<p>I can understand how this entire thread would be causing students to feel worried and, perhaps, discouraged. You might consider that it's not the time spent, but the experience and perspective brought to bear on that application reading and how many times it is read by different people. Experienced readers can see right away if the applicant is something special. Spending more time with the application will not be likely to fundamentally alter the first impression. Having your application read by multiple people, however, probably maximizes the chance that your application will make an impact if it's going to.</p>
<p>This might be a little off-topic, but if anyone really wants to read more about the admissions process, read The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of A Premier College. I grabbed it in the library by accident, and it was really interesting. The length of time an officer spends on reviewing an application (around 30 min.) may sound discouraging, but after reading the book, the admissions process seems more human. It was comforting....the officers seemed to be putting a lot of thought and effort into choosing students.</p>
<p>Link to stanford article?</p>
<p>^ I think I remember the article was called "the sink or swim" round. Here it is
[url=<a href="http://news-service.stanford.edu/stanfordtoday/ed/9801/9801fea5.html%5D9801fea500.shtml%5B/url">http://news-service.stanford.edu/stanfordtoday/ed/9801/9801fea5.html]9801fea500.shtml[/url</a>]</p>
<p>here's an excert:
Stanford's selection process can be visualized as a line with several decision points. The first point is the "sorting" point, where files are read by the most experienced members of the staff and sorted into competitive or noncompetitive piles. About half the files drop out of the competition at this point. A small fraction, about 5 percent, are deemed "clear admits" and go to the dean for approval; the rest advance to a second point, for a closer look from another reader.</p>
<p>Please note that this article was written almost 10 years, and 2 Admissions directors ago at Stanford. Policies may have changed, and admissions have gotten a lot more competative since then.</p>
<p>The Stanford process sounds like what Michelle Hernandez described several years ago at Dartmouth. Most applicants are accepted or rejected without going to committee. A small percentage on the cusp get a committee review.
This could have changed by now at both schools.
Hernandez described ALL applicants going to committee at Brown. As a result, at Brown the committee just rubber stamped the presenter's recommendations. Of course there is no way an admissions committee is going to discuss 20,000 applications.</p>
<p>I got my acceptance letter in less than a month. A friend of mine applied since July and still didn't get anything. I hope her app didn't get buried. She's way smarter than me so I know she's in. She probably qualifies for a lot of the school's scholarships....</p>