Getting In: What Do Colleges Consider When They Read an Application for Admission?

Dr. R. Fred Zuker is a featured monthly columnist in the Education section of The Jackson Sun

Getting In: What Do Colleges Consider When They Read an Application for Admission?

The parent of a prospective student once asked me if we took all the applications and threw them down the stairs and those who landed on the first step were admitted, those landing on the second step were wait-listed and the rest were denied. The process of evaluating an applicant for admission is more complicated than that but may seem arbitrary to some viewing the process from the outside.

Academics Count the Most

All colleges and universities will look most closely at the academic achievements of an applicant before other factors are considered. But there are certain elements in that broad category that are most important:

Curriculum: For selective colleges the degree of difficulty of course selections during high school is of crucial importance. Evaluations will be stronger if the applicant has taken a challenging course load even if the grades were somewhat lower because of the degree of difficulty.

Grades: Of course, the best combination is good courses and good grades. But the nod goes to the strength of the curriculum.

Timing: Another academic factor is timing. The most recent grades are always the most important. A student who started with less success but has gradually improved academic performance is in a much stronger position than a student with declining grades even though their gpas are identical.

Standardized Test Results: SATI and ACT scores are important, especially at highly selective colleges. Admission offices evaluate courses, grades and scores together to form a complete picture of the student’s academic record. Higher grades and lower scores are almost always better than the opposite situation especially if the courses are challenging.

Teacher Recommendations: Recommendations from teachers are important at highly selective colleges. They can confirm the information available on the transcript or mediate a less than stellar performance if there are mitigating circumstances. Applicants are encouraged to choose recommendation writers carefully. Again recs. From more recent teachers are better and those from teachers of academic core courses will be more meaningful.

Academic Honors: Students who are members of the honor society, Beta Club, Academic Decathlon team or have received other types of academic honors will be given extra credit in the evaluation.

Extra-curricular Activities and Personal Qualities

Academics are the most important category of elements evaluated in the college admission process but the activities and interests of the applicants can play a decisive role in the competitive college admission process. Quality not quantity is the most important consideration. Students who have excelled through leadership or have received recognition for their activities will be valued highly. Participation in such programs as scouting, Boys and Girls State, Governors Schools or other enrichment programs demonstrate an extra level of devotion to personal and intellectual growth.

Personal qualities are often measured through the essays the applicants submit with their applications. The essays are read for content and clarity and for a glimpse of the life of the applicant not reflected in other parts of the application. Applicants are encouraged to observe the three “Cs” of essay writing: Creativity, conciseness and care. Essays that give insight into elements that helped shape the writer will be useful to the reader. Keep essays on target and say only what is necessary to convey the essence of the topic. Make sure that the essay is representative of the best writing the applicant can muster. But remember the person should shine through. Not the clever wordsmith who wishes to impress the reader with unnecessary digressions.

Parents who wish to help their college-bound students through this process can keep the applicant focused on deadlines and requirements but do so gently and avoid the nagging that can interfere with dialog on this very stressful process. Offering to proofread essays and discuss various other aspects of the application will help the student avoid the stress that often leads to procrastination. Most important is maintaining a positive attitude toward the process as an important step in the college-bound student’s successful transition from home to campus.