Dear College Admissions Committee...

On our collaborative blog this month, my writing group members responded to this prompt about writing unsent letters. Of course the reason many unsent letters are unsent, is because we fear offending people, or we're not ready to be honest with people for whatever reason. As I brainstormed the exercise, there were several on my list which will remain unwritten, at least for the time being. One day perhaps, there will be a time and a venue for such letters. Until then, I wrote one on our group blog, and I had an idea for another. When I started this blog, I initially thought much of my writing would be about my son's last year in high school, and quite possibly his last year at home. I realized for a daily blog, that was a lot of pressure to produce. This letter though, is the type of writing I had envisioned...

Dear College Admissions Committee,

I write to you not just as a parent, but as a teacher too. My son, Jacob, is a senior in high school this year, and he is applying for admission to your University as well as three or four others. I submit this letter as an accompanying document to his application, because I know what you see in his "application package" is not even close to what you need to know about my son to consider him for admission.

At frist glance, you are going to see exceptional performance on state examinations. He has time and again scored in the 90th + percentile in most areas. You will also see above average ACT/SAT scores, though nothing in the National Merit Scholar range.  His transcript will reveal advanced course selections and less than stellar grades. In fact, in some areas his grades will make you wonder what happened. When comparing these parts and pieces, you will likely conclude he's lazy. But I assure you this isn't really the case.

You see, my son just doesn't play school very well. He has a difficult time jumping through hoops to complete tasks he deems unmeaningful or unworthy of his time. Please don't mistake my explanation for my approval. But I've lived with him long enough to know, there is nothing much I can do as a parent to change this about him, no matter how hard I tried. As a teacher, it comes with a tremendous amount of guilt about my parenting and what I did or did not do to make my son a better student. The truth is though, he argues this: If I can achieve the highest scores I need to on these tests that measure whether I have met the expectations and requirements for my my grade and for graduation, why does the other stuff matter. As a parent I want to respond by telling him it matters if he wants to get into college. As a teacher, and a scholar in the area of curriculum, I think to myself, he's got a point. I know his attitude about this will change as he gets to college and sees that at the post secondary level that learning is more subjective. I want him to see that demonstrating learning and understanding isn't just black and white, and college professors understand this. My son is a learner. He is a self-driven real world learner, in the way the K-12 educators preach they want their students to be. Let me explain.

Jacob is in the Academy for Technology Excellence (ATE) at his high school, which just happens to be the first Microsoft Certified High School in the country. He earned a slew of industry certifications which you can read on his application. But that's not even the half of it. He reads extensively in trade periodicals and on social media sites. He watches videos and learns hands on by doing. He has built several computers, rebuilt handheld electronics, and is knowledgeable about various aspects of technology, from PCs and networking to audio-visual technology. When we talk as teachers about critical thinking skills and problem solving, this is the kind of behavior we're talking about. My son's car speaker wasn't working, so he took the door apart looked up how to fix it and figured out how to repair it on his own. One of the components of his computer isn't performing optimally, he takes it apart, reads about it, and trouble shoots it. He is self-directed and confident in his ability to work things out. He rarely calls Mom or Dad to bail him out of a challenging situation.  He faces it head on, and that's what I think he'll do in college.

In addition to his drive and initiative in his field of interest, let me tell you a little bit about how unique my son is as a human being. He was a Cub Scout beginning in 2nd grade, and has been a Boy Scout since 5th grade. He has wilderness survival skills, tackles high adventure activities with little fear, and has learned to live by the characteristics included in the Boy Scout Oath.  He is kind and polite, he is honest and trustworthy, and he is a caring and sensitive young man. He has served with his troop in service projects for his community, for Veterans, and for others in need. By the time you read this, he will likely have earned the highest rank of Eagle Scout. He is a four year varsity athlete on his high school swim team, and he volunteers at the local Humane Society. Of course, he is also in the Tiger Tech Club at his school. He is an extremely well-rounded young man.

Perhaps the most notable to me as his mother, is the way he conducts himself on a personal level. Though his grades might indicate otherwise, he has a strong work ethic. He has two jobs, not because our family is in need financially, but because he wants to earn his own money and learn to do different jobs. Socially, he spends time with a close knit group of friends talking tech, tinkering with computers, or playing games and he's very close with his extended family including grandparents, aunts and uncles. He interacts seamlessly with adults and children of all ages. He's just genuine, and seems to know no other way.

My son is growing into an exceptional human being. I know he will be a strong contributor to the workforce and the world of technology. His genius is endless. But he needs to learn the lessons that only college can provide. He needs to experience an interactive learning environment where a test isn't enough to show what you know. He needs to be in a place where his creativity and his savvy can fly. I know there will be tough lessons. I know he will find it all challenging. But I believe he is up for it, not just because I'm his mom, but because I am a teacher and I want there to be a place in the world for students like Jacob. I'd be willing to bet, his resilience and humble confidence will make him as, if not more successful than your straight A, top of the class admissions. He is a nonconformist who has learned to survive in a system unwelcoming to his kind. I know in college, he will be unleashed and unfettered, and his creative genius will fly.

Please give Jacob a chance. I am certain you will not regret it.

Sincerely,

Laurie J. Kemp