When strategizing for a major accomplishment – whether a job promotion, athletic event, or elite college admission – it’s vital to know exactly whom you are competing against. Students seeking acceptance to an Ivy League or other top school may think they are vying with the other 50,000 Harvard applicants, 57,000 Yale applicants, or 65,000 UPenn applicants. But that’s not exactly what’s happening.
Students are actually in competition with those students who are most like them in terms of their high school experience and college and career goals.
Initially, college admissions officers weed out those applicants lacking the credentials to be seriously considered. In the aftermath of Covid, many families interpreted a college’s “test optional” policy as a reduced emphasis on academic rigor. Thus, the number of applications spiked to colleges where many students had no chance of being admitted. These students are quickly eliminated, with qualified candidates moving onto a holistic assessment of their applications.
Here's where it gets a bit complicated. “Admissions officers are not only evaluating individual applications – they are seeking to build a class composed of students with diverse backgrounds, interests, and intended areas of study,” reported Forbes.
A college cannot accept an incoming class comprised primarily of pre-med students, or of engineering or computer science students. Each college needs a balance as it replaces students who have graduated with a multitude of majors. This may lead students to believe that applying for an obscure major will increase their chances of acceptance. The reason this seldom works is that “demonstrated interest” is a key criterion for admission, so students need a history of relevant experiences in the field they are identifying as their intended major.
In addition, admissions people must consider “institutional priorities,” which may include recruited athletes, legacy students, children of employees or donors, first generation students, etc.
So, a student’s main competition is often the classmate who has been pursuing a similar course of study in AP classes and is planning a nearly identical major and career path. Top colleges tend to limit the number of students they accept from a particular high school. Therefore, students need to go beyond earning an exceptional GPA and SAT scores. They need to differentiate themselves from the competitors surrounding them by engaging in a passion project relevant to their future field of study, pursuing leadership opportunities, and writing unique and compelling application essays.
Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
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