<p>Today in The New York Times' "The Choice," Ann McDermott, director of admissions at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, explains how her college ... and many others ... scrutinize high school transcripts and use the information they find there. See How</a> One College Evaluates a Transcript - The Choice Blog - NYTimes.com</p>
<p>I found the column helpful, albeit a bit too generic. If it had been me writing it, I'd take several of the bullet items a step or two further. For instance, "An effortless A is not as impressive as a hard-earned B or C" is standard fare, but I also warn my advisees that many of their "competitor applicants" (at least at the more selective colleges) will have earned all A's and in all the top classes. So while this advice is true in theory, the reality can be somewhat different. However, it is important for students to be undaunted by one bad grade (although even this can be a potential deal-breaker at the uber-selective spots, depending on the candidate's other strengths). </p>
<p>One piece of related advice I'd like to add to "The Choice" column is that every transcript arrives in admission offices accompanied by a "School Profile." (Ann McDermott mentions this, but some readers won't know what she means.) This profile lists information about the high school's course offerings and about its ranking, grading, and GPA-calculation policies. It often includes demographic data about the school and surrounding community, the percentage of seniors who go on to two- and four-year colleges and, commonly, which schools they attend. </p>
<p>I always urge high school seniors and their parents to take a look at the profile that their guidance office sends out. I tell them to ask themselves if the information is clear and if it covers everything that requires explanation. For example, some high schools restrict the number of Advanced Placement classes that a student can take in a semester .. or overall. If this is your high school, does the profile point this out? Are all AP Honors, Advanced, Accelerated (etc.) classes noted on the profile? (Some high schools have classes that "everybody knows" are honors classes, but it doesn't say so in the course title.) If any classes are not designated AP or Honors but have restricted admission (based on previous grades, test scores or teacher recommendation) is that in the profile, too? </p>
<p>When admission officials are already very familiar with a high school, then the published profile may take a back seat to other information they've gathered elsewhere. But when the high school is less well known, the particulars on the profile can really help admission committees to evaluate a candidate in the context of what was available to him or her. So make sure the one that your school uses is thorough and clear. And, if you think it's not, ask your school counselor to explain discrepancies in the letter of reference.</p>
<p>Finally, if you read "The Choice" today, be sure to click on the accompanying graphic. Here you'll see an excerpt from a typical admission office "vote sheet" or "tally sheet" (called different things at different colleges). Note all the data that's compressed into this small space and that will be part of the big picture that admission officials will consider before issuing a final verdict. I think that this little show-and-tell offers a helpful glimpse into what goes on behind closed doors ... perhaps even more so than the article that accompanies it.</p>
). But you also might be surprised to learn that even applicants who are denied admission may have received entirely positive comments on paper (e.g., “Challenges himself,” “Liked by teachers and students,” “Nice sense of humor in essay”). Yet when the final votes are compiled, this applicant may have too many test scores and grades that don’t pass muster or may simply be too far from the top of a highly competitive pool.</p>