College Admissions 2012: Ain't what it used to be!

College Admissions 2012:  Ain't what it used to be!

Well-rounded white female with a 4.0 GPA in a rigorous college prep program and nearly perfect test scores from a "good family." In the "old days" such a candidate would have had piles of "fat envelopes."  Not so any more--the rules have definitely changed!  Why didn't she get in?

She is well-rounded.  Colleges are no longer looking for the well-rounded student but instead the "angular student" who doesn't try to do it all, but instead is extremely passionate about and talented in one or two areas.  Colleges today value "depth" over "breadth."  They are looking for special talents: for tackles to fill their offensive line, for flautists to play in their orchestras, for budding journalists to lead their publications. They want students with serious strengths in their choice of activities because those students will be more likely to contribute at the college level. They look to how a student has impacted his or her high school teams, clubs, and organizations for an indication of how they might contribute to college life. They are not looking for well-rounded students but instead to build a well-rounded class.

She is a girl.  Unlike 20 years ago, today females are applying to colleges in much greater numbers than males.  In fact most colleges today are working hard to keep their male-female ratio close. With the exception of engineering programs, most colleges are in the 45% male to 55% female range and many schools are much more lopsided. Not only are more females applying, but they tend to be better applicants:  they get better grades, they are better organized, they write better essays, and tend to do a better job on their applications. Therefore the competition for girls is significantly greater than for boys.

She is white.  Colleges are looking for ethnic diversity. As the United States becomes more diverse, colleges want their student bodies to reflect that diversity.  While Asian Americans have sometimes been overrepresented on college campuses, admissions officers are working hard to find qualified African-American, Hispanic, and Native American candidates.

She is Upper Middle Class.  Colleges are also looking for socioeconomic diversity and are bending over backwards to even the playing field for anyone who has not had a privileged upbringing. Today being the first in your family to go to college or coming from an impoverished inner city school can give an applicant an advantage.  Forgo the expensive summer program and certainly don't advertise international travel experiences.  Avoid any indication of privilege.

She is from the Northeast.  Colleges are also looking for geographic diversity.  Colleges tend to draw more students from the region in which they are located and the Northeast boasts a majority of the most highly selective and well-known institutions.  Colleges also want to report that every state in the nation is represented.  While it is probably not worth moving to Idaho, the Ivies certainly do see fewer applications from Idaho than New York.

The process at the most selective colleges is ridiculously competitive and often unpredictable.  Let's take Harvard admissions, for example.  This year Harvard admitted 2,032 students or 5.9 percent of its 34,302 applicants.  This year's pool included 3,800 students who were ranked number one in their high school class. Roughly half of those 5% admits were of the opposite sex, so that takes and individual's chance of admission down to roughly 3.  Then if you take out special interest groups (recruited athletes, legacies, development cases, underrepresented minorities), the chance of admission drops down to about 1.5 in 100!

It is not so bleak!  There are over 3,000 colleges in the country and of those, 80% accept the vast majority of their applicants.  So develop your (or your student's) passion and special talent(s), do your homework, and be realistic.  After all, going to Harvard does not guarantee success and happiness in life and there are plenty of people who have gained both success and happiness without an Ivy League degree.