Operation Inform

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The State University of New York
Operation Inform
What Makes a Good Application to SUNY
www.suny.edu/student
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• What Makes a Good Application to SUNY?
• Todays presentation is intended to help our
  friends in
  
• the secondary school community provide advice
  to
  
• prospective students and their families about
• opportunities for admission at various SUNY
  colleges.
  
• Todays Presenters

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• Todays Program
• Review some general background information
• about selectivity
• Panelists will review actual applications and
  discuss their
  
• Campus approach to application review

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•  
• Topic is important because
• Families have expectations that school
  counselors
  
• KNOW where their students will be admitted
• Today SUNY is a different place than many parents
  
  
• remember
• With cost of college increasing, more families
  are looking
  
• at SUNY

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•  
• SUNY is becoming more selective!
• Increase in applications has increased
  selectivity
  
• More students want SUNY and we want to find a
  place for
  
• each student
• Selectivity varies by institutional mission, by
  demand for
  
• spaces and by availability of facilities

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• Why is SUNY more selective?
• Applications are increasing throughout the
  system
  
• Retention rates are very strong and growing,
  consequently
  
• spots are not opening up because students leave
• Academic reputations are excellent
• Costs are affordable
• Outcomes are admirable

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• Why is SUNY more selective?
• Community Colleges are becoming first choice more
  students
  
• Honors Programs
• Excellent transferability of courses
• Even at open-enrollment colleges, some programs
  are
  
• highly selective
• Allied health programs
• Dental hygiene
• Programs with limited tools and lab spots

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• Why cant SUNY simply grow
• to accommodate the increased demand?
• Accreditation may require mandated
  faculty/student ratios
  
• Budgetary constraints on-campus and state-wide
• Lack of credentialed faculty in some disciplines
• Facilities cant be built fast enough
  classrooms,
  
• residence halls, labs, tools and computing
  services
  
• Mission review and protection of taxpayer
  dollars
  
• Wheels of academia move slowly

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• Help is available!
• Guidebooks provide profiles of average enrolled
  students
  
• SUNY Website has stats
• Gauge students chances for admission based on
  where they fall
  
• in the mid-50 range
• If they are above, their chances are good for
  admission
  
• If they fall below, consider what else the
  student has to offer the
  
• campus leadership, special talent, diversity or
  special
  
• circumstances.

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• Help is available!
• SUNY viewbook and website have a great deal of
  information.
  
• Recruitment Response Center 1-800-342-3811
• askSUNY_at_suny.edu

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• Mid 50 Range
• 50 of the incoming class falls within this
  range
  
• 25 have higher stats
• 25 have lower stats

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Many other aspects of application are taken into
consideration

• Potential for success
• Preparation (BOCES courses, Tech Prep, College
  Prep)
  
• Rigor of courses
• Improvement in performance Trend of grades
• Maturity
• Fit with the campus mission

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• Building a Community
•  
• Within the mission of the institution, some
  students will
  
• be admitted to build the type of community that
  reflects
  
• New York State AND the campus unique needs
• Campus wants to build an honors program
• Orchestra needs a trumpet player
• Football team needs a QB
• Student organizations need leaders
• Campus needs writers,artists, actors, musicians
• Community want representatives to ensure ethnic
  and
  
• cultural diversity socioeconomic and geographic
  diversity
  

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Making a Case for Admission  

• If students record falls below the institutions
  mid 50, the
  
• student may need to present their case.
• Be sure to check with each school to determine
  what
  
• mechanism they use to consider special talents,
  special
  
• circumstances, exceptions to their levels of
  admissibility
  
• Interview
• Essay
• Portfolio review
• Audition
• Teacher, Guidance Counselor or Coach
  recommendations
  
• Creative writing samples
• Explanations of life situations that have
  affected them

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• Lets make admissions decisions
• Decisions are made within the context of each
  institutions academic range of admissibility
  
• Their level of competitiveness (demand for
  positions in their school)
  
• Their assessment of the students likelihood of
  success/perseverence.
  

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• Case studies 
• Smithtown High School Long Island
•    3.85 GPA
• 84 rank in class
• 550 Verbal 520 Math SAT (1070 total)
• College preparatory curriculum
• Accelerated throughout HS in History
• Strong extracurricular activities
• Particular focus on music. NYSSMA participant,
  active in band, requested an audition with the
  music faculty
  

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B. Williamsville East High School Williamsville
95 GPA Top 7 of his class 7 AP c
ourses by the time he graduated
700 Verbal 800 Math SAT (1500 total)
Active in school varsity soccer, band,
National Honor Society, math club, peer leader
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C. St. Joseph Academy Brentwood, Long Island
2.26 GPA Rank in class not computed
450 Verbal 480 Math SAT (930 total)
Life altering trauma brain tumor diagnosed
in freshman year Uptrend in grades in junior and
senior years (2.89 as junior, mostly As and Bs
senior year.) Excellent essay on how the trauma
affected her life
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D. Wheatland-Chili High School Scottsville
86 GPA 78 rank in class Co
llege preparatory curriculum, AP history in
junior year 25 ACT score (1140 SAT equival
ent) Wide range of extracurricular activit
ies drama club, vocal music, student
government, peer leader  
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E. Elmira Free Academy Elmira
81.7 GPA 390 Verbal 500 Math SAT (890 total)
59 rank in class College preparatory curriculu
m Regents track Uptrend in grades 88.5 in 4 st
rong regents level courses in senior year
School he applied to does not collect
supplemental information, thus no information
available on extracurricular activities or
community service.
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Question and Answer

• Thank you