Time and time again I’ve seen your typical 4.0/36 kid with a list of ECs beyond comprehension. An everyday person might think that they are very well accomplished and will be successful in the future (which they will), but sadly most of these students fall short in the holistic college applications to top schools such as Harvard whereas you take someone that seems not so accomplished compared to others and they get in for some mysterious reason. Why? Is a perfect GPA/test score with great ECs just not special these days and you’re better off getting a worse GPA just to get some attention? What makes the accepted unique compared to similar applicants? Did they have a low GPA, but write a world-class essay? As a person who is hoping to get into Harvard/Uchicago, this makes me rethink and inevitably confuses me on how I should approach the college application.
“GPA and test scores don’t paint the full picture”
^ I’ve seen quite a lot of people throw this phrase around
Generally, applicants have to meet a benchmark for GPA and scores, meaning, they need to show an ability to do the work. But after that, it is all about other things, including intangibles like “character” or “ability to overcome obstacles.” A long list of EC’s may suggest a lack of depth in some cases. And most importantly, admissions is trying to assemble an interesting class, so in the end it is about the individual’s ability to contribute to the whole.
This video from a Stanford Admissions Officer clearly explains how other factors come into play once a student’s transcript and test scores have met a college’s benchmark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYhTylqC9o.
Based on a long conversation I had with a senior Yale AO a couple of years back, they have thousands of applicants that “can do the work” based on GPA, course rigor and test scores – see above comments about minimum benchmarks. The difficult question is how likely will this candidate contribute to make Yale a better community in the whole. Then she talked about pointy vs. round candidates (both have a place). While there is no formula, factors that she cited:
Has and how has this candidate exhibited leadership in school, the community and activities?
Has and how has this candidate made a difference in school, the community, family and activities?
Has and how has the candidate coped and then succeeded in the face of real adversity?
To support the above, they look beyond the EC list/awards, and look closely at the recommendations and essays to try to get a comprehensive view of the candidate. Do all these data points tie to a consistent story/picture of the candidate? Are recommendations and essays “generic” or is there tangible evidence to support the qualities being highlighted? All of this is pretty consistent with the Stanford video @gibby linked above.
They look to see how a student will add to their community. Character/being sincerely a good person, leadership qualities etc.
Almost always in addition to exceptional academic credentials there is something that is extremely impressive in these kids backgrounds.
There are a number of dimensions in which they measure students. In particular, since all of the dorm beds are the same size (39" x 75"), they are looking for exceptional students who fit comfortably within those dimensions.
I suspect it can’t be summarized in a few sentences, and if I were an adcom I wouldn’t want it to be. I’d want families who were willing to do the research to understand what the college offers students and what students can offer the college community in return.
Just as in the CA essay limited to 650 words conciseness matters. What’s the headline? Ever had to present to a CEO? You only need a few bullet points to make your point. C’mon give it a try people.
^^ Given Ms. Landesman’s past connections to Yale, I would think Choate Rosemary Hall student’s are well prepared to tackle college admissions. FWIW, Yale still has her video about essays, which is very helpful, on their website: https://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application#essay
When I read what is supposedly required for admission to Harvard, I often wonder how it was that I was accepted! And I say that as a current senior.
The best advice I ever received was from Harvard regional admissions officer for the UK. She said, “find a way to stand out. Anything that will make people sit up and take notice. That will cause to conclude that you will bring something different, special or unique to the College”. She added that, generally speaking, it was very difficult to distinguish yourself academically unless you invented something, won an Intel or Gates Scholarship, or were exceptionally bright. So she said to focus on other areas. She also mentioned that every year there are a few essays that are so special that everyone remembers them. So…focus on what makes you different.
@milinki Yeah, I have a big thing for computers and absolutely love teaching myself how they work and even building a few smalls robots here and there! My GPA is projected to be around a 3.5 - 3.6 if I stick with my good grades, but that might hurt me considering the fact that while it’s not even bad, I’m going to be going up against a student with a 4.0. I don’t want to let a few bad early semesters get me down so I’ll definitely take your advice and stick in the back of my mind for later and work on myself personally since a 3.5 GPA certainly isn’t everything when applying to Harvard. Thanks for the comment!
@ITMAN15 There are definitely students here who had a “bad” semester. The first thing you discover when you get here is how diverse the entering class is. Far more than I was led to believe when I was an applicant.
@milinki I can relate, I’ve heard plenty of people write and talk about their experience on the campus and describe the discoveries they made as you did which makes it that much more fun. The diversity, the campus in Boston, the opportunity, and most of all, the experience sounds really interesting to be apart of.