Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
How do top colleges decide who gets admitted? I plan to apply to Harvard, Yale, MIT and Stanford next year and I am worried about the role of demographics in the selection process.
Signed,
Concerned student
Dear Concerned Student,
There is no question that it is getting more difficult for all students seeking entrance to elite colleges and universities. The admissions rates at all top schools are tightening — fast approaching the lower single digits.
First, let’s take a look at how things used to be. Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush made it into Harvard and Yale, respectively, mainly because their fathers were famous alumni. Although one might not call them the “best and the brightest” of their generations — to borrow a term — they were born into rich, famous families and were white males. It should be noted there were no diversity regulations in those days.
Many students used to be turned away from Harvard, Yale and Princeton, while less-qualified legacies were admitted. Today, the number of admitted legacies is falling, and lawsuits are expected to put an end to this historic practice. Almost every student must now meet the same academic standards.
Diversity changes have also made white males less dominant at top schools. Males now must compete against female applicants, and most schools are at parity with male and female admissions.
Elite colleges have steadfastly refused to expand the size of the freshman class to accommodate the growing number of qualified applicants. In fact, the Harvard faculty opposed past president, Larry Summers, when he asked to increase freshman enrollment.
Admission preference is often given to underrepresented demographic groups. Students typically admitted under this policy have lower academic qualifications than students admitted under regular standards. At many top schools, you will find that about 25 percent of the student body is in this category — about the same number that legacies used to be.
There are increasing numbers of well-qualified applicants in every admissions category. High schools do an excellent job of preparing students for top colleges and the number of students taking Advanced Placement classes and scoring in the top five percent on admission tests increased two-fold over the last 20 years.
So, no matter what demographic category you fall into, the competition is getting tougher.
What is the defining factor? Top grades and test scores still count the most. Your extracurricular involvement is also important, and application essays are still a deal maker or breaker. If you submit a less than stellar essay, plan on losing out to those who have spent the time to prepare interesting and insightful compositions.
In my 15 years interviewing candidates for Harvard, I always found there was “something about” the students who got in that stood out, no matter the demographic category in which they fell. In my opinion, the common link among students who were admitted was that they had submitted outstanding essays.
When the interviews were over and I wrote my evaluations, the one defining quality that set some students apart was, the high achievers seemed to have a grasp of the big picture and at least a general idea about a career goal. Once admitted about half of students change their majors by their junior year, so go in with an open mind.
So, what will set you apart and put you at the head of the admissions queue? You need to have top test scores and high school grades, write interesting essays and come across as an applicant who wants to succeed in the world.
Gerald Bradshaw is an international college admission consultant with Bradshaw College Consulting in Crown Point.
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