Here at Application Nation, we have the privilege of working with students from hundreds of high schools.
We see it all. Whether we support students as they plan their high school courses, develop their college lists, brainstorm essay topics, or navigate the application process, we also engage with hundreds of colleges. As we do, we see the impact of institution-specific instructions, “surprise” supplemental essays, too-heavy caseloads among school counselors, and a deluge of college marketing materials wooing applicants whose profiles do not match those of an institution’s accepted students.
But we also see incredible resources that colleges and universities offer students and their families navigating the college admissions process for the first (and often only) time. What can often be an opaque process grows a little more transparent thanks to the work of so many student-centered admissions teams.
RELATED READING: Why Students Matter to Admissions Officers
On behalf of hundreds of students and families, a huge thank you to:
1. Colleges with detailed profiles.
Wesleyan University’s data-heavy class profile sets the bar. For years, Wesleyan has been offering insight into its most recently admitted class, including the percentage of applicants who took calculus or physics. The University of Delaware makes its preference for the fourth year of a foreign language clear in its admissions requirements. Course planning holds the power to keep doors open or unwittingly close them, making these resources priceless to younger students looking to understand why physics might matter for humanities fans or world languages for aspiring engineers. We all turn to these resources frequently to offer encouragement or affirmation. Thank you!
2. Colleges that deny in their early rounds.
Yes, denials hurt. But clarity is a gift, an act of kindness. With a denial, students are encouraged to adjust their lists and turn their attention elsewhere.
3. And while we are at it, colleges that share deferral rates, like Yale.
Even better, the very few schools that include historic acceptance rates for initially deferred students. Again, clarity is a gift. Imagine if all schools included such statistics moving forward. To those very few who already do, thank you.
4. Colleges that provide test-optional submission and acceptance data.
Few schools include both, making “test-optional” ever murkier. Yet Auburn University makes its “test-preferred” stance crystal clear. Tufts’ student newspaper shared the percentage of applicants submitting scores and the percentage of accepted students submitting scores. Correlation is not causation, but for students with test scores, seeing how testing has played out at a particular school can help them decide how to navigate what has become one of the most convoluted application decisions.
5. Colleges with clear deadlines and directions.
A huge thank you to the colleges and universities whose materials guide students through questions that arise just as final deadlines loom. The University of Vermont differentiates between its application submission deadline for students and the “application completion” deadline for supporting documents (like recommendation letters and transcripts). The University of Minnesota regularly runs a website banner with updates on holiday hours, reminders about supporting materials deadlines, and even instructions for updating SAT/ACT scores. Thank you for these additions. They ease student fears and, perhaps, prevent a few frantic emails and phone calls to offices.
6. Colleges that offer programming outside of school hours.
From mini open houses to evening discipline-specific virtual sessions to weekend tour dates, these programs are priceless. Missing school for school-day tours and info sessions is hard. Finding a day off from work as parents can be even harder. Reed College’s “Reed in 20 Minutes,” College of Wooster’s “Scot Saturdays,” and Lehigh’s live “Virtual Preview” evening sessions are just three examples among dozens, but each is a gift to students and their families alike.
READ MORE: Applying to College? Here's the Secret to Getting In
Thank you to the hundreds of colleges that make students feel valued. Not just the ones with warm coffee in the admissions office but the ones whose efforts bring just a little more clarity to the daunting task of applying to college.
Please keep filling those profiles with illustrative details. They help students see themselves (or not) in a future applicant pool. Keep including clarity in those denial and deferral letters so that students know to pivot. Keep adding critical dates and specific policies to websites so students can follow them. And keep offering those evening and weekend sessions so students (and their families) have that chance to “step” onto campus and solidify their plans. Thank you. We hope more colleges find ways to follow your lead.
