What Selectivity Means for You

Understanding Admissions Factors

College admissions officers across most of the nation report the same news: The number of applicants is rising, making admissions more competitive.

Why Are Applications Increasing?

The increase comes from a surge in births during the 1980s. Children of the baby boomers are coming of age. Experts predict applications will continue to rise faster than openings at most colleges, through about 2010.

"Most schools are a little more selective than they were maybe 10 years ago," says Joan Isaac-Mohr, vice president and dean of admissions at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. This can mean more pressure for students going through the application process.

Benefits of Increased Selectivity

There's a silver lining. As Isaac-Mohr points out, increased selectivity means better students are going to all colleges, broadening your choice of schools with a high-achieving student population.

The number of applicants is rising, making admission more competitive. Ann Wright, vice president for enrollment at Rice University in Texas, agrees. "There are lots of schools where students can be happy and successful," she says. Both experts encourage students and parents to consider a range of schools, rather than focusing on a single institution.

Community colleges, for example, can allow you to spend two years improving grades or selecting a career focus before transferring to a four-year university. While you might be taught by a graduate student at a large university, teachers at community colleges are usually professors who primarily want to teach, not conduct research.

Smaller class sizes and more access to professors at small public or private colleges can be a boost to students, while some may prefer the energy and variety of a large university. It's important for you to determine your needs and academic interests and select 8 to 10 schools that make a good fit.

What Are Colleges Looking For?

As you prepare application materials, it can help to know what schools are really looking for in the piles of paperwork.

Admissions officers evaluate applications in different ways, depending on how selective, or competitive, their college is.

The Levels of Selectivity

At one extreme are open admissions colleges. These schools require only a high school diploma and accept students on a first-come, first-served basis. Many community colleges have this policy. At the other extreme are very selective colleges. They admit only a small percentage of applicants each year. Most colleges fall somewhere in between.

Less Selective: Less selective colleges focus on whether applicants meet minimum requirements and whether there's room for more students. Acceptable grades are often the only requirement beyond an interest in college study. The SAT® or ACT may be required, but test scores are usually used for course placement, not admissions.
As many as 10 or 15 students apply for each spot at very selective schools. More Selective: More selective colleges consider course work, grades, test scores, recommendations, and essays. The major factor may be whether you are ready for college-level study. It's possible to be denied admission because of a weakness or a lack of interest in higher education.
Very Selective: As many as 10 or 15 students apply for each spot at very selective schools. Admissions officers look carefully at every aspect of a student's high school experience, from academic strength to test scores. Since many applicants are strong academically, other factors—such as your essay—are critical. Although they receive a great deal of publicity, only a small number of colleges (fewer than 100) are this selective.

Admission Factors

Selective colleges consider these factors for admission:

Courses taken
Counselor/teacher recommendations
Ethnicity
Grades
Application questions and essays
Geographic location
Grade point average
Personal interview
Alumni relationship
Rank in class
Activities outside the classroom
Major/college applied to
Admission test results
Special talents and skills

There's no general agreement about which of these factors are ranked more important. However, most admissions officers place the most weight on your high school record.

How Important Are Extracurricular Activities?

The significance of activities has been exaggerated. While schools do consider them, they're looking to see if you've shown a long-term commitment in one or two areas.

Need-Blind Admissions

Most colleges have a need-blind admissions policy. This means they decide whether to make an offer of admission without considering your family's financial situation.

Other colleges are need-sensitive; they do consider your family's financial situation in the admissions process. These colleges know they can't satisfy the financial aid needs of all applicants. Some schools use need-sensitive admissions when deciding to accept a borderline student or to pull a student off of the waiting list.

Matching Admissions Standards

As part of the college search, you should compare your academic and personal qualifications to those of students typically admitted to schools where you want to apply.