College Admissions in Layman’s Terms

Have you ever wondered how colleges go about picking who is accepted into colleges and who gets rejected? Maybe you've watched as a friend of yours tore open their acceptance letter and jumped up and down with glee because they got into the college of their dreams. Maybe you had great grades in high school and high SAT scores and are scratching your head because you just received a rejection letter from the college on which you had your sights set. It is important to realize that colleges do not make these decisions willy-nilly, even though at times it may seem that way. Believe it or not, there is a method to the madness.

What you provide in your application packet is key to the admissions process. Each college has its own unique application process, so it is important to examine the requirements closely so you don't leave anything out. Many universities ask that you submit one or more letters of recommendation and one or more essays. These submissions help the admissions staff at the college determine what kind of person you are and what factors set you apart, so be bold enough to clearly define your goals and what makes you come alive. They will definitely notice if your essay is full of grammar mistakes and misspellings or if you don't seem to be making a clear point.

Your college application will ask about your extracurricular activities, such as clubs, sports, community service and jobs, as well. Some applicants don't think to elaborate here, but admissions staff will want to see that the applicant is a well-rounded individual. A smarty-pants who did nothing for his or her school or community is not as strong of a candidate for admission.

Something to think about is that many colleges look far more closely at your academic performance in high school than your SAT scores, so hopefully you didn't think you could put your eggs all in that basket. Also, many colleges want to foster diversity on their campus and may give preference to minority applicants they believe will be successful at the college, to international students, and to out-of-state applicants from various regions of the country. It's also no secret that out-of-state students generally pay a much higher rate of tuition, and it's helpful for a university budget to admit them.

Even if a student is a strong candidate in all of these areas, universities still have to draw the line somewhere in how many students they admit, so if you get rejected after submitting a strong application, it may just be that there wasn't enough room at the inn, so to speak. That's why it's wise to spread out your applications to numerous schools and have a backup plan in case of rejection.