Wow, but some ARE overwhelmed with apps.
I think that one day, we will get to a point where college admissions applications will be scanned by a computer (AI) and culled before a human will actually see the ones selected. That has already happened with job applications.
Ugh.
It already happens. At our state university the computer does the initial sort for grades and test scores. An app can be kicked before anyone sees it.
I think I could easily review an app in 8 minutes.
^^Me too. There are the few percent that are obvious admits, and a bunch that are auto-rejects. The latter could be reviewed in less than 2 minutes, if not 1. That leaves 10-12 to spend on the masses in the middle.
Not sure that “supplemental material” (films, writing samples, etc) will be reviewed.
While different schools have different procedures, supplements are often never reviewed by AOs. Selected supplements may be sent to faculty more qualified to evaluate.
Do people really expect Admissions committees to spend a long time on supplemental materials? If I got something, I’d start it. But in 1 minute I can see if the person has talent or not in the area. If I love it, I’d watch or read it all. If it was painful… well, watching 5 minutes is no better than watching 1 minute.
I’m surprised it took this long for someone to actually write about. The number of apps that colleges receive is published. It’s easy enough to look at the website and see how many admissions counselors there are. You just have to do the math and it’s easy to see how many minutes they actually have to read applications even if they work gobs of overtime. I think for grins I did this for one college when #3 was going through the process and I figured out they could possibly spend much more than 10 minutes on each app in the first round. I’ve been a long-time advocate of stopping this nonsense of applying to more than a handful of colleges.
I’m pretty sure that the entire reason for SRARs (self-reporting academic records) is for a computer generated formula that automatically rejects a certain percentage of applicants and sorts through for top applications to review.
I’d be happy if they spent 9 minutes. 
That first sentence of your essay better catch their attention…
I have been telling my students this for almost a decade. I used to teach a college awareness class where they would be admissions committees. They were given given 20 minutes and 3 applications where they had to admit deny and waitlist a student.
I am all for stopping the crazy numbers of applications. This is easy in places like the U.K. because all universities cost the same. Here, the problem is, many students need to chase merit to afford a college education, plus the process is not transparent for the most part. You fix this issue first, then the rest can be sorted out.
I’ll tell you what doesn’t surprise me: that once again, a journalist with limited examples is seen as the final word. And her use of the word “elite” is going to mislead many. At least, she said “some.”
She seems to refer to first cut. Of course, with the Common App allowing scattershot, there will be plenty of kids who are as far from qualified as imagineable (we see examples on CC every day.) All sorts of examples.
Ime, once past first cut, more than 9 minutes. Sure, the first day or two are easy. The weaker apps are usually easier. After that, not the breeze one might think. Yes, they aim to read the whole dang app, including written supps. Why would they miss that? Certain tippy tops are on record saying so. And, with the great kids, you want to be sure nothing stops them dead in their tracks (kids do that.) With the lesser, you hope to find something redeeming.
Most colleges don’t send most apps or written supps to faculty. What a burden on them. Harvard has what seems to be more faculty available/on the team than others. The college I know best better like a kid an awful lot before getting faculty involved. Those music or art “additonal materials” don’t automatically go.
And remember, holistic is holistic. This isn’t about colleges that sort by stats or where stats reign over other attributes.
Is it tough on kids? Yes. Mind your app and try to know what you’re doing, through hs and in the paperwork itself, plus the choice of LoR writers. Don’t take all “advice” at face value.
Committee Based Evaluation is meant to do a first cut in six minutes per application or less, but because two people are reviewing it takes 12 person-minutes. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2017/06/12/some-colleges-adopt-new-committee-based-system-doing-first-review
The idea of CBE is that one person reviews the numbers (scores, GPA, school profile) and one reviews the essays and non-quantifiable stuff (interview, etc) for five minutes, then they decide together whether to reject or pass it on in minute six. Usually a senior reader and a junior one are paired.
Other possibilities:
- Recalculate GPAs in a standardized form easily, rather than having to hire people for transcript data-entry work (i.e. the data-entry work is offloaded to the applicant).
- Eliminate the dependence and load on the high school (and resulting delays) during application season.
- For moderately selective stats-only schools, the entire process can be done by computer by calculating whatever admission index is used and ranking applicants based on that.
Eight minutes for review and two individuals discuss academic and EC information to make up, down or maybe admission decisions. Screening in medical, academic, hiring, and other important decisions is a conventional process in which the likely final decision is the basis of the sorting. For example, when identifying persons who would be appropriate for training to become an astronaut is like sending applicants through a sieve with tiny holes. Only a handful of applicants have the necessary academic background and training, physical stamina, and other required characteristics to become astronauts. This process of screening identifies persons who will become astronauts as well as some who are not finally accepted for training after further review.
Elite and other schools receive many more applications than the number of students they can admit. After extensive experience, colleges know which student profiles efficiently identify students with a high likelixhood of admission and then later academic success. Only profiles of students who successfully make it through the screening process are individually and thoroughly reviewed. The process isn’t designed to crush dreams. Instead, it is a reasonable process with specific decision rules to identify students who most closely match admission requirements. Screening is a routine process that probably almost everyone has been sifted.
@momofthreeboys I did the same thing and came up with pretty similar estimates.
How long do people think it should take?