- 1.Inside the Admission Office: How Colleges Decide Who to Admit
Don Betterton Betterton College Planning [email_address]
2. Types of Colleges (4200 total)
- In the U.S. there is a higher education opportunity for every
level of
- student interest and ability.My categories:
- Register and attend(1900)
- Routine enrollment process
- Admit on interest and talent
- Meet basic standards(1500)
-
- Admit more than 75% of applicants
-
- Admit from 40% to 75% of applicants
-
- Admit fewer than 40% of applicants
3. Competitive and Selective
- 50% or more of freshmen have SAT over 1200,
- 3.5 average high school GPA
- 1/3 or more from top 10% of h.s. class
4. Competitive and Selective
- Although these colleges make up only about
- 25% of the 4-yr non-profit, much of the college-going
- preparation and pressure is focused here.
- They are the types of colleges where good admission planning is
needed.
- They tend to be more expensive and information about how to
pay, with or without aid, is important.
5. Admission Recruiting Methods Create Unrealistic
Expectations
- It is hard to judge where a student stands because top colleges
sendWe Want Youmessages even knowing full well they will only admit
some of the students they encourage to apply.
- This is an unusual buyer (student) seller (college)
relationship.
6. What Would Wal-Mart Do If it Behaved Like a Top College?
- Wal-Mart would mount an extensive advertising campaign that
included:
-
- Print ads (college catalog)
-
- Internet ads (college Web site)
-
- Send salesmen on the road (admission staff)
-
- Invite potential buyers to tour the store (campus visits)
-
- Have previous buyers seek out new customers (alumni
recruiters)
-
- Mount a large direct mail campaign (search lists)
-
- Use techniques to get a better product review in Consumer
Reports-style publications (U.S. News ratings)
7. What Next?
- Wal-Marts outreach methods succeed at generating a very high
demand for its product.
-
- It turns out that all along Wal-Mart only had enough product to
sell to 1/3 of potential buyers.
-
- Not only that, but Wal-Mart will decide who will be allowed to
make a purchase. Roles are reversed.Wal-Mart becomes the buyer.The
customer must now submit an application to sell himself.
8. And Next
- Excited by all the Wal-Mart advertising, the potential customer
wants to judge how he compares to others who are also interested in
being selected, and asks,
-
- What criteria do you use to choose those who will be allowed to
buy your product?
- At this point, Mr. Walton responds,
9. Welcome to the Admission Process at the Top Colleges
- The current demand for a high quality college education results
in the top schools becoming selective.They get toselectwho will be
able to purchase their educational product.
- If the student is striving to go to one of these colleges, it
is important to understand this relationship between supply and
demand.
10. Supply and Demand
-
- While there are many more students seeking to attend college,
the number of openings has remained about the same.
- Demandis growing overall.
-
- The number of high school grads has never been higher.
-
- The percent going to college is increasing.
-
-
- From 45% to nearly 60% since 1980s
- The increase in demand is greatest for students wanting to
attend a good school.
-
- Yet, of 2000 4-year colleges, only about 500 select fewer than
3 of 4 applicants.
11. Perhaps this is the problem:
- Its hard for kids to get into colleges because they only want
to go to colleges that are hard to get into.
12. What to Do
- When you are among a great many who want to purchase the
education of a top college, it pays to know its selection
standards.
- This knowledge can help in 2 ways:
-
- It can help you prepare, both inside and outside the classroom,
to meet those standards
-
- It can help you make a realistic college list
13. Life Isnt Easy in Admissions
- While admission offices make it hard on themselves because of
their drive to generate more applications, it does create a
problem.
- There are more and more students to evaluate, but it is
increasingly hard to choose among them.
14. Consider:
- There is academic Bunching
- Increased enrollment in hard courses
-
- Honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate
-
- College courses in high school, summer enrichment
-
- Grade inflation (3.4 average h.s. GPA)
-
- Multiple valedictorians, other honors
-
- SAT recentering, take the highest score, subject tests, ACT
strategy
15. And
- There is personal Polishing
- Students are more savvy about building a resume with activities
and accomplishments, strategizing the essay, using summer for extra
college prep
- High schools feel the pressure -- reluctant to lessen student
chances inflation in teacher and counselor recs
16. To Complicate Matters Further ..
- College admission offices have a split personality
-
- They also practice institutional engineering
-
-
- Admit to meet other objectives
- The result is not one, but two admissions processes at top
colleges
-
- One for regular applicants
-
- One for special applicants
- This is where confusion increases and predictability
decreases.
17. What To Do
- The most common reason a good student does not get admitted to
a top college is that he is in theRegularcategory and doesnt
realize the admission standards for him are well above the
published averages.
- In fact, there may not be that many average admits.
-
-
- A public university 700 SAT out-of-state, 500 SAT in-state
- In making college list, and estimating chances, important to
know if you are aRegularorSpecial .
18. Special Categories
- The 4 most common Special categories are:
-
- Underrepresented minority (where not restricted by legislation)
(+28%)
- One that is growing in popularity:
-
- Disadvantaged, low income, first generation college
19. Other Special Categories
- These tend to vary a great deal by institution.
-
- Special institutional need female engineer, cello player, Latin
scholar
-
- Donors and other forms of service
-
- Misc president andtrustee lists, faculty child, etc
20. Special Categories
-
-
- Recruited Division I Athletes
-
-
- Affirmative action minorities (depending)
-
-
- State residents for publics
-
-
- Low income, disadvantaged background (may be level II)
-
-
- Special institutional needs not formal classics, dancer,
tuba
-
-
- Donors, Presidents list (may be level II)
-
-
- Other:sib enrolled, full pay
21. Special Strategies
- Minority -- find out if they give a preference
- Legacy -- apply to college parents attended(Check grad school,
grandparents, service)
- Athlete apply to colleges where you will be listed by
coach
- Disadvantaged ask admission rep
22. College List Making Advice
- Regular compare yourself to the top 75% of the academic
profile
-
- Minority: 25 th- 50 thpercentile
-
- Listed athlete: the coach will tell you what your chances
are.Div I and II scholarship athletes have minimum standards.
-
- Legacy and E.D.: 40 th- 50 thpercentile
23. An Admission Exercise
- Top colleges rate applicants on academic and personal
scales.
- Because they have to sort through so many apps, they use a
number system.
- Assume you are an admission officer and you are rating your
student.
- This system is 1 (low) to 8 (high) on both academic and
personal.
24. ACADEMIC RATING TABLE None None None School County State
Region Intern/ National Acad Awards Courses ACT SAT Rank GPA
Average 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 C- C C+ B/B- B+ A- A A+ 2.0-2.3 2.4-2.8
2.5-3.0 3.1-3.4 3.5-3.6 3.7-3.8 3.9 4.0 up Top 1/2 33% 25% 20%
10-15% 6-9% 3-5% 1-2% 400-470 480-540 550-590 600-640 650-670
680-700 710-740 750-800 16-19 20-22 23-25 26-28 29-30 31-32 33-34
35-36 Routine Some Pre-Coll All Pre-College Honors 1,2 AP Honors 3
AP 4 AP IB or All AP 25. Personal Ratings
- The personal rating assigned to an applicant is based on a
combination of attributes in different areas.They typically
include:
-
-
- Leadership/positions of responsibility
-
-
- How you are revealed in the application
- Personal attributes primarily come from school and teacher
reports and required interviews.The categories are:
- Respect accorded by faculty, class participation, academic
achievement, intellectual promise, writing quality, creativity,
work habits, maturity, motivation, leadership, integrity, reaction
to setbacks, concern for others, self-confidence, initiative, and
independence
26. PERSONAL RATINGS Achievement/Talent/Leadership:None Personal
Characteristics:Some questionsEssay:negative impression
Service/Obstacles:none/ none 1
Achievement/Talent/Leadership:Nothing stands out Personal
Characteristics:Below averageEssay:doesntadd anything
Service/Obstacles:none/ none 2
Achievement/Talent/Leadership:Average class/minor talent/ minor
roles at best Personal Characteristics:AverageEssay:fair
Service/Obstacles:Only whats required/ none 3
Achievement/Talent/Leadership:Minor school, good class/ typical
talent/ occasional leaderPersonal Characteristics:GoodEssay:
typical Service/Obstacles:Typical contribution/ none 4
Achievement/Talent/Leadership:Major school/ above average talent/
solid leader Personal Characteristics:Very goodEssay: adds to
application Service/Obstacles: Well meaning contribution/ none 5
Achievement/Talent/Leadership: County, league-wide/ strong talent/
admirable leadership qualities Personal Characteristics:Excellent.
Top 10%Essay: impresses reader Service/Obstacles: Well beyond
typical service/ some obstacles 6 Achievement/Talent/Leadership:
Regional, state/ unusual talent/ very strong leader Personal
Characteristics:Outstanding, top 5%Essay:passed around admission
office Service/Obstacles: Significant role in important service/
quite difficult road 7 Achievement/Talent/Leadership:
International, national/ rare talent/ extraordinary leader Personal
Characteristics: One of few in career.Essay:will appear in How to
Write Essays book Service/Obstacles: Extraordinary contribution,
major effect/ overcame severe obstacles 8 27.
PERSONAL/ACADEMIC COMBINED Personal 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 Acad 28. Minimally competitive 6 St Josephs, Vermont, UNH,
UMass, Catholic, Susquehanna, Clarkson, NJ Tech, Hofstra, Purdue,
Colorado 7 SUNY Buffalo, Minnesota, Rowan, Clark, Ithaca,
Quinnipiac, Drew, St Lawrence, VMI, BYU, St Lawrence, Wooster8
UConn, Rutgers, Ohio State, Penn State, Delaware, Syracuse, Loyola,
Northeastern, Fordham, Providence, Fairfield, Skidmore, Babson 9
SUNY Binghamton, Wisconsin, Illinois, F&M, TCNJ, RPI, American,
Villanova, BU, Smith, Holy Cross, Stevens, Lafayette, Gettysburg,
Union 10 Michigan, UNC, Maryland, Wake Forest, BC, NYU, GW,
Colgate, Oberlin, Colby, Hamilton, Bates, Bucknell, Trinity,
Richmond, Conn College 11 UVA, William & Mary, Cal, UCLA, USC,
Cornell, JHU, NW, Vandy, ND, Gtwn, Claremont-McKenna, Middlebury,
Carleton, Wesleyan, Haverford, Chicago, Emory, Carnegie-Mellon,
Bowdoin, Vassar, Davidson, W&L 12 Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth,
Penn, Duke, Wash U, Rice, Amherst, Williams13 HYP, Stanford, MIT,
Cal Tech 14 29. Specials
- The rating system is a constant. The definition of an Academic
6 or a Personal 5 does not change.
- What does change is who, at a given rating, gets admitted, and
who doesnt.
- Strong specials, i.e. minorities and athletes might move up 2
levels, legacy and E.D. 1 level.(For example, a listed 10 athlete
has a chance at a 12 college.)
30. How To Improve Your Chances
- Make a realistic list, 3-5-2. Be enthusiastic about match
schools.
- Plan test taking strategy, including ACT
- Add colleges where you might be a Special
- Look at personal side.Avoid resume fillers, try to distinguish
yourself.The 2 strong profile is appealing.
- Pay attention to teacher recs, essay, evaluative interview
- Below top level expressed interest can be important
- Essay answer the question, make it about you, show attractive
quality, endearing flaw better than bragging, something you care
about
31. Conclusion
- Plan ahead to present the best version of who you are, not a
makeover. Look for polish, not plastic surgery.
- Dont try to become a different person for the sake of college
admission.
- Have a number of strike zone colleges that you will be pleased
to attend.
- Finding a college that fulfills your academic potential and is
a good fit personally is more important then attending the better
school.