Page 34 - EW March 2025

Special Essay

University admission:

strategies & tactics

SHEILA BAUER RAY RAVAGLIA

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest path to victory. Without an overarching strategy focused
Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” — Sun
Tzu, The Art of War on long-term goals — such as postgrad
N THE ISSUE OF UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS, education and fulfilling employment
Indian families often seem to be engaged in in- — tactical victories may prove hollow
tense tactical battles. Every year, students and
Oparents pore over QS rankings, obsess about triumphs
cut-off percentages, worry about standardised test scores,
and strategise around extracurricular activities — all in the the universities best positioned to offer these strategic ad-
cause of securing admission to a university with an impres- vantages are not necessarily the ones dominating QS or
sive brand name and top global ranking. In this hyper- other rankings, in which faculty and institutional interests
competitive chase, one crucial element is often overlooked: are more commonly aligned with research goals than stu-
long-term strategic thinking. The ultimate goal shouldn’t dent development.
be mere admission, because admission is a small step in Academic research from institutions like Stanford
the journey toward the ultimate goal of a purposeful life. University supports this strategic mindset, see (https://
Of course tactics — immediate steps, such as cracking ed.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/challenge_success_
entrance exams, acing interviews, and shortlisting ‘top- white_paper_on_college_admissions_10.1.2018-reduced.
ranked’ universities — assist students in winning battles. pdf#:~:text=COLLEGE%20SELECTIVITY%20IS%20
However, without an overarching strategy focused on long- NOT%20A,a%20modest%20relationship%20between%20
term goals — such as attending elite postgrad institutions or financial)
securing prestigious employment — tactical victories may These research studies demonstrate that successful long-
prove hollow triumphs. term outcomes — admission into elite postgrad programs
Parents and educators often mistakenly assume that ad- and/or securing satisfactory employment — are significant-
mission into a globally high ranked university guarantees ly impacted by the quality of mentorship, undergraduate
career success. This assumption is mistaken because QS internship experiences, and personal development oppor-
and similar rankings primarily assess universities based on tunities available in undergrad education.
academic reputation, research output, faculty citations, and Universities such as Kettering, Drexel, and Northeast-
international student ratios. While these parameters might ern, to name only a few, are outstanding for their struc-
be significant for evaluating institutional excellence, and tured, supportive, and highly effective curricula to ensuring
determining where to seek a faculty position, they have little that all students acquire valuable work experience, and are
correlation with a student’s career success or preparedness well-prepared for successful careers.
for advanced postgrad studies. Likewise, a student’s cultural fit, happiness, and con-
As education leader and author Pramath Raj Sinha fidence at a university directly affects her academic per-
stressed in a 2024 talk at Welham Girls’ School, Dehra- formance and personal development. Studies consistently
dun, true educational value is not delivered by rankings or show that students perform best in environments aligned
prestigious reputation but by the match between a student with their personalities, learning styles, and development
and her chosen institution. Sinha repeatedly emphasises stage. The ‘ideal’ university provides customised academic
that the ‘right’ university is one best suited to the student’s and extracurricular experiences that enable students to
current developmental stage and future goals — not neces- thrive, and enhance their preparedness for future oppor-
sarily the most famous or highest-ranked. tunities.
This strategic perspective significantly shifts the con- The obsession with tactics, such as admissions selectivity
versation. Instead of asking, “Which is the best-ranked should be given lower priority to broader strategic think-
university my child can get into?” parents and educators ing. Success in life rarely comes from ephemeral tactical
should ask, “Which university is most suitable to help my victories; it is the outcome of strategic positioning. The
child reach the next level of her personal and professional value and purpose of university education do not end with
growth?” admission; that’s merely the beginning of a long journey
Consider, for example, students whose long-term goal is that’s likely to include postgraduate study and culminate
to attend prestigious postgrad institutions — perhaps a top- with employment. This end must be kept in mind. Only then
tier business, law, or medical school. For them, the prime can undergrad university education fulfill its true promise:
strategy during undergraduate years should be on acquiring to serve as a stepping stone toward achieving higher am-
robust preparatory skills, developing critical thinking capa- bition, enduring career success, and personal fulfillment.
bility, securing valuable research or internship experiences,
and building meaningful mentorship connections. Often, (Dr. Ray Ravaglia and Sheila K. Bauer are co-founders, AccessUSA)

34 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2025