Do admissions officers read essays first?

Many admission offices will read your Common App essay first, simply because it's embedded in Common App itself, and that tends to be the starting point of an application review.

What do admissions officers read first?

In general, admissions officers start by doing a 1-2 minute scan of a student's application to assess their academic qualifications. Applications whose grades and test scores do not meet a certain threshold will typically be marked for almost certain rejection.

Do admissions officers actually read essays?

Yes, admissions officers do actually read essays, but they might have already screened candidates first in a preliminary round. Every admissions office has a different process and it's impossible to sum up the exact step-by-step process for each admission office in one blog post.

Who reads your admissions essay?

Your essay will be read by the admission committee, which will include admission counselors and in some cases professors. Typically, the counselor that either works with students from your area or evaluates applications for the major to which you have applied will be the first person to read your application.

What is the order of importance for college admissions?

Generally the most important thing is the GPA and challenging high school curriculum. That is followed by test scores for those colleges that require them. Quality extracurricular activities and outstanding essays are extremely important as well in that they can distinguish a student from other viable candidates.

College Admissions: Inside the Decision Room

How do admissions officers read applications?

Most U.S. universities use the holistic review process when evaluating college applications. This means admissions officers place emphasis on the applicant as a whole person, not just his or her academic achievements, so soft factors may be given just as much consideration as the empirical data present in hard factors.

What order do colleges look at applications?

No way of telling since every person is different and the system each college uses is different. More often, the decision is made as a group. Each person reads the application as each comes in, rate it, on a score sheet. When the group meets, a name is called one by one, then come the decision: reject, reject, reject.

How many admissions officers read your application?

In a holistic review process, one or more individuals will read a file and render an admission decision. Students without a clear decision after one or more reads are discussed in a committee format. Depending on the circumstances, a file may be read by 2-3 individuals or as many as 20 different people.

What are admissions officers looking for in essays?

Colleges look for three things in your admission essay: a unique perspective, strong writing, and an authentic voice.

Do admissions officers see your name?

At many large public universities, no human may ever see any of an applicant's materials. They tend to use fully automated, algorithm-driven evaluation. Someone will see a name if the student makes some other contact with the office, possibly to take a tour.

Do admissions officers remember you?

There is a considerable chance that they will not remember your name. They are more likely to remember a distinguishable piece of clothing or a question you ask. Your questions should be sharp. Ask about a specific academic program and how admissions consider applicants to that program.

What not to ask admissions officers?

What you do when you get to college is ultimately your business. But all the same, it's not a good idea to ask about the school's party culture or anything related to drugs and alcohol. Questions that make you seem uninterested. Don't ask the admissions officer questions that compare them to other schools.

Do college admissions officers look you up?

Twenty-three percent of the admissions officers surveyed said yes, and 59% said that regardless of whether they themselves check, they think what students post online can impact admissions decisions—i.e. is "fair game."

What is a red flag for admissions officers?

What is an application red flag? Simply put, it's something on a college application that can make an admissions officer second guess how qualified an applicant is or if they're a good-fit for the school. A red flag can be as serious as a disciplinary infraction, or as simple as not following application directions.

How do you stand out to admissions officers?

Admission officers seek students with strong character traits such as integrity, leadership, resilience, and initiative. Such attributes should shine through their essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular involvements.

How do you impress college admissions officer?

Focus on honesty and consistency

It's natural to want to strategize about how to get an edge over other applicants. But it's actually more important to be honest and consistent in the way you present yourself in your applications, Gonzalez says. Admissions officers can sniff out when a student isn't being authentic.

Do admissions officers compare you to people at your school?

Admissions officers sort applicants by region first, and then often subdivide within regions by other factors, which can include race, gender, intended major, or smaller geographic areas. Thus you are compared to other applicants from your high school, but not directly.

What kind of essays do colleges like?

Hillary colleges are look for three things in your admission essay: a unique perspective, strong writing, and an authentic voice. People in admissions often say what makes a great essay is one where it feels like your right there in the room, talking authentically to the admissions committee!

What is the single most important thing admissions officers consider in an application?

Academics: Your Course Load and Grades

Academics are the most important factor for college admissions. It is also the one most parents are unaware of in the early years of a student's high school education.

How old are most admissions officers?

Admissions coordinators and counselors (median age 30) tend to be considerably younger than heads of admissions (median age 40), chief admissions officers (median age 45), or higher ed professionals in general (median age 43).

Do admissions officers look at all activities?

More than ever before, admissions committees are viewing students' extracurricular involvements and activities outside the classroom as demonstrations of their motivation, leadership skills, and commitment to their core passions.

Does your admissions counselor read your application?

Did you know every admissions counselor has a unique approach to reviewing college applications? Admissions counselors also read every word of your application – including the essays.

How long do admissions officers read essays?

Probably no more than 20-30 minutes, if that long.

Do admissions officers read applications in alphabetical order?

Each school will have its process for reviewing applications: some may sort applications by alphabetical order or region and assign each group an admissions officer; others may have applications read by a person or a team. You can find out who your admissions officer is at the college's website or a college fair.

What GPA do colleges look at when you apply?

Colleges typically consider both your high school GPA and your California State University (CSU)/University of California (UC) GPA when making admissions decisions.