How the Admissions Process Works

Glaus & Associates, CPA, LLC

Colleges have, over the years, defined "merit" in different ways at different times. Sometimes it means "character," sometimes "brains." Who gets into the college is largely dependent on just what "merit" the college is looking for.

It is important for students to keep in mind that the minority of applicants to selective colleges are accepted or rejected right away. But what factors will get the student in? What exactly do those much-discussed college admissions officers look for when they peruse a student’s application? The majority of applicants are reconsidered, reevaluated, and discussed several times before a final decision is made. What often makes a difference about a student’s application is what the admissions officers see as outstanding or worth taking a second look at. Colleges look for a number of factors when evaluating applicants for admission. It’s important to know what these factors are and to keep them in mind as the student progresses through high school and then enters the college application process. If students know what each particular college is looking for, they can make sure that their activities and applications show them in the best possible light. Colleges want to see something special that would make a particular student an asset to their college. They are looking for a student with a unique ability, something distinct about his background or individuality, something enlightening and sincere a teacher may have said about the student in his letter of recommendation. Anything that makes the student more noticeable gives the admissions officers a reason to consider or reconsider the student. Although the student cannot always predict what that special "something" might be, he should make certain to portray himself in the finest, most appealing, and most genuine way he can throughout the application.

This strategy is especially important when it comes to writing the college essay and selecting who the student asks to write his letters of recommendation. Before a student can write a college application essay, he first has to come up with a topic to write about. The first stage in coming up with a topic is to brainstorm: to come up with several potential topics, a whole collection of topics from which he can then pick and choose the topic that he thinks is both the most interesting and which will best highlight his unique qualities. The student should spend at least a few weeks coming up with different ideas before selecting a topic and starting to write his essay.

The student may want to consider the following questions when considering his essay topics:

ü What are my accomplishments? How did I realize them? The accomplishments do not necessarily have to be good grades or being an outstanding athlete. They could be a life experience that you believe made you a better person or moment in your life that had a profound influence on you.

ü What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? What are your best qualities?

ü What is your favorite book, artist, movie, etc.? How have they effected or motivated you?

ü What challenges have you overcome and how have they affected or motivated you?

ü What are your hopes and dreams? Do you have a particular goal in mind that you want to succeed at? How are you going to achieve your goals?

The student should first collect and organize potential ideas for his essay's focus. Keep in mind that the college regards the student’s essay choices as a way to evaluate the student’s preferences, values, mental processes, creativity, sense of humor, and depth of knowledge.

Sometimes the hardest part of writing a college essay is just getting started. Writing a rough draft and then setting it aside for a few days can be very helpful. It also helps to take a second (or third) look at the college application forms and review what questions they ask. Before sending in the completed application, the student should proof-read his essay, making sure that it contains the most important characteristic he wants to convey to each college. When the student has a good final draft, it is time to make final improvements to the draft, find and correct any errors, and get someone he trusts to give him feedback. Remember - a great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view to the admission officers. It rounds out the rest of the application and helps the student stand out from the other applicants. The essay is one of the only parts of the application over which the student has complete control, so he should take the time to do a good job on it.