While academic excellence and strong participation are consistently reliable predictors of successful admittance, we decided to dig a little deeper to bring you the “inside scoop” on admissions from those in the know.
Joining us for our roundtable talk are five admissions professionals: Hannah Brown, senior assistant director of admissions at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW); Dennis L. Correll, associate dean of admissions and financial aid at Pennsylvania College of Technology; Mathew Cox, director of enrollment management/registrar at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs; Gus DiStefano, associate director of undergraduate admissions at the University of the Sciences (PA); and Gareth Fowles, vice president for enrollment management at Lynn University (FL).
What are the most important factors you consider when reviewing applications, and how much approximate weight do you put on each factor?
Hannah Brown: We take a holistic approach to evaluating our applications, knowing that each student has something unique about them that can help add to and enhance UNCW’s community. While GPA, class rank and the types of rigorous classes students are choosing to take are extremely important, we also place emphasis on standardized testing, because we feel that is truly the universal yardstick by which we can measure every applicant.
Dennis L. Correll: An important factor is the determination of a complete application packet. When we have to go searching for information, those applications tend to go to the bottom of the pile. The admissions office has too many applications to process to stop and figure out the missing pieces.
Mathew Cox: We look fairly equally at strength of high school curriculum, grades/GPA, recent grades, class rank and ACT or SAT trends.
Gus Distefano: We evaluate an application on academic ability as illustrated by successful classroom performance [and] strong standardized test results, and we also include the rigor of coursework in our evaluation process. A student’s extracurricular activities are also considered.
Gareth Fowles: Our application process is holistic as well, but I’d say the most important aspect is the student’s transcripts. We take a close look at progress over time to see if the student has challenged [himself/herself]. We want to make sure there’s an upward trajectory in terms of grades and courses taken over time. Submission of test scores is optional. We believe they can be predictors of success for certain individuals, but we also believe that test scores are not an accurate depiction of potential for all students, especially those who suffer from testing anxiety.
If a high school student’s freshman year wasn’t as strong as they would have liked, can they make up for it by improving their grades and activities participation beginning in their sophomore year? What is your general advice concerning AP and honors classes?
HB: Yes. We would much rather see a rising grade trend on an applicant’s transcript. We want to see students strike a good balance between class rigor and involvement where they understand that high involvement in extracurricular activities will not make up for poor performance in the classroom. We advise students to challenge themselves by taking advantage of AP and honors courses, but we do not want to see them overwhelm themselves.
DLC: Yes, we are also looking for growth and improvement of grades. That demonstrates seriousness of a student as they mature.
MC: Yes. In terms of improvement, some subpar grades during 9th or 10th grade can be overcome if most recent grades show improvement. We feel that honors and AP classes are always a plus, even if the student were to earn a B or C (instead of an A or B on non-AP/honors work). The rigor of such courses still is strong preparation for college level work. I’d rather see stronger curriculum with a marginally lower GPA than lesser curriculum with a marginally higher GPA.
GD: Yes, consistent, upward-trending grades over the remaining years can overcome less-than-desirable performance in their freshman year. We would also look for similar, if not more rigorous, level coursework in the years where performance trended upwards.
GF: We do want to see that upward projection after a dip in course grades. We want to see the student’s ability to dig out of a hole. This is why letters of recommendation are also important; teachers and counselors have an accurate understanding of the student’s potential and can help account for poor grades during extenuating circumstances. Regarding AP and honors, these courses do show that the student is willing to challenge [himself/herself], but there’s no point in taking the courses and not succeeding.
What are some of the most common applicant mistakes?
HB: It is so disheartening to review a strong application and then read the essay and discover it wasn’t proofread and/or the student got our school name, mascot and/or school colors wrong. This tells us the applicant either wrote one generic essay for all schools they applied to and/or did not take the time to re-review their information.
DLC: It’s common to receive applications that are incomplete or include incorrect email addresses and phone numbers, or email mailboxes that are full when you attempt to reach prospective students. All of these factors influence how seriously we consider an applicant’s desire to attend.
MC: Sometimes students don’t articulate other aspects of themselves or their academic history if an application doesn’t explicitly require it. Applicants would do well to err on the side of over-informing.
GD: We frequently see spelling and grammar errors on the applicant’s admission essay and references to other schools in the admission essay.
GF: One of the biggest, most common mistakes we see is students who don’t write in their own tone of voice. Unfortunately we see a parent’s tone or some other outside voice. Be true to yourself, express who you are and make sure it relates to your opinions and your beliefs. Also make sure that you read instructions. If the essay asks for 500 words, don’t write 1,000 or 250.
How important is it to tailor applications to demonstrate interest in a specific school? In what ways can students best communicate their interest in their application materials?
HB: We do try to gauge a student’s interest in UNCW when evaluating an application. For this reason, we take note of applicants who have visited us for a campus tour and/or specific open houses. Additionally, we also keep a record of emails we receive from students. We evaluate our applications based on region-specific territories so that when a potential applicant contacts our office, they will be communicating with the same counselor throughout their application process. That counselor will also provide the first review of the application before the committee review.
DLC: I think that accurately following directions and observing timelines is enough to fully demonstrate their interest.
MC: Students can articulate through the written sections of the application what makes this particular university the right choice for them. Many institutions want to make admission decisions not only on academic record, but also on the likelihood that the student will thrive and stay through graduation.
GD: It is important to demonstrate interest in a specific program through descriptions of job shadow experiences, research on the major or volunteer hours specific to the program or future career. Interest in the school can be demonstrated by campus visits to open houses, a campus tour and/or events for accepted students [who may still be deciding].
GF: We look at how engaged you are with the institution. If a student is borderline, but we can see a real interest, that does play some role in the decision. For example, has the student been responsive to phone calls and emails? Have they visited the campus and attended an open house?
What role do factors like an applicant’s state of residence, legacy or first- generation status, and intended major play in the admissions decision?
HB: UNCW has a state mandate that restricts the incoming first-year class to 18 percent from out of state. We use legacy and first-generation status as a tipping factor, which may help to place a student into our first-year cohort. [We don’t] consider a student’s intended major as part of the decision-making process because we provide students with a strong liberal arts foundation before they officially declare their major.
DLC: We do not use any of these factors. However, for majors that fill quickly because of specialized classroom restrictions, applications that are complete will make the cut first.
MC: None. All our students are evaluated on their academic history and the other factors [mentioned].
GD: At University of the Sciences we focus primarily on the academic ability and classroom achievement of our applicants.
GF: We focus on transcripts, letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities first, and then we may consider those other factors. We currently enroll students from 44 states, so we’re certainly mindful about attracting and retaining students from those other six states, but that comes after making sure they meet other criteria. Similarly, we do give some consideration to legacy status after ensuring the student is a prepared candidate with potential to succeed.
Ryan West is a freelance writer from Seattle, Wash.
