<p>I know that for rolling admissions, they read as the applications come in, but for regular decision, how do they decide the order to read applications? I've submitted all of my applications weeks before the deadlines so will that have an impact? Or is it by last name? Because my last name starts with an X so that would be unfortunate! Because I imagine that the kid who's application was read 1st out of 30,000 has a better chance at getting in than the kid with the same stats who is the 29,900th application to be read. </p>
<p>I cannot agree with your basis premiss, that the first read of 30K applications is advantaged over the last read. Do you have any facts to substantiate this claim? I’ll explain why I believe it’s unlikely. The overriding job of the undergraduate admissions organization is to accept the best – and the best rounded – CLASS for the university, while meeting all the institutional imperatives. There’s every chance that the last thousand applications to be evaluated will have an essentially equal percentage of superstars as the first thousand. I’m quite skeptical that admissions would want to exclude any superstar (or near-superstar), only because his application dossier is evaluated toward the end of process.</p>
<p>Although if you happen to be the 5th oboist, you are less likely going to be accepted than the first four (given that all 5 have the same profile).</p>
<p>@viphan: However, no applicant is ever ONLY the fifth oboist and none ever has a precisely identical “profile.” He (oboist 5) is also a, b, c, d, e, and f. Therefore, maybe oboist 3 appeared to be “the” admit, until oboist 5 – who is also a Westinghouse finalist, and/or a 2400 SAT I achiever (compared to obosit 3’s 2225), and/or a first generation/URM, and/or . . . – appears on admissions’ “radar.” It’s a dynamic process, right down to the last days (possibly hours). That’s why I find your thesis (in post #2) to be a little too simplistic. </p>
<p>@TopTier Well, I kinda assumed that you have much more leway when reading te first application than when you get to the last few and ther are fewer spots left. I think of it as probability. What are the chances of getting in when there are 10000/ 10000 spots left compared to getting in when there are 10/10000 spots left. I would assume the chances go down</p>
<p>@CaliCash (re #4): Here’s why I disagree with you (for standard, not rolling, admissions). It’s not remotely probabilistic; rather, it’s a highly dynamic process, right down to the last days, sometimes perhaps to the last hours. For example, just because someone was placed on the provisional acceptance list in late-January, does not ensure he will still be admitted when the FINAL decisions are announced on 31 March (and, critically, please understand that universities – and their processes – differ and this is not a “universal truth”). </p>
<p>To illustrate, candidate x was TENTATIVELY accepted early; his “advantage” (beyond all the standard “great stuff”) was he’s a state champion debater. Three weeks later, applicant y is evaluated. He equals x in every conceivable attribute, however he’s the national champion debater. Certainly, both may be admitted AND – in reality – no two candidates are ever truly identical. HOWEVER – and remembering that admissions’ overriding job is to optimize the class, while meeting all institutional imperatives – if ideal class rounding mandated a top-debater, x could (this is a hypothetical illustration and I do NOT suggest this is at all likely) lose his spot to y, notwithstanding the fact that he (x) was once a provisional admit. </p>
<p>Your thesis suggests – and requires – that once a candidate is placed on the provisional “accept” list, he is certain to remain there. I don’t believe that’s always true, since admissions continuously tries to optimize class composition. </p>
<p>I also disagree with the premise that has been set up. There is a reason that there are different admit numbers each year, because there is no set quota for student spots. Thinking that way would be a fallacy. Also I seriously doubt the admissions office goes through and counts how many oboe players they admit (who says they could, that is just one part of the application and they look at plenty of other factors within their application. Assuming they have the “same” application is also unlikely. No two people are alike, so why would two applications be identical? </p>
<p>If I were an admissions officer, I read through all the applicants and place the “sure-admits” in one pile and the “most likely nots” in another after thoroughly reviewing them and then go through the remaining “in-betweens” and sort out the merits of each applicant. In this manner, it would not be determined by “order” but by the relative strengths of each applicant. Of course, you could pull from either pile if need to be.</p>
<p>The William and Mary admissions office, for instance, does an excellent job on informing people how they look at applications. They have two readers each and after reviewing the applications, the remaining ones that have not been decided on goes into “committee” where they go into through even further review of each applicant.</p>
<p><a href=“It's Almost Committee Time - The William & Mary Blogs”>http://wmblogs.wm.edu/admiss/its-almost-committee-time/</a>
<a href=“Committee is Coming, Committee is Coming - The William & Mary Blogs”>http://wmblogs.wm.edu/admiss/committee-is-coming-committee-is-coming/</a></p>
<p>@TopTier That was a good explanation. Thank you :)</p>
From a Penn State adcom: “As an admissions officer, when that deadline comes around, I see a huge spike in applications. That’s when the procrastinators send them in. It’s advantageous to get ahead of the bubble. Think about it strategically: there are thousands of applications and essays to get through. If you get yours in early, the reader may be more relaxed and in a better mood at that point in the process.
thread is 2 years old. Please use old threads for informational purposes only. closing thread