Although it may seem ironic, this week's tip-off is: "Don't Believe Everything You Read in College Admissions Blogs and Forums"

Some students are frantically trying to measure their odds of acceptance in this competitive admissions landscape. "Getting in" (or not) is popular chat material according to the New York Times article entitled "College Admission Angst Finds a Forum on Web". Any reader on a college admission blog or forum can find plenty of students pleading for acceptance predictions based on comparisons of their GPA and test scores with averages from their target colleges.

As you read through posts laden with cries for help, agonies of defeat, and whoops of acceptance celebration, here's a little perspective:

Hard objective data like GPAs and test scores are just part of the picture. The accepted, rejected or "in-limbo" student blogger is subject to a lot of other forces that she may not be considering or highlighting in her post. Remember, some colleges put a lot of stock in geographic recruitment, student character as demonstrated in a subjective essay, and unique talents and interests. Bottom line: Whether the admissions department gave her a thumbs up or thumbs down has very little to do with your chances.

Sometimes, people are not exactly truthful on the web. Even so-called "college admissions experts" may have agendas, so beware. Is the blogger trying to get students to sign up for a paid service? Is he not even in the college services community and just looking to drive web traffic to his site? Watch out and read between the lines. Stick to reputable websites recommended by educators and nonprofit organizations (such as MyCollegeOptions.org), which are more likely to dispense legitimate advice.

If you ever want help evaluating a source, the My College Options® blog team ( Lena , Emily and I) will be more than happy to give you our honest two cents.

Read on my friends, just be careful when talking or listening to strangers. : )

I think we would all agree that the college admissions process is a series of evaluations to assemble a "best odds" enrolled student body. Certain measurements, such as GPA and test scores, are hard facts. Let's say that you have made your own predictive mental checklist:

• Grade point average
• Test scores
• AP courses
• Extracurricular activities

What is missing from the list above? Perhaps, one of the most winning elements: character. Remember, college admissions officers know that you are going to contribute to campus life in either a positive or negative way for the next four years. How are you going to stand out after the hard facts are considered?

You want to be the applicant who shows integrity and has a demonstrated track record of making things better for those around them. How do you show your character? It can be demonstrated through your actions:

• Why you do things
• How you choose to do things
• Who you do things with (Are you more of a "go-it-alone" or "everybody-join-in type"?)

Also, remember: Don't be a showoff that obviously spent a day at the soup kitchen for the purpose of their college application. Do things you're actually interested in or your enthusiasm won't come through when you write your essays. The more passionate you are about an activity, the easier it will be to communicate this on paper or in person (if you get interviewed).

Joyce Slayton Mitchell provides a helpful set of questions in her book, Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean, to help you explore your character:

• What adjectives do I use to describe myself?
• How would my best friend describe me?
• Which relationships are most important to me? Why?
• How free do I feel to make my own decisions?
• How free do I feel to stand alone from my friends with a decision and point of view different than theirs?
• How do I feel about going to a college where other students are quite different from me?
  
• How do I feel about going to a college very different from my high school?

My advice: Use these character questions above to color your essays and ask those teachers and/or counselors providing recommendations to comment on these areas.