In the U.S. admissions process, colleges and universities take many factors into consideration. The admissions committee at each school looks at both hard factors and soft factors to gain a full picture of applicants. Hard factors include quantitative information like GPA, grades, and test scores, while soft factors look at qualitative information, such as essays, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and demonstrated interest. How these components are evaluated, however, can be confusing to families and make the admissions review process somewhat mysterious.
At U.S. colleges and universities, college admissions decisions are based on holistic reviews rather than just the student’s academic performance. From the most selective colleges to large public universities, applicants are admitted based on who they are both inside and outside of the classroom.
Once you submit your application, you can check on its status. For the Common App, follow these steps:
Additionally, after you submit your application, each college will typically send you an email with login information for their own application portal. This is where you can track the status of your application directly with each institution.
Most U.S. universities use the holistic review process when evaluating college applications. This means admissions officers place emphasis on the applicant as a whole person, not just their academic achievements, so soft factors may be given just as much consideration as the empirical data present in hard factors.
Admissions officers want to get to know students and admit those applicants who they think will excel at the institution and make a positive impact on the campus community. The holistic review approach benefits applicants who may not have had the best academic marks but can contribute to the college community in other ways.
Colleges want to build well-rounded classes made up of specialists who can contribute to the campus community outside of the classroom. Taking only the applicants with the top grades and test scores may not make for a diverse or well-rounded student body.
Admissions officers use a “rubric” as a guide. Rubrics are not one-size-fits-all and differ from school to school, but most evaluate these core components of an applicant’s profile (in no particular order):
In most rubrics, each factor is evaluated against the admissions standards for the school, and whether it is above, equal to, or below the standard outlined in the rubric.
For example, if the average SAT score of previously admitted students is 1400, that then serves as the benchmark for evaluating new applicants. If an applicant has an SAT score above 1400, they can be given the highest score for that particular category. If the applicant has an SAT score right at the average, or 1400, they are given a middle score, and a low score is given for an SAT score below the average. Again, different schools use different rubrics and scoring systems can vary.
Things like extracurricular activities and essays can seem harder to judge, but an admissions rubric does make the process seem a little more straightforward.
For example, a school can choose to rate essays based on what they learn about the applicant and whether the essays are well written. A standout essay in which the reader learns a lot about the applicant can earn top marks, while a well-written essay that reveals little about the applicant can earn middle-of-the-road marks, and a poorly written essay where the reader learns nothing new about the applicant can get a low mark.
Many schools publicize the median GPA and test scores of admitted applicants in order for prospective students to get an idea of the scores they will need to be considered for admission. The goal for applicants is to submit an application with components equal to or above the admissions standards set by the admissions office.
Evaluating the strength of your extracurricular activities, course load, essays and other soft factors against the admissions standards of the college or university, however, isn’t as simple as checking the information on the school’s website. College counseling is extremely valuable for these components.
Not getting accepted to college can be tough, but there are many paths you can take. Consider some of these options:
Remember, this is just a detour, not the end of the road!
If you are not accepted Early Decision to your top-choice school, what should you do? Hopefully, you have a balanced list of 13-15 reach, target, and likely schools you are still actively applying to for the Regular Decision round. This way, you have a good chance of getting multiple admission offers from schools that are a great fit for you, even if they aren’t your dream schools.
Another option is rolling admissions. Schools with rolling admissions don’t have hard deadlines and will continue to accept applications until they fill all the spaces in the class. However, your chances of admission are higher if you apply earlier to schools that offer this option.
Meet with a college counselor early and often. College and independent counselors have insight into what schools are looking for when evaluating the soft factors of a college application.
For example, counselors know that schools like to see sustained interest in just a few extracurricular activities throughout all four years of high school, with students steadily taking on more responsibility and leadership roles in those activities. Because counselors have this insight, they can help students find activities that best fit their interests or identify activities to become more involved in.
Also, more and more schools are looking at demonstrated interest. Counselors can help students identify what steps they need to take to show a school that it is a top choice and how to indicate the strong possibility that they would attend if admitted.
Colleges look at everything from all four years of high school, so it’s never too early to start preparing for the college admissions process. Students should meet with their counselors as early as ninth grade to begin mapping out action plans. These plans should include classes they’re taking now, what courses to take next and in the following years, SAT and ACT test-prep timelines, and how to begin building balanced college lists.
At IvyWise, we have over 410 years of collective admissions experience, so we know what colleges are looking for when evaluating applications. For more information on our college counseling services and how we can help enhance your student’s chances of admission when it comes time to apply, contact us today.
IvyWise counselors Rachel and Zach share their top tips on how to brainstorm and write college application essays, and what admissions officers are looking for when they read them on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers.
While the Common Application is the most widely used college application, it’s not the only option for students who are getting ready to apply to their best-fit colleges. The Coalition Application is an alternative that now counts more than 170 institutions as member colleges.
