Overview of the Admissions Process

Holistic Admissions

The vast majority of US boarding/independent schools, colleges, and universities abide by what is commonly referred to as a “holistic” admissions process. “Holistic” admission means that schools assess a variety of factors in order to gain as complete a picture of each applicant as possible. It is not merely about establishing an applicant’s academic credentials, though that certainly plays a large role in admission decisions; schools are just as interested in a prospective student’s extracurricular engagements, non-academic interests and passions, and evidence of drive, resilience, discipline, and maturity overall. Beyond that, schools will discern whether the applicant is a good fit, both intellectually and socially, as revealed by the different components of an application.

The complexity of a US college application reflects this holistic approach to admissions. On the academic front, schools typically require submission of the entire high school transcript as well as standardized test scores (which may or may not include SAT Subject Tests and/or Advanced Placement tests). Additionally, applicants are asked to give an account of and explain their extracurricular activities throughout the school year as well as the projects or programs they have pursued during every summer since they began high school. Teachers are also asked to write letters of recommendation on behalf of the applicant specifically addressing the applicant’s approach to learning, intellectual growth, and willingness to push him or herself in the classroom.

Schools are also deeply interested in getting to know the applicant as a person, in his or her own voice. This is the main purpose of the application essay(s) or personal statement(s). Different schools or programs will ask applicants to answer different questions through their essay(s), but all such questions have one key feature in common: they are opportunities for applicants to give a sense of who they are in their own voice, by revealing their interests and the way they think about important questions or issues that matter to them personally

Academics

Colleges expect to see applicants challenge themselves within the context of their high school’s curricular offerings. While applicants are not penalized when they come from a background of limited curricular flexibility, admissions officers care as much about the rigor of a student’s courses as they do about grades. In fact, schools look carefully at an applicant’s individual grades for every class, not just an overall GPA, because they want to see performance trends throughout high school, as well as the student’s ability to succeed in a variety of academic disciplines.

Standardized Tests

Having strong standardized tests scores is often necessary, but hardly sufficient, for admission. Applicants are almost always required to take the SAT or ACT and international students will typically have to meet minimum scores for English Language Proficiency exams (TOEFL or IELTS).

Extracurricular Involvement

Colleges and universities want students who are not only academically strong, but also likely to be actively involved in campus life on multiple levels. An applicant’s history of extracurricular activity allows admissions officers to get a sense of how that person would fit into the school as a community, in addition to revealing the student’s personality. What matters most is demonstrated commitment in the pursuit of the student’s own interests beyond his or her high school’s curricular requirements.

Essay/Personal Statement

Almost every application process will require a personal statement and many schools — particularly the most selective ones — also ask applicants to submit supplemental essays tailored to each college or program. Personal statements are the applicant’s opportunity to showcase something about themselves that the admissions office wouldn’t otherwise know. Supplemental essays are intended to prompt the student to reflect on why he or she wants to attend a particular school or enroll in a specific program.

Letters of Recommendation

The letters of recommendation from high school teachers and the school counselor give the admissions office an outside perspective on the applicant’s academic performance as well as his or her wider role in the school community. The letters should come from the teacher who knows the student’s work and intellectual growth best, not necessarily from those who give him or her the best grades.

Overview of the Admissions Process

Holistic Admissions

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