How the Admissions Office Works

If you’ve thought to ask this question, you’re definitely on the right track to understanding how admissions professionals think. They are trying to figure out how well you’ve done in relation to your immediate peers. What this means is that if the highest grade point average available at your school is a 4.0, you shouldn’t be intimidated by a friend at another school who is bragging about a weighted 4.5. Accordingly, you might say that students are judged against other applicants from their high school. That said, don’t stress over being ranked 4 compared to 6. If you’re at the top of your class, the differentiators increasingly revolve around extracurricular activities and intangible personal qualities. Admissions officers aren’t wondering why you weren’t ‘president’ or ‘editor in chief’ or ‘math team captain’ but they are looking to see that whatever you’ve chosen to do, you’ve really made your mark. First, admissions officers will compare you to your school context to be able to identify whether you have been able to stand out. Then they will compare your profile to the admissions pool at large. Unfortunately, just because you stand out at your school doesn’t mean you stand out compared to everyone who applied.

They might. The media is full of stories these days about students whose less-than-impressive antics have been revealed to colleges through social media. You can never be sure if a college will check your Facebook profile, so why risk it? Keep your public photos and comments PG-13.

Admissions officers like to see an "upward trend" in a student's grades. Freshman year, especially, can be a time of rocky transition for some kids, and grades from the 9th grade may not be a reflection of the student's true capabilities. If you're making progress by sophomore year, and even more in junior year (and taking a rigorous course load), colleges will recognize your improvement as a sign that you have matured intellectually and started to discover yourself as a learner.

Yes present and past applicants

The answer is: absolutely. However, the reality is that college admission offices don't have the time or staff resources to search every prospective student's Facebook page. That being said, it's important to remember that if your page isn't set to be private then everything you post is for public consumption. Use common sense when posting things on your page and shy away from anything that could be viewed negatively. Better safe than sorry.

I don't think there is any benefit. This is a question I get a lot from Asian and Indian students who obviously do not want to be held to a higher standard, but generally unless there was a compelling reason that went along with the whole application (like a philosophical argument against culturally created categories) I would not hide from it.

It has streamlined the process for students making it easier to get information and stay organized. The result is that more students are applying to more schools.

Twins or siblings applying to the same school are usually evaluated individually according to their own merit. Sometimes being a twin, or quadruplets can be used as a hook however. Just ask Yale.

Students are usually judged on the basis of there own context. The high school they attended is one piece of contextual information that would be the same, but there may be many other differences to consider.

Admissions officers are looking for students that will best thrive and contribute to the unique milieu at their college. Specifically strong grades in a rigorous curriculum along with strong standardized test scores are seen first. Then they look for well written and thoughtful essays, leadership in a community, athletic or artistic talent, and desire to attend. Basically, almost everything that makes ones a good friend, citizen, and person also makes them attractive to an admissions officer.