Inside the Admissions Process

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What Happens to Your Child's Applications?

It's February. Your child at last has sealed the envelopes and dropped the applications in the mail. Now the weeks of waiting begin. But this doesn't have to be a time of agonizing paralysis. You and your child can continue to explore the colleges your child has applied to in preparation for choosing one to attend.

Research has shown that 9 out of 10 students who apply to two or more colleges are accepted by at least two, so there's likely to be good news in the mail. Still, your child may take rejection quite personally. The fact is, colleges admit students based on a variety of factors that include their own institutional goals for boosting certain student populations or strengthening specific programs. It's good to remind teenagers that college decisions are not necessarily a judgment of their ability to succeed.

It may also help to have an idea about what's happening inside the colleges and universities as they select their new classes. Here is an inside look at the admission process at several colleges.

Rice University

Rice, located in Houston, Texas, is one of the nation's smallest and most selective research universities. It has about 3,000 undergraduates. Last year, the school received more than 7,800 applications and admitted 1,970, or about 25 percent of applicants.

As is true with many schools, the number of students applying there has increased in recent years, so Rice has revamped its admissions process. A committee no longer reviews every application. Instead, applications are first read by admissions staff assigned to specific geographic regions who are familiar with that area's high schools.

The staff ranks applications based on five criteria: the caliber of the high school and the student's course selection; academic performance; school recommendation; student's presentation (answers to essay questions, etc.); and personal qualities, such as leadership.

Most applications are reviewed by a second reader from a committee that includes admissions staff, faculty, and students. The initial reviewer recommends that somewhat less than half of applications be considered by a senior committee of three faculty members and three admissions professionals.

Vice president for enrollment Ann Wright notes that Rice applicants are highly qualified students, which makes admissions decisions harder. "We are looking for people who are motivated and interesting, who will make for a vibrant mix on campus," she says. "We will take students who have broad interests over a student who has all 800s on the SAT® but doesn't do anything else. We often talk about the fact that a lot of valedictorians are turned down because there are people who are better qualified who come from lots of different backgrounds." Nine out of 10 students who apply to two or more schools are accepted by at least two.

Quinnipiac University

Quinnipiac is a small, private university in Hamden, Connecticut, that offers programs in liberal arts, business, health services, and other areas. Last year the school received over 11,000 applications and admitted about 6,011 or about 53 percent of applicants. It admits students on a rolling basis, so those who apply early will receive admissions decisions more quickly.

Admissions professionals assigned to specific high schools by geographic area first review applications. They consider a combination of factors, including the type of high school program, the academic level of courses, grades, and grade progress. The school asks to review first quarter senior year grades.

Students who meet Quinnipiac's criteria based on this review are admitted. Applications in a gray area are reviewed by a committee made up of members of the admissions staff, with the vice president and dean of admissions Joan Isaac-Mohr making the final decision based on staff recommendations.

Isaac-Mohr notes the number of students applying to Quinnipiac has doubled in the last six or seven years. "There is a trend of rising student populations across the country that will continue until about 2008, so there are more students applying to colleges," she says. "That means most schools are a little more selective than they were maybe 10 years ago, but it also means there are better students going to all colleges. Students and parents can broaden the field a bit and find many quality schools."

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a large public university with 33,000 students. It received over 12,300 applications this year and admitted approximately 8,000 students, or more than 65 percent of applicants.

The university has recently revamped its admissions process, dropping considerations of race in response to a federal court ruling that the school illegally gave preference to minorities.

Under the new process, the school no longer considers race, gender, or country of origin. Admissions staff consider high school curriculum, grades, and test scores. Those who pass the university's academic review are admitted.

Applications that are not as strong are reviewed by a faculty member before the application is denied to ensure that important factors, such as community leadership or recommendations haven't been missed. Director of undergraduate admissions Nancy McDuff notes it's fairly rare at a large university for faculty to review applications, but the school added the component to ensure the applicant's qualities are considered from different viewpoints.

McDuff recommends parents encourage students to experience their high school years to the fullest without overly focusing on college. "We see students who look really good on paper, but by the time they get to college they're burnt out. They've been programmed and structured for so long that they're not ready to do the coursework," she says.

Iowa State University

Iowa State University received 9,100 freshman applications last year and offered admission to 8,200 students.

"There is precious little mystery in our application process, which is why we offer admission to 90 percent of students who apply," says Iowa State University admissions director Marc Harding. The school's application requirements are stated in the Iowa Administrative Code. Students who meet the requirements are admitted. "Selecting a college is not like buying a car or some other product," says Harding. "In this process you start out as a consumer and end up the product."

An admission professional reviews the applications of students who are close to meeting the criteria, but are missing an element. This is a much smaller percentage of the applicant pool than at schools with a more selective admissions process, Harding notes.

The school makes admissions decisions on a rolling basis, so Harding encourages students to apply early, by January 1. He says students who are admitted early can get benefits that include more choices of housing.

Harding notes a big part of making a decision about attending a school is finding the right fit. Being admitted to a school doesn't guarantee it's a place the student can succeed. "Selecting a college is not like buying a car or some other product," says Harding. "In this process you start out as a consumer and end up the product. You become your school and you carry that identity throughout your life. So the business of finding the right fit is very important," he says.

Boston University

Approximately 31,400 students applied to Boston University last year, a private research institution with more than 30,000 students. More than 17,800 students were admitted; 57 percent of applicants.

The school reviews every application individually, without the use of computer sorting, which admissions director Kelly Walter says is rare for a university of this size. Applications are read by regional teams of admissions professionals who are familiar with the high schools in their areas.

About 80 percent of applicants are recommended for committee review based on this initial reading that takes into account all aspects of an application. Applicants who do not meet minimum grade and test-score requirements can remain under consideration based on other elements of the application.

The 20 percent of applications not recommended for committee review are considered again by the associate director or director of admissions before they are denied, so every application receives two reviews.

Committees are made up of three to four admission staff who review applications by school groups. Because high schools vary, applicants are not compared from one school to the next. "We want to determine if a student has done well within his or her school context," says Walter.

Walter recommends that students recognize their self-advocacy role in the admissions process. "We want to make informed decisions, so students need to really let us know what sets them apart. This can be difficult for teenagers in a culture that discourages boasting, but we need to get a true picture of a student's skills and abilities," she says.