How Colleges Decide
The college admissions process is a complex one, but here are some points that may be valuable to students and their families as they try to unravel its mysteries.
1. The single most important credential in the applicant’s folder is her academic record, particularly that of the junior year and the first half of the senior year. In many cases a student can help her college chances by making a strong effort to improve during this time, thereby billing herself as a student “on the way up.” It is important to keep in mind, however, that college admissions officers scrutinize a student’s entire academic record. As they do, they will consider the strength of the student’s academic program as well as her grades.
2. College admission examinations are important, even though an increasing number of colleges are making them an optional requirement. Catalogue and interview rhetoric notwithstanding, the vast majority of schools pay real attention to the SAT and Subject Test or ACT scores because they constitute one way of comparing students from a wide range of high schools and backgrounds. In addition, at highly competitive colleges the tests are become an additional discriminator among many highly qualified candidates. Each year about three million high school seniors apply to the 3000 accredited colleges and universities in the country. Being in the top half of the group of 3 million students, while certainly good enough for the majority of colleges, is not good enough for the most competitive colleges. For example, the eight “Ivy League” colleges receive a total of 60,000+ applications a year, and acceptances go to fewer than 15,000 students. These 15,000 students are, in theory, among the most outstanding of the total number of three million who take the SAT. They are said to represent more or less the top one half of one percent of high school seniors. And, at these eight Ivy League colleges, the average incoming freshman has SAT scores in the 725-775 range. In a situation like this, where a college is trying to process close to 20,000 applications, entrance examination scores become important because the great majority of candidates offer excellent grades and excellent extracurricular activities. Scores are used to differentiate among equally qualified students. This is true to a greater or lesser degree at all competitive colleges. Standardized tests do not say anything profound about a student’s basic ability to be a happy, productive person. However, they are a significant factor in the admissions process.
While evidence indicates that it is not possible to “beat” the examination by “cramming,” and while we do not want to suggest distorting curriculum by priming for one test, we also do not discourage those who seek extra help in particularly troublesome areas. For instance, it is inevitable that if a student spends a week reviewing geometry, she will certainly feel more comfortable on that section of the SAT, and perhaps that lessening of apprehension by itself is enough to warrant the extra time and effort. While test preparation courses can cost $800 $1,000 and cover five-twelve weeks, The College Board offers an excellent on-line test preparation course. Emma Willard annually purchases a site license for juniors and seniors. The course offers on-demand interactive lessons, on-line examinations, hundreds of actual questions for practice, personalized score reports and essay scoring and detailed explanations of answers.
3. Extracurricular activities both at school and at home play a role in the admissions process. Colleges frequently state they look for the unusual student who will make a significant contribution to the college community. Because somewhere between 70% and 80% of all the candidates at competitive colleges can handle the academic side of things, colleges are often looking for that extra dimension–musicians, editors, actors, photographers, athletes and others with a developed and usable talent. Students with superior ability in these areas can expect to receive a special review by faculty with expertise and careful consideration by the admissions office.
4. Colleges read student essays very critically. Essays that are sloppy, poorly organized, pretentious or forced can hurt an applicant’s chances (especially if she has expressed an interest in studying English). Students should avoid sensational topics and should attempt to write essays that are personal and amusing and help their applications come alive.
5. For most colleges, recommendations are an essential part of each applicant’s file. The exception to this rule is large state universities, where written recommendations are often not given as much weight. Recommendations describe not only achievement and skills, but also character, integrity and patterns of growth. In addition, teachers’ reports play an important role in the selection process, particularly when the teachers know the student well and are willing to underscore in detail her potential in specific areas.
6. Children of alumni/ae receive careful consideration at most colleges. The obvious reason is that any institution benefits immeasurably by having some students who represent a continuing tradition of loyalty and understanding. A legacy or family tie does not guarantee admission, but a legacy is insured an extra “look.” If there is such a thing as two equal candidates, the legacy will probably have the edge. Remember, however, that these students must still meet high academic and personal standards, and legacies must compete against legacies to claim a segment of their freshman class.
7. It is our opinion that on-campus interviews are very helpful to both the candidate and the college. Applications, on the whole, are fairly bland; thus, the interview can become important.