Elizabeth Schuth
Editor in Chief
October 13, 2024
The leaves are falling, the pumpkin spice takeover has officially begun, and seniors' panic is growing as deadlines for college applications get closer and closer. The college application process can be daunting and confusing and I found myself wondering between the many applications, questions, and forms, what colleges really want from an application. So here is a look at college admissions from an admissions officer’s perspective as well as some advice for a successful application.
photo courtesy of Marvin Meyer
What does the admissions process look like?
Typically once applications are submitted they are first screened to make sure deadlines have been met and all necessary materials such as transcripts and letters of recommendation are complete. After this, the full application is reviewed by a committee or several admissions officers to make a final decision. Often universities have territory managers who focus on applications coming from certain areas. A process that Butler University Senior Admission Counselor Maddy Jensen described.
“So I read all of the applications from Hamilton County and from the state of New York,” Jensen said. “No application can be denied or waitlisted or deferred without additional review. It's truly like a holistic process where the initial counselor makes a recommendation but then the committee goes back through to look at all pieces of that application, the transcript, the essay, the involvement, letters of recommendation to then assess if Butler is a good fit for them, and if they're a good fit for Butler.”
The College of William & Mary also focuses on getting a wide range of opinions from admissions staff and making sure each application is reviewed by several people.
“The team here in our office comes together to look at applications and work together as a team to make decisions too,” William & Mary Senior Assistant Dean of Admission Caroline Ward said. “So it's certainly a well-rounded process. It's not just a well-rounded student but it's also a well-rounded process within the college.”
What are colleges looking for in students?
Many colleges apply a “holistic” approach to admissions, which means looking beyond just academics to review and consider all aspects of an application.
Associate Director of Admissions at Indiana University Marni Blair described the many factors that go into a holistic approach to admissions.
“How we review [college applications] is based upon how a student has done over time … It's information about how you navigate academically, we believe that a student is more than just one criteria,” Blair said “It's more than just what you take, it's more than what you get. It's more than how you navigate your environment. It's all of the above. So a holistic review really truly is looking at the individual, looking at what a student has accomplished, and making the decision based upon that.
Jensen described that academics still hold a valuable role in applications, but more than anything admissions staff is looking for a student who is going to fit well into the culture of the campus, be involved with the community, and be able to keep up with the rigor of coursework. Another important factor for many colleges is how much interest students have shown in their college.
“We're looking for students … who show excitement about Butler. One way to do that is we look at something called demonstrated interest, and this just means that the student has shown that they're interested in Butler,” Jensen said. “That could be they attended an event. That could be they met with their counselor online. That could be they went to a college fair. There's lots of ways to demonstrate that interest, but it's also something that we can consider in the review process.”
Ultimately colleges want a student who will be successful and contribute positively to their school.
Advice for Completing Applications:
“Lean into being authentic.” When asked her number one piece of advice for completing applications Jensen said, “Be your authentic self, and that can show up in a few ways. One in the activity section. I always tell students, you can include anything that you have done that has been meaningful to you … If it's meaningful to you, it's meaningful to us and we want to know about it. And like I said earlier, that could be a variety of things, working, playing a sport, even taking care of family members or household responsibilities can be a meaningful use of your time.”
On the other hand, she cautioned against trying to beef up applications or being dishonest in any way about activities or academics.
“We can tell when [students] are not being … authentic to themselves and they're just trying to make a good impression,” Jensen said. “And I think if you are being authentic, that passion, that uniqueness, will come through in a way that it won't if you are just trying to make an outstanding application.”
Writing the Essay:
The Common Application Essay or individual college essay can be one of the most important parts of an application and admissions staff encourage it to describe an aspect of yourself that can’t be conveyed through a simple resume or activities list.
“For me, I like the essays that grab my attention.” Ward said, “And I know that's a little vague … grab your attention, good or bad, scary way, or really positive, exciting way, and it can be any of those ... Part of the reason we like reading applications and their essays is to see also the writing skills of students, what they're sharing, what they would like us to know. But I do love those attention grabbers. You know that just keeps me hooked in the essay the entire time?”
Marni Blair from IU echoes the importance of the essay segment of an application and encourages students to use authenticity to their advantage.
“We encourage students to be thorough and thoughtful, dare I say, even appropriately brag about themselves, because it's really a time to show and share what makes you tick, right?” Blair said. “at the end of the day, you are the main character of your life. So I want to know a little bit more about you. I want to know about the experience you're talking about and how you've navigated those complications.
For students stuck on a topic to write about, Maddy Jensen suggested looking beyond hardships to find a topic that can truly display an applicant's interests and passions.
“Your essay doesn't mean to be traumatic or dramatic to make an impact,” Jensen said. “There are some spaces on the common app to include difficult situations that you've navigated that have impacted your high school experience, but your essay doesn't have to be that space necessarily.”
Avoid Procrastination and Stay Organized:
Working ahead and keeping track of deadlines is essential to avoiding extra stress throughout the college application process.
“The common application is available and live on August 1 of each year, and it can be helpful for the student to just open it up, go through it, see what's required, see what's optional” Ward suggested. ”Just take it all into account. that then gives them an idea of what is needed between August 1 and then when the application is due.”
When applying to multiple schools it can be difficult to keep multiple deadlines and requirements organized and IU Associate Admissions Director Blair recommends using a Google Doc or spreadsheet to get all the information in one place.
“This is my pro tip ... knowing deadlines and knowing you know policies like test-optional, or when you need to make a decision on housing if you're admitted, or when you have to decide to reserve your seat, all of those things are online, but it's hard to juggle everything, especially if you're looking at more than a few schools like mentioned before,” Blair said.
Conclusion:
The college application process can be confusing and full of difficult decisions, but admissions workers encourage students to reach out to representatives with any questions they have.
“Connect with your territory manager. The majority of schools that I'm aware of have an admissions counselor like me who is responsible for a school or a state or a territory, and get to know them.” Marni Blair said. “The connection that you can make with your person, I think, is really important, because this process can be complicated.”
Ward encourages students to connect with admissions workers and considers it a highlight of her job.
“I guess a lot of people forget that [college admissions are] a very human process,” Ward said. “You know, there are people involved on both sides. Yes, there's a student, and the students, parents or family members that are applying, but it's not a machine on the other side. It's a person and a team and a committee, and there are dedicated professionals on the other side that want the student to succeed.”