While academics are an important aspect of US applications, they are not the only consideration. Universities will have their own criteria for prioritising attributes and traits of applications which goes beyond GPA and SAT.
Often (but not always), US applications are reviewed by committee. This means that the entirety of the student’s application is considered: academics and beyond. They will typically score students for both academic achievement and personal qualities or activities. They will take into account quotes from the guidance counsellor and life experiences/ backgrounds that mean the person brings diversity to the student body.
It’s worth researching what the university values and what they’re looking to improve in their student body (e.g.: better gender ratios/ students from different socio-economic backgrounds/ students from different cultural backgrounds/ students with performance experience in music or theatre) to see if you could have a better chance applying to certain colleges.
Based on the committee’s consideration, a student’s application will be flagged in the admissions portal as accepted, holding for review, or denied.
Note: In recent years there has been a trend for admissions officers to place high value on what they call ‘grit’, which means resilience, or the ability to get through difficult times and come out the other end stronger and having learned something.
Most selective colleges and universities in the United States have holistic admissions. Grades and test scores are important (very important sometimes), but the institutions want to get to know you as a whole person. The final admission decision will be based on a combination of numerical and non-numerical information.
An explanation of holistic admissions in the USA:
Source: Northwestern Admissions: Applied Learning: Anatomy of a Holistic Review
How are applications reviewed
Watch the following video to understand how the applications are reviewed. Note: The video refers to John Hopkins University, but the tips presented in the video are useful for many applications to US institutions.
Admissions Tips: How We Review Applications
Source: Johns Hopkins University-Admissions
We encourage you to think of the following aspects when completing applications to US institutions:
* How are you engaged outside the classroom?
* What interests do you have?
* Where are you making an impact or taking initiative?
* How might you thrive academically and socially at a particular college campus?
Typical elements of an application
1. ACADEMIC RECORDS
Universities and colleges usually want to see your grades from Grade 9 onwards (in a transcript), together with predicted grades, a school report and a school profile.
To learn more about these documents, please click on the button below:
2. STANDARDISED TESTS
Universities and colleges usually want to see your:
* Predicted grades
* Results of standardized tests, such as SAT and TOEFL/IELTS
To learn more about standardized tests, please click on the button below:
3. EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, AWARDS AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Universities and colleges usually want to see:
* That you have engaged in extra-curricular activities
* That you have engaged with the community and that you have done community service
* That you have developed leadership skills
* Your awards and certificates
To learn more about extra-curricular activities, please click on the button below:
4. TEACHER LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (TLOR) AND COUNSELOR LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION (CLOR)
Universities and colleges usually want to read recommendations written by:
* Teachers
* Counselor
To learn more about letters of recommendation, please click on the button below:
5. PERSONAL AND UNIVERSITY ESSAYS
Universities and colleges usually want to hear from you directly as well (putting a face to the application). There are potentially three types of essays they might request:
* The "Describe yourself" question: With this type of question, the college is looking to get to know you better and to see how you present yourself. For example Tufts University used to ask “What makes you happy?”
* The "Explain why you want to attend our college or university" question: With this type of question, admission officers want to find out about your goals. They also want to know how serious you are about attending their school. Questions in this category include: “Why is this college a good choice for you?” “Tell us about your career goals and any plans you may have for graduate study.”
* The "Discuss an issue" question: Admission officers look at both how intelligent and how creative your answer to this type question is. They want to see your ability to think outside the box. Here’s an example from Denison University: “Do you believe there's a generation gap? Describe the differences between your generation and others.”
To learn more about these essays, please click on the button below:
Writing requirements by college (on Common App): This resource provides guidance to students on what writing questions they can expect within individual college questions! You can find it by clicking on the button below:
6. INTERVIEWS
Universities and colleges usually want to interview their applicants. The intent is to get a fuller sense of the applicant’s personality as well as their English skills.
To learn more about interviewing skills, please click on the button below:
What Impacts your chance of acceptance?
• Average SAT and GPA (or equivalent) that the university typically accepts.
• Competition quality - how your grades rank compared to other applicants.
• Competition volume - the number of people applying for limited spots.
• Academic preferences - for example: some universities weight SAT/ACT as more important than others.
• Beyond academics - your background, your essay, your participation in extracurricular activities can all influence your application. This depends on the university and what they are looking for.
Sources:
Guide to Universities in the USA, BridgeU LTD 2018.
Course applications
There is no maximum number of courses you can apply to at once (unless there are any restrictions from any early programmes) and they do not need to be in a similar subject (in fact, you can even apply undecided).
Steps to apply
Each university offers one or more ways of submitting applications:
Direct applications to universities (such as Georgetown University or MIT)
Common App (such as New York University)
University of California
Other portals
Application deadlines
Some courses have different deadlines, and many are a long time in advance of the start of the course. Find out which deadline applies to you, and what you need to do by that deadline. Remember that early programmes tend to be early in the academic year.
After you apply
If you are applying early or to a rolling admission, and get an admission offer, it is very likely that you will be requested to make a deposit to secure your spot (usually not refundable) - before the typical US "Deposit day" on May 1st.
Under no circumstance, can you make a deposit to more than one university simultaneously. If you are admitted to an Early Decision programme (ED), and there are no financial issues, then you must decline all other applications (worldwide) and commit to go to the university that admitted you in ED.
Each university will provide instructions on how to accept the admission offer and make the deposit. Once you have decided which university you will go to, please remember that it is common courtesy to write to the other universities that have admitted you to thank them and to explain that you won't be attending their institutions.