<p>Does anyone know how they read the short answers and essays that you send in? Do they sit around a table and pass the sheet around the table and wait for each one of them to read it, or do they have one person read it out loud so they can all hear it?</p>
<p>I'm just curious.</p>
<p>at a HADES applicant open house, the associate director of admissions said that every essay is read at least 5 times, in some cases as many as 10 times. another interesting point he emphasized is that, in addition to very high academic standards, they’re looking to select “nice people” to be their students. he said that something like 70% of their applicants are qualified to succeed at their school, so the “nice person” criterion becomes a very important one for them.</p>
<p>I am nice. ;)</p>
<p>I was wondering the same thing. How do they read essays?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure I went to the same open house :)</p>
<p>So does no one really know the answer to this?</p>
<p>The essays are read before the meeting. The committee members will spend the weeks before the decision period reading each student’s folder, taking notes, grading the applicant based on a particular school’s criteria, etc. How the committee operates is school-dependent, but this inside look at the admissions process for a couple of high-competitive colleges is probably indicative of the process at similarly competitive boarding schools:</p>
<p>[Colleges</a> look beyond grades and test scores - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/03/22/looking_beyond_grades_and_scores/]Colleges”>http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/03/22/looking_beyond_grades_and_scores/)</p>
<p>So they don’t read it aloud or anything, but to themselves before they meet? </p>
<p>That article was really useful, thanks. :D</p>
<p>Yes. I imagine committee meetings to be a long, arduous process. They want to focus on the distinguishing characteristics of an applicant. It’s doubtful that they’d take the time to read an essay aloud, but I would expect them to discuss the impressions gained and sometimes cite to essays or passages that provided particularly strong insight into the student’s intellect, character, passions, etc.</p>
<p>Great, thanks for all of the helpful information. I really appreciate it, because this question’s been bugging me for a really long time now.</p>
<p>Same!!!Anymore info would be great on the rest of the admissions process too…Inquiring minds want to know:)</p>
<p>I just got something in the mail from Andover today. It says:</p>
<p>“All parts of your application for admission are now complete. Your application will be read by faculty members and admission counselors prior to review by the Admission Committee. You will receive formal notification of your admission decision no sooner than March 10, 2010.”</p>
<p>I got the same thing in the mail last week.</p>
<p>DA letter came today with exact information, all parts in and being reviewed.</p>