I read this over at Duncan’s place and it brought back memories of my youngest son’s college admissions process. (Let me save you the $20K. Just another benefit of being a SG reader.)

He was an artist and an AP honor student. I had no money to help him get into college (his father even paid the application fees) but I did have a brain - and determination.

I also found this interesting book that was published by USA Today (apparently out of print - I don’t remember the name and I lent it to someone years ago). It was a series they did on the college admissions process, following admissions counselors as they went through the candidate pool.

What I remember: They don’t look at what you did in a vacuum. I was surprised to learn they don’t look only at your list of achievements - they want to know how you did in relation to your environment. In other words, that fabulous school system for which you busted your financial hump? Eh, not so important. Did your determination outshine your circumstances?

Also surprising: Admissions people don’t give a shit about the National Honor Society, due to grade inflation and kids who take no-sweat courses. They’re a lot more interested in whether your kid took the hardest courses he or she could; they’d rather see a B in a hard course than an A+ in a weak one.

Case in point: My kid went to a so-so high school that was 60 percent minority, took all the AP classes and did quite well. (I think the teachers were happy to have such a motivated student.)

They’re also a lot more impressed by extracurricular activity in your field of interest. (To some extent, those opportunities depend on where you live.)

They want to know about your obstacles. I remember they weren’t very impressed by one girl whose grades and activities dropped off in junior year - until a guidance counselor informed them the girl’s mother was dying of cancer, and she dropped all her activities so she could go home and take care of her. They thought that showed exceptional maturity and selflessness, and that information moved her near the top of the list.

I thought this was funny: They really don’t think too highly of prep school applicants. From what I remember, they keep track of which teachers write the glowing recommendations for marginal candidates - and ignore them. One counselor said students from prep schools are usually undisciplined and troublesome. (Sound like our MBA president?)

Reality did intervene in the process. I remember some kids were moved up to the top of the list because their parents could pay cash.

It’s also useful to remember they set great store on geographic diversity. If you’re from a small town in the Midwest, apply to a large, urban university, and vice versa - keeping in mind whether the applicant would go crazy in such a different environment.

Oh, and then there was the admissions essay. I kind of cringe when I say this, but when I read they really wanted to read about something that changed your life, I encouraged my son to write about something traumatic that happened to him. He was very angry about it (probably still is) and I don’t know to this day if he took my advice. (I kind of think he did. Oh well, something else on the long list of my flaws he can discuss with his future therapist…)

From my work as a reporter, I knew about the Governor’s School. (I didn’t find out until later that my older son was encouraged to apply and never brought the paperwork home.) Most states have one and I strongly encourage you to find out about yours. Admissions are based on talent, not grades, but there’s an inadvertent class distinction - kids who have to work in the summer can’t usually afford to take off five weeks to attend.

If you can get your child in the Governor’s School, he or she is then eligible for scholarships - including reciprocal scholarships for the state schools in any other state which has a governor’s school program. And lots of top-level schools recruit the kids who attend.

Results: My son got accepted at five out of seven schools (his turndowns were Cooper Union, which is even harder to get into than Harvard, and, I think, NYU). He was offered $245,000 in scholarships, including a full ride (books, dorm fees and spending money) at one school.

You don’t have to be rich to help your kid get into good schools. You do need to be smart, determined and on top of all the application deadlines - and you do need a smart, motivated kid.

But it can be done.