<p>Recently attended a college information night where several schools made presentations - one being UIUC…the representative said their admissions used to be a complete numbers game but not anymore…encouraged the students to get involved in their community and make their application shine with everything they’ve done in and out of school. Maybe it’s their way of explaining some of the puzzling admission stories we hear from time to time but this is their story now on how they’re viewing apps.</p>
<p>I’ve always assumed that any institution that receives a large number of applications (in the tens of thousands)will screen the applicants based on GPA/SAT and various other parameters for which they have quotas. After reducing the number substantially then a holistic approach can be used. I also have assumed that no place is really “need blind” and that the fin aid budget, in part, determines admissions as well. One admissions consultant who used to work at dartmouth told me that some schools use a computer program to whittle down the applicant pool to a managable number a bit like some HR departments that use software to scan resumes for key words in an attempt to reduce the number of resumes a staff person needs to look at.</p>
<p>Actually, I’ve been surprised to learn that some big schools do look at some of the apps holistically. We did run into this with UMIch personally, and my sons’ school counselors were contacted by UCLA and UC Berkeley for some kids’ admissions. I would not have expected this. We also got personally contacted by UMD-CP personally with some holistic question and have reason to believe that PITT went beyond the numbers for my son’s acceptance. I still don’t see how he got in there and Penn State with his test scores if they went by formula. But Michigan did contact my son’s school 6 years ago to ask some questions about my son, the school profile and how to view the grades. That son was going to a very rigorous independent prep school that does no honors or AP designations, and the grades are deflated. The LACs and a number of schools that are used to dealing with them know this, but in any pure numbers assessment, most kids come off at a disadvantage because of the GPA curve. UVA and BC are two schools that have not recognized the curve and the way grades are distributed at that school. Kids have gotten into HPY and rejected by UVA and not gotten into honors at BC routinely from there. It’s also an issue with merit awards that include GPA or class rank as part of the decision.</p>
<p>Just want to add that it could be done just for certain students that get flagged for some reason, not every single app. I know that my friend whose two Ds went to Ohio State caught the admission officer there in a danged lie. It was very clear that the apps went through the system and that was it.</p>
<p>*'m pretty sure when adcoms from that college make mistake, they will call it hollistic admissions. *</p>
<p>LOL!</p>
<p>Still wish more schools would emphasize SAT IIs (a la Middlebury). According to large-scale studies done by UCal, SAT II scores are much better predictors of college academic success than SAT I scores.</p>
<p>(Besides which, my DS did really really well on his SAT IIs. :D)</p>
<p>Eventually, the schools will go with something like ETS’s Personal Potential Index to do non-cognitive admissions reviews. If it gets established at the grad school level, it’ll trickle down to undergrad admissions.
[News:</a> Momentum for Non-Cognitive Reviews - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/09/13/ppi]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/09/13/ppi)</p>
<p>“I also have assumed that no place is really “need blind” and that the fin aid budget, in part, determines admissions as well.”</p>
<p>There really are schools with huge enough endowments to support true need-blind admissions while meeting full need ([Need-blind</a> admission](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia)), and others that are need-blind but don’t meet full need, which often makes their need-blindness moot (e.g., NYU).</p>
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<p>I can see why you think UCLA is “flexible!” :)</p>
<p>I can’t think of anyone who wasn’t an economically disadvantaged URM from our Southern California high school who has gotten into UCLA with a sub 2000 SAT score in recent years.</p>
<p>K&S_Outside the UCs, Colorado and Udub there has been no major change in the percentage of out of state students at schools like Michigan, UVa, Wisconsin, UVa, UNC. There are always minor variations but not a significant change in policy on the ratio of instate to out of state.</p>
<p>^^^^^^Aren’t the Virgina schools in the midst of re-evaluating their OOS vs IS allowable ratios? In other words, if the school can make more money off of OOS students, then the cutbacks in state subsidies won’t hurt as much.</p>
<p>No…The state would just pass the laws they consider every year that would rollback the OOS to 25% maximum. Not even a serious threat to lower instate. Actually they are increasing instate numbers.</p>
<p>[UVa</a> Receives Money to Increase In-state Enrollment](<a href=“http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/State_Budget_Aims_to_Increase_UVa_Enrollement_117100458.html]UVa”>http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/State_Budget_Aims_to_Increase_UVa_Enrollement_117100458.html)</p>
<p>[William</a> & Mary - W&M to add more Virginians to entering class](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2011/wm-to-add-more-virginians-to-entering-class-123.php]William”>W&M to add more Virginians to entering class | William & Mary)</p>