Who Gets In And Why – Book Highlights

1. Who Gets In And Why – BookHighlights Don’t we all wish we could be a flies on the wall in those college admissions committee rooms? Jeff Selingo’s insightful and detailed book,Who Gets In And Why, A Year Inside College Admissions is the next best thing to being there, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look into the opaque “holistic” college admissions process. In case you don’t want to read the whole book…I’ve provided my own takeaways, divided into four categories with main points and quotes for each: Big Picture Takeways, The High School Side, The College Admissions Business, and Your College Research & Application. The High School Side Course Rigor & Grades Are The Most Important Criteria To Ad Coms Take the most rigorous courses your school offers and that you can handle. Grades should either remain consistently excellent or go up, including Senior year.

2. ACT/SAT/AP Scores Still Matter, Sometimes A Lot Test scores are considered an important metric when coupled with courses and grades. When test scores are significantly higher than grades, Ad Coms question a student’s effort; when they’re significantly lower, they question the high school’s rigor (grade inflation). Testing is one element you actually have some control over as late as mid- junior year (unlike your courses taken and grades by that point). Test Prep works for increasing scores, but private tutoring is the more effective than classes. (I read the research and wrote a blog post on this.) The College Admissions Business Admissions Departments Are Marketing Departments (that lure you with slick branding and increasingly sophisticated data analytics). “Sellers are the ‘haves’ of admissions.” (typically a brand name that signals [prestige in the job market and in social circles.”Buyers are the “have nots.” They may even provide an equal or better education, but their admissions people actually have to work to “fill classroom seats and beds in dorm rooms” Your College Research & Application Craft Your College List Thoughtfully: Try To Avoid “Peer Effects,” and Slick Branding (per above). Do the due diligence that an $80K – $240K investment merits. Try to avoid getting caught up in rankings and prestige and focus on what matters to you. Ask a lot of questions from undergrads who attend schools that interest you as well as adults. If Demonstrated Interest Is Important, Demonstrate Yours “Many colleges trackhow many emails you open and how quickly, if you’re following them on social media, whether or not you go when rep visits your school, if you’ve toured the campus (assuming you can afford that).

3. College Essays Matter, But Not As Much As You Think Average total application read is 5-10 minutes, so essays are usually scanned. …Not in the book, but if you read my posts about writing the main Common App. Personal Essay & the one on writing supplements, you’ll be well on your way to writing great essays without spending a dime. Read More: Who Gets In And Why – Book Highlights