The work of the Admission Office drives the business model of the college!

I don't understand. My son got deferred while other students having lower GPAs were accepted.

I don't understand. My daughter got denied while having a 1520 SAT score.

I hear it often, and they're right. Most people don't understand how college admissions work.

First off, GPA and SAT/ ACT scores are applied to pass the application through the initial 10-second glance. For applicants who get into the system for further evaluation, the ultimate decision is made based on the importance of the remaining factors. Each college weighs the remaining factors differently. 

But let me be clear, applying "test-optional" is not an option for my students. Test-optional is a highly compromising application decision. The SAT score was more important this year than ever before.

Save-  "My child doesn't test well" for others. People at the college level translate "doesn't test well" to "don't prepare well." Test-optional is the easiest 10-second decision made with applications.  

Part 3- Factors Considered for Admission Acceptance

Understand, Admission counselors work for the college, not for you. They are employed to serve the business model of the college, which hinges on the conversion rate of acceptances to enrollments.

A higher conversion rate allows for lowered acceptance rates, allowing tuition costs to rise and scholarships to shrink. The work of the Admission Office drives the business model of the college. It's that important!

This equation is the essence of Enrollment Management. The admission counselors who manage it best get promoted, and the others get replaced. 

Once an application passes through its initial Pass / Fail decision on GPA and Test scores, all decisions defer to a combination of the following ten factors.

Five measurables-

1. Course rigor- measured by the gap between unweighted and weighted GPA
2. Essay quality- determined by its content meaning and writing quality
3. Student substance- determined by the real purpose of a student's chosen major
4. Activities- measured by the deeper meaning of performing each activity 
5. Senior year performance- measured by the first and second quarter grades

Five intangibles- 

1. Wealth position- measured by the family's affordability to pay the cost
2. Relationships- determined by the student's genuine engagement with the admission office
3. Cultural diversity- refers to the ability of a student to contribute to the college culture
4. Early applications- refers to submitting early applications and following up with the Portal
5. The serious interest of the student- factors in to supporting the "conversion rate"

• Randomly submitting applications will result in undesired outcomes; it's just a poor strategy.
• Being inattentive to the applicant portal will delay matters; there are no excuses.
• Submitting late applications with poorly written essays will result in denials; the cold-hard truth.