Parents and students will have a chance to find out what it’s like to serve on an admissions committee
By: Emily Craighead
Parents and students will have the chance to find out what it’s like to serve on a college admissions committee at a Nov. 17 workshop with Joachim & Brown Educational Consulting.
The committees, made up of audience members, will review four applications. They will have to accept one student, reject another and place two on a waiting list.
"Actually experiencing a committee gives students a better idea of what admissions committees go through," said Valerie Brown, who founded the consulting firm with Sharon Joachim. "Some people think it’s very similar to closing your eyes and pointing to an application. There isn’t a cut-and-dry formula to making admissions decisions."
The workshop, "Understanding the College Application Review Process," is being co-sponsored by the West Windsor-Plainsboro African-American Parents Support Group and Joachim & Brown.
Joachim & Brown, based in Lawrence, offers academic assessments and personal advising to college-bound students in eighth through 12th grades.
A veteran of admissions committees at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, Wheaton College in Massachusetts and Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, Ms. Brown said she encourages students to submit their applications by Thanksgiving.
Another piece of advice for students is to create professional e-mail address to use on college applications, she said. Pet names and colloquialisms aren’t likely to impress an admissions committee. They should also visit the school they hope to attend, if possible.
The workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nassau Club of Princeton, 6 Mercer St., Princeton. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information about the workshop, contact African-American Parents Support Group Vice President Diane Ciccone at [email protected] or Valerie Brown at [email protected] or (609) 530-0550.

