Selective Colleges Brandon Mack Senior Assistant Director of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Common Application and Selective Colleges Brandon Mack Senior Assistant Director of Admission

Filling out the Common Application List Recommenders Submit for School Forms Payment Fill out the Writing Fill out the Supplement Application Search Sections Colleges Create an Account

Common Application BENEFITS DISADVANTAGES • • Allows student to focus on content Difficult to customize for individual vs. form colleges • • Time saver Special circumstances and additional information • Central processing • Easy to minimize importance of • Can complete over several sessions supplemental information • Character limits per question • Maintaining username and password

Application Components Academics • Academic performance in subject areas that complement intended major Recommendation Letters • What do your teachers and counselors say about you? Interviews (on and off campus) School and Community Involvement • Community service, varsity athletes, multiple languages, club or organization presidents, drama, speech, or debate, members of student government Application Presentation • Command of language, words spelled correctly, clear responses Demonstration of interest • Campus visit, knowledge of institution

Holistic Review Process A holistic review process that considers: • Intellectual curiosity and vitality • Engagement in and contributions to one’s community • Broad perspectives and differing points of view • A variety of talents and the desire for growth

General Admission Practices at Highly Selective Institutions • Many more applications from viable candidates than available spaces • Admission decisions rarely depend heavily on any one single quantitative metric , such as rank in class, grade-point average, the SAT/ACT scores • Qualitative factors which include rigor of course of study, letters of recommendation, essay responses, personal background/history, nonacademic achievement, unusual perspective or world view often balance academic credentials. Other factors include creativity, motivation, leadership, ability to overcome circumstances. For specialized programs, such as music or architecture, auditions and portfolios can weigh heavily in decision. • Ability to pay does not affect admission decision. Strong commitment to financial aid .

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