<p>Thanks for such detailed responses!!!</p>
<p>If applications are just printed out after being submitted online, why are online applications encouraged over paper?</p>
<p>Because the applications don't need to be typed into the computer (e.g. to establish an electronic student file)</p>
<p>Wow - that must be a lot of work - too bad that scanning to text software (at least to which I'm aware) never really became good. Otherwise, I'd imagine that is a lot easier.</p>
<p>adcom = tufts</p>
<p>Huh? How do you know? Tufts accepts 1 in 5, not 1 in 7.</p>
<p>As I am representing my collective experience in higher education and admissions and not representing the institution I work for, I'm not telling folks where I work...that's why I'm able to be so frank on here ;). However, I can tell you that I do not work at Tufts, but I have experience from there. </p>
<p>Nikrud...this time of year, we aren't morning folks or nocturnal...we are just very exhausted people who have been reading too much! I can't drive usually because my eyes are so tired!</p>
<p>Oh, I'm sorry AdOfficer... that sounds horrible!!!!</p>
<p>[I know it's impossible to tell from online text, but please don't take my comment as a sarcastic one.]</p>
<p>AdOfficer did tell us, however, that his institution can only accept 1 in 7, so that means that the school is one of the following:</p>
<p>maybe Columbia (though columbia is more like 1 in 8)
California Polytechnic
MIT
Brown (though brown is more like 1 in 6)</p>
<p>acceptance rates found here: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-11-02-collegerates_x.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-11-02-collegerates_x.htm</a></p>
<p>For some reason, I've noticed that while there are A LOT of schools that accept around 10 to 12 percent and ~20 percent, there are few that accept around 15 percent. Sorry AdOfficer... You told us your school's acceptance, and the internet has so much information. I'm just taking advantage of the internet as Friedman outlined in his book, 'the world is flat.'</p>
<p>AdOfficer - btw - thank you so much for your responses on this site. They have been very helpful to me and I'm sure others.</p>
<p>this is really funny...you're not going to figure out where i work...</p>
<p>1 in 5, 1 in 7? in early decision? regular decision? overall?</p>
<p>Adofficer:</p>
<p>Do you guys really consider the difficulty/reputation of the school that the applicant attended? and how much of an impact does it have?</p>
<p>also</p>
<p>My mom was in and out of the hospital throughout my sophomore/junior years, and was basically bedridden by her medication when she was home, so I assumed her household responsiblities (cooking, laundry, etc.)</p>
<p>SO, I sent a letter about this a partial explanation for my GPA during this time (it wasn't terrible, just wasn't amazing), will this help me at all? And alot of people on CC have said that it wont be considered if I don't send in "proof" my mom was sick, is that true?</p>
<p>Sorry for the long questions</p>
<p>adofficer: run, cause we will find you</p>
<p>Hahaha - well I tried. I assumed it was overall. I always get upset when I realize that the acceptance rates published on places like college board are overall acceptance rates, and that the schools' RD rates are lower… tear :_-( </p>
<p>BTW, AdOfficer, do you enjoy your job? And if so, what do you like about it? [This question doesn't imply that there's not anything to like about being an admissions officer - I'm just curious.] Also, were you really involved in the admissions process when you were applying to college, or did becoming an admissions officer just kind of ... happen?</p>
<p>AdOfficer i dont care if you are at one of the schools im applying to or not. Your answer at the beginning about not shaving and boyfriends and cats made me laugh like none other. Admissions officers are not machines afterall I suppose ;)</p>
<p>Good luck :-)</p>
<p>nah, you guys won't find me...oy it is late past my bedtime!</p>
<p>pmcharkins...it won't <em>help</em> you per se, but it will allow the admissions officers reading your application to put your performance those two years into some context...having to assume the responsibilities you have had to certainly is a lot on your plate - if those problems/issues arise, i know that those in my office (myself included) certainly consider it, as do a lot of officers i know working at other schools. </p>
<p>we do also pay attention to the caliber of high school you attend...however, "caliber" is not necessarily an <em>objective</em> term when it comes to education, so it is all taken with a grain of salt. if you are attending a high school where a lot of students go on to attend college and you are doing really well, that certainly lets us know you are probably well prepared for a rigorous college program. if you are doing poorly at a school that doesn't send a lot of kids to college, that sends as an equally powerful (though opposite) message.</p>
<p>I've got it!! AdOfficer works for Deep Springs....:D</p>
<p>thanks zach! we are people too! we all bleed like you, laugh like you, cry like you...don't always shave like you, but we do when we get around to it...lol.</p>
<p>fhimas...i love my job, although there is so much more to this job (at least at my level, which is more senior) than just going to college fairs, reading applications, etc...there's a lot of administrative stuff one has to deal with, which isn't so fun. being on the road is also very tiring...staying in hotels for a month every fall and eating taco bell on the run isn't, er, good for the body or mind. i do a lot of work with low-income students and students of color, which is quite rewarding. i also do some consulting/advocacy/policy work with different think tanks and government agencies, which i love. </p>
<p>denying people stinks...especially students who are really in love with your school and are really smart, but moreso students we have gotten to know particularly well in the process who don't get in...but i always remind myself that if they are competitive to get into my school, they are going to go somewhere great. i also usually offer my services, should they want advice or someone to talk to about their next steps. but meeting the students who you've admitted is wonderful...and watching them grow over the four years there are in school is also rewarding. </p>
<p>the one thing that is really hard, though, is the reading and notetaking (is that a compound word? god i'm tired). there is just so much to read, so many students applying, so many intricate details to understand, so many wonderful stories to hear...and then boiling it all down into a few simple ratings and lines of text to present to the dean/committee...its hard if you really care about it, which many of us do. it isn't just about your gpa and sat - we really do care about everything you put in to your apps - how much of YOU you put into your apps. granted, many schools don't do this - some use a formulaic vetting process so that readers only read files that are highly competitive for admissions, breaking down the volume of apps that are read fully. but many others (like mine) read EVERYTHING.</p>
<p>no i do not</p>
<p>AdOfficer - i have experienced some ery unusual and critical circumstances that have greatly affected all points of my application (not to mention personality). is writing 2-3 pages w/ explanations for each topic under a series of headlines overkill? i mean, it's all very unusual and is a huge part of me and unfortunately, theres not a box to check for any facet. i don't want to host a pity party, i just want to explain the context of my application. i also don't want to be a nusance. any suggestions?</p>
<p>Haha - thanks AdOfficer. Wow. I better go to bed. Calc test tomorrow on integration. I'm excited though.</p>
<p>∫e^x = f(u)^n
∫e^x = e^x + C</p>
<p>I love calculus....hehehe.</p>