Evaluating College Applications: Think Like an Admissions Officer

The process of getting admitted to college, especially ultra-selective ones, can seem like a random system to many, but it is not. To understand the college admissions process at top colleges, both public and private, parents and students must think like an admissions officer. Having an admissions officer's mindset throughout the entire application process will drastically increase the odds of getting an acceptance from any college.

So how does an admissions officer think? Well, these individuals are tasked with the job of forming their colleges' classes and subsequently the future of their universities. This means that they will accept applicants who they think will be beneficial to their college. This evaluation is often based on the "spike," or a student's extracurricular specialty. Officers do not want to admit students with the same extracurriculars; they do not want 2000 class presidents who were in 10 clubs and a varsity sport. Colleges do not want well-rounded students but instead want well-rounded classes, which are formed by "spiked" students.

Admissions officers start the admissions process when they actually open a student's application. Typically, they will first look at basic information about family education, race (if provided), among other details. Next, the student's academic information will be listed, including GPA and SAT/ACT scores. The officer will use this information to evaluate if the applicant is ready for the workload at the specific college at hand. Officers want to see stats that are average or above average for their college but will not reject the applicant immediately if their stats are slightly below average. If they are very low, the applicant may be rejected, especially if the GPA is low. With test scores there is some flexibility but not so much when it comes to GPA. Extracurricular activities are usually evaluated next. The admissions officer wants to see something that makes the applicant special and memorable. If the applicant has a "spike," then the officer will be able to present this to the admissions committee and make a compelling case for admission. If the applicant applied through the Common Application or Coalition then the personal statement essay will be read and evaluated next. An incredible personal statement essay can make officers overlook lower test scores and increase chances of admission. Information on writing essays can be found in our Essay Writing 101 guide. Letters of recommendation could be read next. Officers are looking at these to gauge a student's character, and especially at the counselor's recommendation, to confirm a student's involvement in extracurricular activities, such as clubs, sports, and projects outside of school. If things do not add up the officer may call the guidance counselor. Supplemental essays may be read next. A stand-out essay can be used during the committee meeting to sway other officers to vote for the admission of the applicant at hand. This is why writing great, original essays is important. Information and tips on writing essays can be found in our Essay Writing 101 guide.

The process of reading and evaluating an application described above is just one possible way it can be done and varies at each college. After the individual admissions officer completes an evaluation they may either recommend to accept, reject, or waitlist (defer if early decision application) an applicant. A second reader often evaluates the applicant again and provides a recommendation. Depending on the recommendations, the student's application may be taken to committee where a group of admissions officers will debate and make a final decision. If this occurs, the first admissions officer will advocate for the applicant, which is why applicants need to give officers something to work with. If all goes well, the applicant could be accepted.

Understanding how the admissions process works and how admissions officers think will help applicants create a great application and possibly garner an acceptance from the college of their dreams.