they will not be admitted. When we explain the other options, they feel relief and more welcomed to CUC.

SocratesPost: You’ve read probably thousands of essays — what elements of an essay tend to stand out to you?

SocratesPost: How should applicants describe their extracurricular involvement in a way that captures your attention?

SocratesPost: What do you see often in applications that you’d prefer not to see?

SocratesPost: Some people believe there’s a backdoor or secret to getting into college. What do you think the secret is for CUC?

SocratesPost: What is the most noteworthy takeaway from your admissions career so far?

SocratesPost: Where do you see the admissions industry going?

SocratesPost: What’s your best piece of advice for students applying to CUC?