Six Strategies for Filing Successful Applications (Part 2 of Column Series)

In last week’s column, the first three strategies were enumerated on how to construct impressive college applications.  The advice was to write an impressive essay, personalize each application, and be sure to cover the basics with a solid GPA and notable SAT scores. This week’s column continues with three additional strategies for increasing the likelihood of getting a “You’re Accepted” letter or email from your colleges of choice.

4) Start constructing a resume early in your high school years so you will have time to fill in the gaps that become evident when you list your life experiences on paper.  You’ll want to be sure to have a category for volunteer work.  Colleges offer limitless opportunities for students to engage in volunteer work, and they know that students who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to helping others during their high school years are much more likely to be altruists during their college years. It’s also ideal to have a “passion project” to highlight on your resume.  Have you launched a business, initiated a profitable charitable drive, written and published a book, hosted an art exhibition, or developed an impressive skill or talent? Colleges are seeking a well-rounded student body comprised of students who have varying attributes.  Those who develop an impressive resume over the course of their high school years have a powerful tool to include on their college applications.

Six Strategies for Filing Successful Applications

It’s not a secret that it takes considerable time and effort to compose effective college applications, so there’s no better time than the present for college bound students to embark on the journey. Here are some tips to get started:

1) Write an impressive essay.  Most students start out with the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 900 colleges.  It requires one essay between 250-650 words in length.  Students need to think of something they want to share with the college admission people that wouldn’t otherwise come across in their application.  The goal of an effective college essay is to show insight into one’s admirable character, a sense of direction for the future, and a thirst for knowledge and opportunities in the next stage of life. It has already been announced that the Common Application essay prompts for 2022-2023 are the same as those for the current year, with the addition of a new one about gratitude.  So students can get to work early, writing and fine-tuning an essay that they are proud of.

2) Personalize each application.  Every college is greatly concerned with its “yield” — the percent of accepted students who actually enroll. So a great strategy to actually gain acceptance is to convince the school that you will almost certainly attend if given the opportunity to do so. If at all possible, visit any college to which you are applying, sign in so the college has a record of your visit, and take notes of the college’s specific qualities that make it so appealing. On each application, clearly express the reasons the particular school is a great fit.  Does it offer impressive internships or have a high acceptance rate to med school? Does it host a study abroad program in a particular country that would benefit your academic interests?  Let each college know the specifics as to why it’s a perfect match, since a show of “demonstrated interest” greatly increases the chances of getting on the accepted list.

The Secrets of Getting a “You’re Accepted!” Letter

 

An “Education Life” supplement published by the New York Times featured a cover stating, “Admissions is unfair:  Here’s why.”  Surrounding the cynical title were clues as to the criteria that might swing a college applicant to the acceptance or rejection pile. 

Before slumping into a depression, college bound students should take comfort from the fact that the vast majority of colleges accept at least half of their applicants.  Some accept many more.  U.S. News & World Report lists 100 colleges and universities that, in recent years, have accepted between 96% and 100% of applicants.  

It’s the world-famous institutions that, each year, collectively reject hundreds of thousands of students.  According to U.S. News & World Report, the acceptance rate for the Fall 2021 freshman class was 11% at Cornell University and lower at all the other Ivy League schools as well as at Stanford, M.I.T., University of Chicago, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and California Institute of Technology.

What college bound students need to do, therefore, is be aware of the criteria that college admissions officers are taking under careful consideration. Some of these benchmarks are outside a student’s control.  Many of the top colleges favor “legacy” students – those with an alumni parent.  Many colleges give preference to  “first generation” students – those whose parents do not have a college education.  Many colleges value geographical diversity – seeking a freshmen class that represents all 50 states and as many foreign countries as possible.  If students can use any of these criteria to their benefit, they should highlight the information on their applications.

High School Students’ College Resume

What’s the best way to make sure college admissions officers know about all your accomplishments?  Compose a resume.  That way, you don’t have to worry about fitting the important details of your activities and achievements on the limited space allocated on most college applications.  

The best time to first compose a resume is early in your high school years. Then you will have time to fill in the gaps that become evident when you put your life story in print.  Resume categories typically include Education (listing your G.P.A., SAT scores, AP courses, and other academic accomplishments), Athletic accolades, Volunteer activities, Work experience, Extracurricular involvement, and, hopefully, details of a “passion project” where you engaged in an activity that demonstrates a talent or interest not common among your peers which will ultimately help you stand out to college admissions officers.

Not every student needs to feature every category on a resume.  Athletes, musicians, and others involved in a time-consuming activity may not have the opportunity to take on a paid job.  Students with after-school family or work responsibilities may not have the liberty of engaging in extracurricular activities.  But all students should be able to account for how they spend their out-of-school hours – hopefully developing a passion or talent that colleges will want them to bring to their campus.

Still Time to Apply to Colleges for Fall 2022

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has released a list of colleges that still have room for students seeking admission for the upcoming fall semester. May 1st is the national response deadline for most colleges in the U.S. By that date, students must choose the college they will be attending in the fall and pay a deposit. Since most students apply to a multitude of colleges, it’s impossible for colleges to know for sure how many students will actually enroll until the reply deadline rolls around.  After the response deadline, colleges that have not met their target enrollment are anxious to accept additional students in order to bring in the tuition money necessary to keep on budget.  

Often, even well-qualified students are not accepted to the college of their dreams.  Other times, students change their minds.  As the time to leave home for college approaches, students sometimes wish they had chosen a school closer to home.  Some students fall prey to basic procrastination and find themselves approaching high school graduation without a plan for the fall.

Temptation to Over-Emphasize College Statistics

Many high schools, at this time of year, are announcing where their seniors will be heading off to college.  But a New York Times article warned students not to be misled.  The reasons students ultimately choose to attend a particular college are complex.  Often, they revolve around money: some colleges may not offer a family sufficient need-based financial aid, others may provide more or less “merit aid,” rewarding students on their grades, SAT scores, and accomplishments. 

The truth of the matter is that no one knows in advance exactly which students will get accepted to any particular college.  There’s plenty of data providing students with an indication of their likely success, but often that information is misleading.

Even when a high school’s list includes all colleges to which students have been accepted, not just the ones they will be attending, the data needs to be considered in context.  It will not indicate, for example, if a student was admitted to a prestigious university as an athletic recruit, or as a legacy student (with alumni parents). Perhaps an applicant was given priority because he/she is a first generational student to seek a college education.