College Admissions

1
College Admissions

• Not all colleges are created equal.
• Some treat your SAT scores as a combined score,
  others will treat the critical reading and math
  scores separately.
• Some will make testing optional.
• Some will offer personal interviews, others will
  only offer group information sessions.
• Roll with the differences.

2
Evaluating Applications

• The ultimate goals for every college are the
  same
• 1. Admit a freshman class with many different
  dimensions.
• 2. Admit students who can successfully pursue
  both academic and extracurricular programs at the
  college/university.

3
Evaluating Applications

• Primary importance placed on
• High school grade point average
• ACT/SAT scores
• Strength and depth of high school curriculum
• ALSO important (and sometimes deciding) factors
  in the application
• Student Essay
• Teacher and counselor recommendation letters
• Activities Resume

4
Pearls of Wisdom

• Keep an open mind.
• Do not stereotype people or colleges.
• Be realistic, but do not be afraid to aim high.
• Seek advice, but make up your own mind.
• Do not rely on myths, rumors or anecdotes.
• Take the time to visit, research and really find
  the best match.
• Complete your applications thoroughly and on time.

5
Same Student Different Eyes

• Size of freshman classes varies from college to
  college.
• Number offered admission varies from college to
  college.
• Control is in the hands of the colleges in terms
  of what they are looking for.

6
Whats the Bottom Line?

• Because colleges want to build a variety of
  strengths and interests into the freshman class
  and in so doing to add geographic, cultural,
  ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity-applicants
  feel that they have been treated unfairly. The
  feeling on most selective college admissions
  committees is that the campus community is made
  vital and interesting by enrolling freshman
  classes that bring with them as broad a range of
  interests, talents, and diversity as possible.

7
Do the Math

• The simple math of the story is that
  applications are up and spaces are fixed.
• - Why Economics Makes Getting Into College So
  Hard, Fulton County Daily Report, 2006

8
Perfect Test Scores?

• In each of the past few years Harvard has
  received more than 500 applications with double
  800 scores and has accepted just under half of
  them.
• 
  - The New College Chaos, The Atlantic
  Monthly, 2003

9
The Essay Your Voice

• The essay is the most difficult part of the
  application for most students, but SHS has
  resources to help!
• Ambiguous writing prompts are designed to elicit
  how you think and to reveal your personality to
  the admissions staff.
• Be sure to answer the question.
• Use your own voice in the process.

10
Reality Check

• There are 25,000 high schools in the United
  States, each with a top ten list of students.
• 250,000 seniors apply to the same group of eight
  Ivies and highly selective schools.
• Top SHS students become typical looking in this
  group.
• Perfect scores on the ACT/SAT not unusual in
  this group.

11
No Guarantees for the Most Selective Colleges

• No one is entitled to admission to an Ivy League
  or Highly Selective School.
• This process is an art, not a science. There is
  no perfect equation that will equal guaranteed
  admission.
• Many top students across the country are denied
  admission to the most selective colleges each
  year.

12
Interesting Facts

• Only seven CEOs from the current top 50 Fortune
  500 companies were Ivy League undergraduates.
• Pomona College sent a higher percentage of its
  students to Harvard Law in 2005 than Brown or
  Duke.
• Princeton turned down 4 of every 5 valedictorians
  who applied last year.
• Dartmouth could have filled its freshman class
  with students with a perfect score in at least
  one SAT subject and had some to spare.

13
College Counseling News at Solon High School

• Last year, the Guidance Department processed
  1,688 applications to 345 colleges.
• Last year the average number of applications per
  SHS senior was four.
• Our class of 2009 graduates can be found on 117
  different campuses this year, 38 of which are in
  Ohio.

14
Last Minute Thoughts

• Remember, this college application process is
  unlike anything the student has experienced.
• The stress level for applying to college is high,
  but it is also an exciting time in students
  lives.
• The SHS Guidance Staff is dedicated to helping
  each and every student with the college research
  and application process.
• College is not a prize to be won, but a match to
  be found.