10 Wins I’m Grateful for in College Admissions

If you are not familiar with these programs, they are a game changer for students. Instead of officially applying to a certain college, the college accepts the student based on basic information (like GPA, home state, parents' education, etc.) without the student even applying. Common Application, Niche, and some states, like California, offer direct admissions. These colleges tend to have more generous acceptance rates, but they are an easy way to gain acceptance by doing very little. 

 

The amount of money saved by families through self-reported test scores is enormous. Instead of spending money on official score reports for each college, a student can simply type their test scores into the Common Application for admissions purposes. While the student will ultimately be required to submit an official score report for enrollment, they only have to pay for one versus multiple score reports to each college where they applied. Self-reported test scores also give students control over what scores they share with colleges. It's about putting your best foot forward with key data. Colleges that recommend or require self-reported test scores are making their lives easier with less documents to process at a critical time, but they are also helping families save money.

One of the biggest stressors for students in this process is writing supplemental essays. Most colleges do not announce their supplemental essay prompts until August when many schools start the school year. It is extremely difficult to keep up with schoolwork and activities while also writing dozens of extra essays. Stanford University, for example, requires eight supplemental essays. As a mom and college counselor, I applaud the colleges that do not require any supplemental essays. Northeastern University, Franklin & Marshall College, Middlebury College, and Case Western Reserve University are a few colleges with no supplemental essays. 

 

Colleges with Rolling Admissions begin accepting applications and admitting students sometimes as early as August. Decisions are made on a rolling basis and churn out much faster than if a student applies to a traditional round of admission like Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision. In some cases, the student hears back within a few days or a few weeks from the college about their admissions decision, especially if they apply super early in senior year. And, most colleges with Rolling Admissions tend to have more generous acceptance rates. If the student applies early, they can get an early acceptance, which gives them (and their family) peace of mind. Some of my favorite Rolling Admissions colleges are University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State University, and University of Alabama. Don't wait. Apply now!

 

When a student knows the average test scores for the admitted class, what the standardized testing policy is, what the acceptance rate is, and other key data points, they can make better decisions about how competitive they are and whether to apply. Some colleges do a better job than others in this category. Big kudos to University of Richmond on this front. They provide a slew of data from what percentage of the class came from Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision to the middle 50% range of test scores for the admitted students to the percentage of students attending public versus private high schools. This kind of transparency increases understanding among prospective families and builds trust in the institution. Not all colleges give even a fraction of this data, though. It begs the question: What are they hiding?

The national average of student-to-counselor ratio is 376 to 1. That means most counselors are working with a ton of students each year. Their time is limited and their caseloads are enormous. Yet without a school counselor, a student can't apply to college. I appreciate every letter written, every phone call made, and every ounce of advocacy they provide to and for high school students. They don't get enough credit for the work they do. But there's nothing better than watching a student you worked with get into college. School counselors live for these moments. To this day, the most inspiring job I ever had was being a school counselor.

 

Coffee. Hot chocolate. Snacks. Clean bathrooms. Every admissions office needs these things. But not all schools supply them for prospective families. Those admissions offices that have these things get immediate buy-in. They add warmth, a welcoming vibe, and a place for weary travelers. 

 

This process demands good people. Kind people. People who want to be around other people. When an admissions officer takes the time to say hello to a prospective student visiting campus or responds to a student's email, it makes all the difference. Yet, this is not happening at all colleges. How a student is treated as a prospective applicant is just as important as how they are treated as an admitted student. 

 

If a college has merit scholarships, they'd better be using them in every round of admission. Just because a student commits to an Early Decision program doesn't mean they deserve to pay more for attending the college. Not all colleges with merit scholarships will give out merit money in Early Decision. Or if they do, it's quite limited. But there are some exceptions. When you get a merit scholarship in Early Decision, you realize that the college cares about you rather than who they will yield. And that's a very good sign for what's to come.

 

I have worked in this industry for my entire professional career. I have met, made admissions decisions on, and read applications for about a million students in my 26-year career. But the best education I ever received in how to change this process (for the better) and evaluate students fairly was as a parent. You put aside ego and replace it with empathy and understanding. My three kids are so different and that has given me a lifetime of wisdom that shapes my career in college admissions and college counseling more than any other role I've ever had. Any admissions dean, policy maker, or college president needs to walk that difficult path as a parent to truly be student-focused.

Thanksgiving is next week. We tend to think about being grateful sparingly. But giving grace deserves more time than that—not just us. I hope colleges are grateful for our students, most of all.