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“Colleges make their admissions decisions behind a cordon of security befitting the selection of the pope” (vii).

Colleges have thousands of applicants each year. Their process of picking students is very specific and secretive.  They have what kind of student they want in their mind and if you’re not it, you’re not going there.

This matters because students need to know how hard it really is to get into college. Students need to learn how to be more competitive.

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“You realize that, further down the line, a lot of these kids will end up applying and being denied” (5).

Again, colleges are very specific about who they let into their school. Thousands of students apply somewhere, and only a small percentage of them actually get in.

Student need to learn the percentages of students that actually get into each college. They need to understand that there may be a chance that they will get rejected.

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“Students should be ‘true to who you are’ rather than ‘write what you think a college wants to hear’” (37).

Students when applying to college, should not be fake or tell lies.  Students should be themselves and as honest as possible.  If one tells a lie, it will sounds like a lie to the college.

Students should learn to be themselves and not lie to colleges.  Colleges are looking for unique and original students to admit to their program.

Say

“And sprinkled among those applicants…should be more valedictorians, more students with high SAY scores, more science majors, more bassoonists…students of color…” (63).

Mean

Colleges look for a specific type of person.  Each college is different, but has a similar idea.  This quote explains the type of people colleges look for; well rounded students.

Matter

Colleges are looking for a certain type of student.  Each student needs to be competitive and learn to try their best in high school to be able to get into college.

SAY

“Wesleyan might decide to issue a string of rejection decisions to send a wake-up call to one of its longtime feeder schools” (65).

MEAN

Applying to college and the percent of applicants that colleges accept is one big competition.  A college is judged by the amount and type of students they accept.  Every college wants to be the best so they’ll do anything to prove that they’re the best.  

MATTER

Colleges will do anything to improve their college profile.  Therefore students and their admission might be affected.  Students need to go with the flow and not be let down.

SAY

“’The academic stuff seems marginally ok’…The question is, does a high rating in music, which takes a lot of time to develop, offset what is obviously a thin academic record?” (90).

MEAN

Academic success of a huge part of one’s application.  However, there are many other aspects of one’s application that can save someone and get them into college.  Different talents, etc. are examples of these other aspects of one’s application.

MATTER

Academic success is extremely important but students need to learn to show more. Show talents, etc. that may also help one get admitted to college.

SAY

“There is wide variation among colleges over how much to rely on committees to make admissions decisions” (94).

MEAN

Each college has a committee that determines the new students at that certain college. Each college has different types of people on each committee, thus resulting in the kind of student admitted to each college.

MATTER

Each college committee is different.  Therefore if a student is solely themselves, one can not go wrong. Students should not lie to colleges; that is very risky and wrong.

SAY

“…an academic rating, a personal rating and an overall rating, which was supposed to encompass the previous two” (95).

MEAN

There are technically three ratings for a college applicant.  An academic rating which measures one’s academic success, a personal rating which categorizes the students’ personalities and an overall rating which combines the other two ratings.

MATTER

There are three ratings for students from colleges. Each student needs to excel in each rating.  A well rounded student is much more likely to get into a good college for them.

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“Read faster, say no” (121).

This was a suggestion to an essay reader. An admissions officer needs to quickly read through essays and make a quick decision whether to admit the student or not.  One must also not be afraid to say no, if the person is not the right one.

This is advice to admissions officers.  One must learn to read essays fast and make quick decisions.  The officer must not be afraid to say no and must choose the right students.

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“Ralph agreed with this reasoning and wrote “Geo’ on his summary line, for geography” (130).

Colleges also look at trying to expand their geographical diversity. One’s home state can or may not help in the admissions process.  However, this is all up to the college.

Geography is important because this may really help a student to get into college depending on the location of the college. Colleges are looking to expand their geographical diversity.

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“She also had the advantage of being Asian American…also wanted to reflect the ethnic and racial composition of the country” (130).

Race and ethnicity are also really important in the admissions process.  Colleges are looking for a lot of diversity to expand their college profile.  If one is of a rare race, one may be a head up on the admissions process.

Race and ethnicity can also really help a student get into college.  Be yourself and this may help you immensely for getting into college. Colleges are looking to expand ethnicity aswell at their schools.

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“We are looking for socio-economic differences and personal value difference.  We are looking for the able young man, the versatile, the adventuresome” (152).

Colleges are looking for socio-economic differences amongst their students.  They are looking for unique and original students that will bring change.

Colleges are looking for socio-economic diversity.  Some advice to students may be to choose a college where one is the minority.  Rare and unique is good for college.

SAY

The committee had voted to reject Becca Jannol’s application to Wesleyan, without even giving her a chance on the waiting list” (183).

MEAN

Most colleges are very strict when it comes to who they do and do not admit to their school.  If a student gets on the admission officers’ bad side, they do not stand a chance.

MATTER

Colleges will not give students a second chance.  Choose the right path in high school and this will lead one to success.  Do not ruin a high school record, it will follow one to college.

SAY

“It had nothing to do with dope” (183).

MEAN

If a student has a bad pre-college record, it is very hard to get on a college’s good side.  They have to try extremely hard to prove themselves to the college.  Also they must prove that they have learned from their mistakes.

MATTER

Colleges look hard upon one’s high school record.  If a record is dirty, it is very hard to get into college.

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“Neither John Hopkins nor Wesleyan offered students scholarships based solely on merit” (212).

Colleges do not offer students scholarships based solely on merit.  There are a lot of categories that must be discussed before a scholarship is given out.  This includes family income, academic success, extra curriculars, etc.

Colleges do not only give scholarships based on merit.  Students must learn to be well-rounded and unique.  Students must be original and bring diversity to colleges. 

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“As much as she felt at home at Cornell, she felt alienated at Wesleyan” (233).

Students must pick colleges not solely by a college’s reputation, but by how comfortable they feel on the campus.  One must feel that they belong there and that they can be effective at the school they choose.

Students must really learn to pick the right college for themselves.  If they pick the wrong college, they will be miserable for the next four years.  That would not be effective for anyone.

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“There was nothing more she could do but wait” (234).

Once one applies to college, everything is out of their hands.  Once must sit back and relax while their fate is decided by the college admissions process.  The student needs to relax and not stress out.

Students must learn to relax and not stress out once they are done applying to college.  If a student stresses out, it will not be healthy for them and lead to a bad atmosphere.

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“This decision is, I have to say, hands down, the single most intimidating, scary-assed dilemma I’ve ever been faced with” (236).

Choosing a college for the next four years of one’s life can be a very difficult and scary decision.  There are so many things to think about, but one must not stress out, or else the process will be even more difficult.

Choosing a college is very hard.  Students must learn to choose the right college.  It will be a hard choice, but there are many people that will be more than welcome to help and support a troubled student.

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“It prohibited the members of its admissions committee from saying or writing words like ‘minority’ or ‘Hispanic’, and instead encouraged applicants to use their essays to discuss their ‘cultural traditions’” (269).

Admissions committees can not show racist or prejudice opinions towards their applicants.  Colleges must encourage their applicants to talk about their cultural traditions to promote diversity and differences.

Committees may not be prejudice towards their incoming students.  Students have every right to be unique and cultural.  Students should take this chance to prove themselves.

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“‘How exactly are we supposed to live life to achieve the greatest satisfaction’” (280).

Getting into the college of one’s dream is a great satisfaction.  However, each college has a different quota of their students. So how is one supposed to know how to live their lives?  One must just direct themselves in the right path and live well.

Students have to make many decisions in high school that will determine which college they get into.  They must choose the right path that will lead them to happiness and success.