ORHS – 2014 Highly Selective Schools Presentation...
Are you sure you want to go to one of these Colleges or Universities?
The 20 Most Selective Schools in the US
(per 2013 acceptance data)
* Does not include Military Academies, Free, or Performance/Portfolio Schools
20) Washington Univ. of St. Louis – 16% Acceptance Rate
19) Bowdoin College (ME) – 15%
18) Northwestern (IL) – 15%
17) Amherst College (MA) – 14% 16) Swarthmore (PA) – 14%
15) Pomona College (CA) – 14%
14) Duke (NC) – 13%
13) Vanderbilt – 13% (will be at ORHS on Tuesday, 9/23 at 6pm)
12) Claremont McKenna (CA) – 12%
11) Penn – 12%
10) Caltech – 11% (will be at ORHS this Sunday, 9/21 - 6pm!)
9) Dartmouth (NH) – 10%
8) Brown (RI) – 9%
7) University of Chicago – 9%
6) MIT (MA) – 8%
5) Columbia University (NY) – 7% 4) Princeton (NJ) – 7%
3) Yale (CT) - 7%
2) Stanford (CA) – 6%
1) Harvard (MA) - 6% (of course it’s them…)
HOPEFULLY YOU… because you are quite impressive… but also:
* #1 = TRANSCRIPT (is the most reliable) Colleges want students who are:
Bright + Motivated + High-Achieving
* Academic Credentials get you in the door – and your Life Credentials
make you desirable
* Students/Families need to understand that the path to admission is
arbitrary and no one knows what a school is looking for in order to
‘Mold or Build’ their Freshman Class
* There is a Business Side to college admissions…
Ex. Early Decision (Binding) + Wait List (which are not need blind)
* Don’t have demonstrated disinterest – you need to check and complete
Common App supplements, and when things are optional – are they
really? Don’t be a Ghost Applicant
* Honesty is Critical – encouraging + realistic = be smart
* When talking about College Admissions if can be very dangerous to
speak/think in Absolutes
* So – you want to go to a Selective College –
What are they looking for anyways?
Per DUKE:
* The one’s getting admitted are following their interests – is part of their
personality. Be yourself – authentic / genuine.
* With extracurricular activities: if it is good for your self-development, it
is good for the college. Don’t be too busy doing and not being.
* Admissions try to look at a student in the context of her school
(geography + curriculum + type) to see how the student took advantage
of opportunities
* BIG for schools – after facing a challenge the student wants more and
now is looking for ways to go out and find/get it… and the student is
willing to go and make this happen for himself
* “Are there any churches left to be built in Nicaragua?” – Christoph
Guttentag, Dean of Admissions (6/27/13)
* Duke fills 44% of their class with Early Decision
* Call/email a school if you are wait-listed and it is your definite/1st choice
– and if you get in, you are going
*The Process Revealed:
What Are Colleges Looking For
Per UNC-Chapel Hill:
*They look at the following qualities when building a class:
intellect + curiosity + creativity + leadership + kindness +
courage + diversity
*What will you bring to their ‘Community’ – buzz-word @ UNC
*NC admission rate = 51%, out-of-state rate = 15%
*UNC is very supportive of a GAP Year (last year 40 admitted
Frosh did it) and they have a program that may provide
financial support. Students are considered on a case-by-case
basis for an admissions deferral
*Does not use demonstrated interest as an admission
consideration
*The Process Revealed:
What Are Colleges Looking For
Per University of Chicago:
* There is no magic formula for extracurriculars – they help the
college see what you are going to contribute to their community
* They like to see commitment over time more than lots
* Be honest when discussing/disclosing your time commitments – did
you have to work or take care of someone?
* They want problem solvers with a passion for learning who can
make connections (however novel) to come up with a solution –
someone who can take a problem and walk all the way around it
Per Northwestern University:
* 40-45% of class admitted through Early Decision (binding)
* Have to know/write about which school you want to enter
* Demonstrated interest very important – different ways to do this
*The Process Revealed:
What Are Colleges Looking For
Per Team harvardgeorgetownstanfordpennduke:
* Want students who are pursuing knowledge and not just the grades
– have academic curiosity
* They think of their campuses as a symphony which needs to be
made whole each year… sometimes they need more ‘oboes’ and
sometimes they have enough (and only they know the magic #’s)
* Looking for diversity in all forms – especially diversity across
interest and passions
* What is your story and how will you bring this to campus and why?
* What is it about the college and you that makes it a good match?
* Do not simply quote the admissions web-page… dig deeper
(specific programs/majors/etc. that you find intriguing and why)
*The Process Revealed:
What Are Colleges Looking For
“COLLEGE IS A MATCH TO BE MADE, NOT A PRIZE TO BE WON.”
FINDING YOUR BEST “MATCH or FIT”
• Educational Match… Does the school offer programs that match your
interest/needs/goals? Does the academic rigor fit your aptitude/prep?
• Geographical Match… Close to home or a different part of the country?
Rural or Urban? Ski or Surf?
• Social Match… Big School? Small School? Greek Life? Commuter School?
Diversity? Single-Gender?
• Spiritual Match… Does it offer a community that feels like home?
• Financial Match…In-State VS Out-of-State tuition, Public VS Private,
Aid, Housing, Travel, Fees
Fight the temptation to focus only on “name brand” schools
*Your List…
* Look at what your limitations are for your college search:
financial + geographical + academic
You don’t want to have the “It’s too far” or “We can’t afford it”
conversations with your folks in April/May of your Senior year
Start with a Big Prospective list and research (Web, visit,
interviews/conversations) to scale it down. Don’t marry too soon!
* You are urged not to send more than 6 or 7 applications
* Have a range that includes a: Safety + Target + Reach school and
make this list Vertical (Not Horizontal)
* How/When will you apply?
•
•
Institutional Application VS Common Application (App)
Early Decision(Binding!) VS Early Action (Single-Choice or not) VS
Regular Decision
College RANKINGS are seriously flawed – the only #1 school in
based on your criteria!
*Your List…
* The Counselor Rec is flood light (Macro) and the Teacher Rec is
the spot light (Micro)
* Select a teacher to write you a rec for specific experiences that
you had in her class. Remind her how she inspired you!
* At least 3 weeks before the deadline, ask the teacher if she can
write you a positive letter of rec?
- If YES, have a conversation to help her create this narrative
- One week later, write the teacher a ‘thank you’ note
* Talking about Negatives and Challenges in Recs can help to qualify
the Victories and Growth
* 1 extra rec usually OK from someone who really knows you well –
needs to offer a different perspective
*Recommendations
*Essays = 2-parts thinking to 1-part writing
*You need to use: self-reflection/introspection/own voice
*Don’t go into it thinking you need to impress – it is a chance
to give the application some color
*Think of something that happens everyday (common) as that
may better define/describe your true and authentic self
*What is the … thing you love to do? place you love to be?
person you love? – it should be more of a conversation about
what is your passion and gets you excited – the thing that,
when you talk about it, lights your eyes up!
*Don’t make the essay an excuse for something or why the
school should feel sorry for you (let your counselor do that)
*The College Essay…
*Have a hook in the 1st paragraph/early on
*It’s how you treat a topic to convey depth of thought – not
just using a thesaurus
*You don’t need to self-promote (let others do that!)
*Seek proof-reading from the reading specialist in your life
*An essay that a parent has gotten his or her hands on is a
great way to not get into the school
*Hot topic (mission trips + sports injuries) essays only work if
they are extremely well written
*NOT what you know about the college but what you will
bring to the college – so they know why you are a great fit
*Keep it PG/Appropriate but have Fun… be yourself
*The College Essay…
A Very Important Point to Remember…
*“Colleges are addressing their realties as they feel they
must - so must you, the applicant. Make sure you (and
your parents) understand it is the college who is holding
the cards. When all is said and done, good luck, but
remember, whatever they decide -- up or down -- says
little about you and everything about them. If you get
in, congratulations, they let you into their club. If you
don't, they didn't. But regardless of what they decide,
never let your self-confidence be determined according
to others' assessment of your worthiness. That decision
is yours, and yours alone.”
* Taken from Malcolm Gauld’s
Huffington Post Blog (3/29/13)