What Selectivity Means for You Understanding Admission Factors College admission officers across most of the nation report the same news: The number of applicants is rising, admission more competitive. Remember, "more selective" doesn’’t mean "better". Our society often associates exclusivity with higher value, but that notion isn’’t true for college. Find match with your interests, objectives, characteristics, and needs. Why Are Applications Increasing The increase comes from a surge in births during the 1980s. Children of the baby boomers are coming of age. Experts predict applications will continue to rise faster than openings at most colleges through about 2010. "Most schools are a little more selective than they were maybe 10 years ago," says Joan Isaac-Mohr, Vice President and Dean of Admissions at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. This can mean more pressure for students going through the application process. Benefits of Increased Selectivity There’’s a silver lining. As Isaac-Mohr points out, increased selectivity means better students are going to all colleges, broadening your choice of schools with a high-achieving student population. The number of applicants is rising, admission more competitive. Ann Wright, Vice President for Enrollment at Rice University in Texas, agrees. "There are lots of schools where students can be happy and successful," she says. Both experts encourage students and parents to consider a range of schools, rather than focusing on a single institution. Community colleges, for example, can allow you to spend two years improving grades or selecting a career focus before transferring to a four-year university. While you might be taught by a graduate student at a large university, teachers at community colleges are usually professors who primarily want to teach, not conduct research. Smaller class sizes and more access to professors at small public or private colleges can be a boost to students, while some may prefer the energy and variety of a large university. It’’s important for you to determine your needs and academic interests and select five or six schools that make a good fit. What Are Colleges Looking For As you prepare application materials, it can help to know what schools are really looking for in the piles of paperwork. Admission officers evaluate applications in different ways, depending on how selective, or competitive, their college is. The Levels of Selectivity At one extreme are "open admission" colleges. These schools require only a high school diploma and accept students on a first-come, first-served basis. Many community colleges have this policy. At the other extreme are very selective colleges. They admit only a small percentage of applicants each year. Most colleges fall somewhere in between --Less Selective: As many as 10 or 15 students apply for each spot at very selective schools. Less selective colleges focus on whether applicants meet minimum requirements and whether there’’s room for more students. Acceptable grades are often the only requirement beyond an interest in college study. The SAT I or ACT may be required, but test scores are usually used for course placement, not admission. --More Selective: More selective colleges consider course work, grades, test scores, recommendations, and essays. The major factor may be whether you are ready for college-level study. It’’s possible to be denied admission because of a weakness or a lack of interest in higher education. --Very Selective: As many as 10 or 15 students apply for each spot at very selective schools. Admission officers look carefully at every aspect of a student’’s high school experience, from academic strength to test scores. Since many applicants are strong academically, other factors — such as your essay — are critical. Although they receive a great deal of publicity, only a small number of colleges (fewer than 100) are this selective. Admission Factors Selective colleges consider these factors for admission: --courses taken --counselor/teacher recommendations --ethnicity --grades --application questions and essays --geographic location --grade point average --personal interview --alumni relationship --rank in class --activities outside the classroom --major/college applied to --admission test results --special talents and skills There’’s no general agreement about which of these factors are ranked more important. However, most admission officers place the most weight on your high school record. How Important Are Extracurricular (课外的) Activities The significance of activities has been exaggerated. While schools do consider them, they’’re looking to see if you’’ve shown a long-term commitment in one or two areas. Need-Blind Admission Most colleges have a need-blind admission policy. This means they decide whether to make an offer of admission without considering your family’’s financial situation. Other colleges are MORE sensitive; they do consider your family’’s financial situation in the admission process. These colleges know they can’’t satisfy the financial aid needs of all applicants. Some schools use need-sensitive admission when deciding to accept a borderline student or to pull a student off of the waiting list. College Application FAQs Do I have a better chance of getting in if I apply early Nadine K. Maxwell: Many students apply early decision because they believe that there is an advantage to applying early and that their chances of being admitted are greater. Actually this can vary from school to school and year to year and may depend upon the applicant pool at the school where you are applying. Do your homework first and check to see what percentage of the students in the previous graduating classes at your high school were admitted early decision to a specific college or university. Are you qualified to apply as early decision If you are, and this is a school you really wish to attend, then apply early decision. How much time should I give my teachers to write letters of recommendation for me Mary Lee Hoganson: Teachers should always receive a minimum of two weeks notice, prior to the postmark date. Be sure to ask in a way that allows a teacher to decline comfortably if he/she does not have time to do an adequate job. For example: "Do you feel you know me well enough, and do you have enough time to write a supportive letter of recommendation for me to ..." Give the teacher a stamped envelope addressed to the college, along with any recommendation form provided by the college. I want to send additional material that I think will support my application Is this OK Nadine K. Maxwell: It depends on what you want to send. Most colleges and universities read hundreds or maybe thousands of applications, and they expect to find the information that they need to make an admissions decision about you in their specific application form. It is OK to send an additional letter of information to explain something that cannot be explained on the application forms, but other items that students sometimes send are not helpful and may be viewed as trying to distract the admissions staff from the actual application. Talk to your guidance counselor about any additional items that you are thinking about sending. Their knowledge and experience will be helpful to you in this decision. Big size makes good college, is that right Nadine K. Maxwell: Big universities clearly have many benefits, but there are also a few drawbacks. For example, while you may enroll in a course with a professor that is well-known in his or her field, more often than not the course will mostly be taught by teaching assistants (TAs). The more distinguished professors are often focused on conducting research, publishing their work, and overseeing graduate thesis projects. If you’’re considering a large university, be sure to find out what percentage of classes are taught by TAs and how many are taught by professors. Another consideration is the red tape (烦琐的手续) often associated with big school administration. Though large universities offer countless courses, it’’s not so easy to take anything you want. If you’’re a psychology major, for example, taking a business course may require a half a dozen signatures or more. Again, when visiting the school, be sure to ask what is required in order to take courses outside of your major. Finally, while huge class sizes may be exciting for some, they can be overwhelming for others. Introductory classes at big colleges sometimes include hundreds of students, it an intimidating environment to ask a question, and all too easy to fall asleep, unnoticed, in the back of a lecture hall. While schools do consider extracurricular activities, they’’re looking to see if you’’ve shown a__________ in one or two areas.