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Jonathan HellandWhat Colleges Want
The admissions officers at colleges and universities have a nearly impossible task. They are asked to meet countless demands when they create a class of college students. The want an academically strong cohort, but spread out across every department. They can’t simply accept the students with the highest grades and test scores if it would mean taking in 500 prospective Math majors and only 3 Philosophy majors, for example. They are also charged with creating diversity on their campuses by recruiting students from different racial and economic backgrounds. Beyond that they need to appease some of their wealthy and powerful alumni by accepting some of their children and they need to ensure a vibrant student life by accepting students who can fill their sports teams and orchestra’s, who will act in their theatrical productions and start new and interesting clubs. For the university, college admission isn’t about your child, it’s about the class and the institution. This is why there is no way to guarantee admission into any particular university. Your child may be the best candidate in the world, and still not be what a college is looking for.
That said, there are some things we know colleges are always looking for in general.
Colleges want students who will say “yes” when accepted
One way in which colleges measure the success of their admissions team, and one of the ways that college rankings are determined, is “yield.” A college’s yield is derived by dividing the number of students who actually attend by the number of offers made to students.
Students can show that they’re likely to accept admission by showing what admissions officers call “demonstrated interest.” You can demonstrate your interest in a school in a number of ways, for example by going on a formal college visit (or participating in a virtual information session), or attending college events at our school. Both of these are most valuable for 11th graders.
In most cases, however, attending a precollege summer program at a school you want to attend is less helpful for gaining admittance to that school than people believe, but the better programs can be valuable activities in applying to any schools.
Some schools may even hesitate to accept a student who is over-qualified, for fear the student will choose a more prestigious school instead.
This is why so many schools ask for an essay explaining why a student wants to attend.
Colleges want students who will be successful in their school
Another way that college measure their success (and are measured by others) is by the academic and career success of their students. Statistics such as percentage of students who graduate on time, average income 5 (or 10) years after graduation, and rates of acceptance into the most prestigious graduate and programs matter a lot to colleges and to the people who evaluate colleges.
A student who fails out or drops out before graduation hurts the institution. A student who achieves success (or even fame) in their field helps the institution.
Yes, this is why schools care so much about your student’s GPA and test scores. They see those as indications of the work-ethic and intelligence to handle the rigors of their institution. It’s also why they care about whether or not a student had a rigorous and challenging schedule in high school.
That much is obvious. But you might overlook that this is also why colleges care about whether a student shows signs of genuine interest in their field of study. Passion, drive, and curiosity are every bit as important to success in college as intelligence, and college admissions officers know it. This is why so many schools ask for essays about academic interest, to see if the applicant is genuinely, intrinsically motivated to learn.
Colleges want students who will fit in with their campus culture
But that’s not all, they also know students will be happier and more successful if they fit in with the campus culture. Every college sees itself and its students differently, and this may have an effect on the type of students they recruit and accept. UCLA and UC Berkeley are very similar in overall quality, prestige, and academic rigor, but they rarely accept the same students because the type of student who fits their culture is slightly different.
Some schools want free-thinkers, some schools want future leaders, some schools want monomaniacal savants, and some schools want well-rounded polymaths. This differences in school culture can be reflected in how much they care about different components of the application, and they all come down to a desire for student who will fit in and contribute to the school’s culture and identity.
Colleges want students who will contribute something to their community
When I say colleges want someone who will fit in, I do not mean they want people who are all the same.
Universities are selling something other than an education. They are selling an experience. Many people say their college years were the best years of their lives, and with good reason. But the college experience: the parties, clubs, sports, games, arts, performances, and camaraderie that makes college a great experience has a lot more to do with the students than the teachers, staff, or campus.
Colleges need to make sure that, while they’re recruiting students to fill their academic classes, they’re also recruiting students who can compete in their athletic competitions, play in their marching band and orchestra, and act in their plays. They want students who will start and join clubs, who will participate in on campus festivals and activities.
Additionally, there is a greater and greater call for campuses to be diverse, to offer students a cosmopolitan college experience that exposes them to people from a variety of different backgrounds and lived experiences.
Not only that but many colleges will look for students who have worked to make their own communities better—through leadership, activism, or community service. It is safe to assume that students who care about others and gave back to their community in High School will do the same in college.
What you can do about it?
Every part of the college application is, in some way, designed to let colleges know if you’re the type of student they want, and the essays and letters of recommendation play a vital role in giving colleges a more complete and personal picture.
While it may be tempting for a student to try to present themselves as the type of student an elite university is looking for in reality it serves no one. If you trick a school into thinking you’re a good fit when you’re not, you end up stuck at a school where you won’t be as successful.
Instead, students should do these four things:
- Be honest on the application
- Research schools to find the ones that are a good fit
- Never take rejection personally
- Work hard to be the best version of your true self