click here to read one student's opinion about applicants who manage to land a spot in highly selective colleges
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
How Do Colleges Make Their Decisions
Admission officers review academic work and personal experiences outside the classroom. They look at a transcript to see if a student has gone beyond the requirements, at grade point average and class rank to asses a candidate in the context of the graduating class, plus standardized test scores to evaluate subject specific achievement. Leadership positions in activities and community projects manifest commitment and garner the attention of an admission committee. Summer experiences can build personal talent and skill, as well as distinguish a student in a competitive pool of applicants. But the personal essay on the application tells the real story! The essay remains the best way for the committee to get a snapshot of a student's mind at work. Most colleges take a holistic approach to making decisions - seldom does one part of the equation drive an acceptance.
What Are Colleges Looking For
College officers want to see evidence of intellectual curiosity and initiative. They look at how a student has applied classroom learning in meaningful ways, either within the school or the community at large. The imperative wraps around what a student has become by what he or she has done. The colleges figure that a student matriculates to learn from professors, but also from each other. Admission deans are looking to see what each candidate will add to the mix of the next community that the admission committee seeks to shape.
Finding the Right Fit
Self-discovery is the place to begin. Honest self-assessment takes time. Figuring out personal goals and individual patterns will establish parameters for making careful choices. With clarity of purpose, a candidate can avoid making arbitrary decisions based on stereotypes. College choice is a process that rewards those who pay attention to nuance.
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