After I told her that high GPA and high test scores – TOEFL, SAT, GRE, ACT,
etc. -- are no guarantee of admission to elite, excellent, or other top U.S.
universities, an exasperated Chinese student (who is my client) asked me the
following question. She was laughing, but her tone of voice was very
impatient, even demanding: “OK, what are the . . . the . . . things that will get
me into a good school?!” She meant “variables”, not ‘things’. And she asked
an excellent question.
Another Chinese-Canadian client told me that one of the major topics of
conversation on the Chinese-language college chatsites is why students were
rejected by top U.S. schools. He told me this: “Many students wonder why
they did not get an acceptance letter even though they had very high grades
and excellent test scores on their TOEFL or SAT or whatever.”
Well, the truth is that admission to elite or excellent or very good U.S. schools
– the Top 200 on the U.S. New and World Report list – is a game of chance. In
fact, admission to U.S. schools is a lot like poker.
YES: High GPA and test scores are absolutely necessary. But they are only the
ante into the poker game: they are the price you pay to play the game or get in
the door to the Admissions Office. GPA and test scores are just like a movie
ticket or a ticket for a ride at the amusement park: you must pay the price of
admission before you are allowed to go in. However, there are many other
“things” or variables that the admissions officers will or must consider.
My favorite story about admissions is the one I call The Princeton Trombone.
Too many years ago, when I was at Boston College, I went to Princeton
University to visit my older brother, Bob. On a Saturday in October, with sun
sometimes shining through autumn clouds, we went with one of his
roommates, David, to cheer for the Princeton Tigers at the Princeton-Rutgers
football game. Before the game started, the Princeton marching band came
onto the field to entertain us, the local fans. That band is famous, even
notorious, for its excellence, its very high degree of musicality, and for its
playful antics. The band also marched on at half-time, and was even more
outrageously funny.
During half-time, David told us the following story. His Lady-Friend worked
in the Admissions Office. The admissions reps had finalized a first,
preliminary list of students who would receive either a letter of admission or
a letter of rejection. But then the musical director of the Princeton marching
band came into the admissions office. He told the admissions staff: “I need a
trombone player.”
It turned out that his first trombone player was graduating the next year. And
of course the Princeton marching band had to maintain its standard of
excellence. So the Admissions officers stopped discussing their letters of
admission or rejection. They began going back through all their applications,
to try to find a trombone player who was at least minimally qualified to earn a
letter of admission to Princeton.
I am certain readers understand what this means: Even if you are qualified for
a seat in the freshman class at a Top 200 school, you might get bumped out of
that seat – rejected -- because someone else is needed for whatever seemingly
arbitrary reason: your race or color or your extracurricular activities or legacy
considerations (did your daddy or mommy attend Princeton?). Or your
required admissions essays or your letters of recommendation or your
part-time jobs and your financial need? Or special talent or the volleyball
team needs a tall player or the football team needs a linebacker.
So you, the Chinese student, must deal with this fact, if you please: Even very
high GPA and standardized test scores are crucial, but they will not – repeat,
not – assure you of admission to a to U.S. school. You might want to study the
trombone.
Word count Part 1: 680
Part 2
So! What can you do to increase your chances of admission as an undergrad or
grad applicant to top U.S. schools? Here is a list of “things” for
undergraduates to consider:
> The “Asian Quota” at elite U.S. universities and colleges. Und so weiter.
More to come
Here is a list of “things” for college or university students to consider as they
apply to graduate schools: Und so weiter. More to come. Sieh aber die
folgenden::
The minimum graduate admission requirements are: (1) a bachelor’s degree or recognized
equivalent from an accredited institution; (2) a satisfactory scholastic average, usually a
minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and (3) enough
undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field. Satisfying minimal
standards, however, does not guarantee your admission, since the number of qualified
applicants far exceeds the number of places available. As a result, many well-qualified
applicants cannot be accommodated.
Admission decisions are based on departmental review, using a combination of factors,
including academic degrees and records, the statement of purpose, letters of
recommendation, test scores, and relevant work experience. Berkeley also considers the
appropriateness of your goals to the degree program in which you are interested and to the
research interests of the program’s faculty. In addition, consideration may be given as to how
your background and life experience would contribute significantly to an educationally
beneficial mix of students.