A Glimpse Inside the College Admissions Process

WGBH News recently intereviewed Ann McDermott, the Director of Admissions at Holy Cross about the Admissions Process. At Holy Cross they have an admissions committee that is expected to review 7,000 applications to fill 700 slots. They recently reviewed 23 applications and spent about 2 minutes on each application before deciding whether to accept or deny admission to applicants or to put the application on hold.

In the article linked here – A Glimpse Inside the College Admissions Process Ms. McDermott says offers a few tips on applications DO’s and DON’TS that can help your students stand out.

Tip #1: Engagement: Visiting the campus, having a Skype or phone interview with an admissions counselor, or sitting in on a class shows admissions counselors you’re interested in that particular school and gives them a chance to get to know you better in person.

Tip #2: Don’t “mail-it-in”: When it comes to the application, admissions counselors say the biggest red flag is a sloppy, half-baked essay.

Tip #3: Take time to reflect: Taking time to think about the kind of college experience you want can help you narrow down your list to schools that suit your personal and career goals.

These tips can’t guarantee that your students will get into their school of choice but they sure can’t hurt!