09
Jan 09Good thing part of my admissions essay was about ultimate frisbee.
The Daily Beast has a good story about the college admission process, and it’s pretty funny–turns out I accidentally made a decent applicant, even independent of being “underrepresented” (left-handed Korean-American adoptee in the midwest).
Some middle-tier schools will reject top applicants, too. Kids that should have no trouble getting in. But the admissions officer’s attitude is, ‘Oh, he just applied here as a safety. He’ll never come.’
–Former admissions officer, Ivy League universityOne year I had a student with a near-perfect SAT score and straight A’s. I’d originally put him in the submitted pile, but then we had to reduce the list. I reread his essays and frankly, they were just a little more boring than the other kids. So I cut him.
–Former admissions officer at elite, small liberal arts college in the Northeast, age 25We were always looking for candidates from underrepresented groups. So if you are just a typical white girl from New Jersey and your application didn’t pass muster, it was relegated to the reject pile without a second thought. With a minority kid with the same stats, you just can’t do that. They always warrant a second or even third look.
–Former admissions officer, elite, small liberal arts college in MassachusettsThere’s an expression in admissions circles: the thicker the file, the thicker the kid.
–Current admissions officer, Ivy League university
Of course, there’s a bit of discretion involved in making decisions:
One night, I got food poisoning at a restaurant in Buffalo. The next day, I rejected all the Buffalo applications. I couldn’t stomach reading them.
If the [Pittsburgh] Steelers lost a game and I read your file the next morning, chances were you weren’t getting in.
Athletes’ applications at most schools go through a special committee. [...] That way the coach can push for the people he really wants and make sure they get a spot.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I’m not super surprised by these, but it is pretty disheartening.
That said, I always check the “Asian/Pacific Islander” box.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
hahaha man. thank god i’m a female, because otherwise i’d be up shit creek completely.
i think my beloit essay was a recycled one from knox’s application.
also, working in beloit admissions was eye-opening, but not in the creepy ways described in the second set of excerpts.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I always suspected the last one (see: Grazia, Paul).
January 9th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
haha