I’m being asked a lot of very thoughtful questions these days by concerned students about how not submitting standardized tests scores or not having grades for the spring semester will impact the way college admissions officers will view their applications, and these are fair questions. Students (and their parents) pour over Naviance graphs to see where their data points fall on the X-axis of test scores and the Y-axis of GPA to assess their chances of admission. But here’s the thing–a single point on a Cartesian plane doesn’t begin to describe a very three-dimensional student. So, this coming admissions season, most colleges will do what they have always done–a holistic review of every application. Without all the numerical data they’ve relied on in the past, they’ll be looking even more closely at the personal qualities, talents, and passions that describe each applicant more wholly.
When colleges say they do a holistic review they will tell you that they are looking for the student’s story, but that doesn’t mean they want to read a list of accomplishments–that’s just the plotline. What they are looking for is motive, character development, and even intrigue. Through their application, students should develop a cohesive narrative that tells the reader about who they are. And through all this telling, students shouldn’t be afraid to be vulnerable. They are in the process of becoming, and it’s alright if they aren’t a finished product. None of us are! By taking full advantage of the opportunities presented throughout the college application process, students can put together the pieces of their puzzle to form a very compelling picture of who they are.
Here are some suggestions for how to make an application stand out through a holistic review process:
The Personal Statement, a.k.a. “The College Essay”
The most obvious place for a student to share their story is through their 650-word college essay where, ultimately, all 7 prompts ask students to describe a moment in their lives that has shaped them. More than just retelling an event, through this essay students should communicate their personal qualities, the values they hold, the roles they play in their community, or their perspective on the world around them. Concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl wonders What does life expect from me? If a student can answer that question honestly and then work back through their life experiences and exposures to understand how they came to hold that truth, they will find some poignant, insightful material from which to draw.
Supplemental Essays:
Some colleges will ask students to respond to very pointed questions that get at character. Harvard has asked, “Are you a late bloomer?” Wake Forest University wants to know how students’ experiences have shaped their development and how they plan to use those experiences to engage with others who might be different from them within their community. Tufts wants to hear about what a student can talk about endlessly. These are opportunities for students to share why they get out of bed every morning. Choosing not to respond to an optional supplemental essay is an opportunity squandered.
The COVID-19 Question:
The Common Application just announced that they will provide an additional space on the application for students to describe how the pandemic has impacted their lives. With a 250 word limit, students should focus on the most profound ways that their lives have been affected. While some impacts are devasting (a parent losing a job) others may be positive (like having more family dinners together). This background will help colleges to read students’ applications in the appropriate context.
The Activities Section:
Both the Common Application and the Coalition Applications allow a space for students to list their extracurricular activities. Students should take the time to carefully word their descriptions of their level of involvement in the activity, highlighting leadership roles and accomplishments.
Interviews:
An admissions officer once described the interview as an opportunity to decide if the candidate was “someone they’d like to have lunch with” and, ultimately, that’s what it boils down to. They are assessing whether or not the student is someone who will contribute to their community in ways the school values and who will take advantage of their resources in ways that will allow the student to grow to their potential. A lot about an applicant’s inherent sense of curiosity, openness to trying new things, and drive can be gleaned in powerful ways through these conversations.
Additional Information:
Although optional, this space on the application allows a student to explain any circumstances that have impacted their high school experience, academically or otherwise (beyond the pandemic). Students might choose to use this space to explain how a tragedy effected them, how a learning disability impacted their grades, or how an injury prevented them from achieving their best performance. If there is a reason for an upward trend in grades, this would be an opportunity to explain that as well.
So, are grades and test scores important? The first, always, the latter, sometimes. But there is so much more to a students’ application than just these two factors. Ultimately, colleges are enrolling a class and seek the soccer star as well as the bassoonist, the class president as well as the student who earns money to help support their family. Students should take advantage of all the opportunities offered to share with colleges the qualities that make them a multi-dimensional person in a way that puts together the pieces of a cohesive and compelling puzzle.
I’ll be writing more about each of these ways that students can develop their applications in the coming days, so be sure to check back!!