1. Junior College Planning Ellen Masten, NCC Director of College Counseling York School

3. How are admission decisions really made? Each college and university has its own system to determine the fit of an applicant for admissions to their freshmen class. However, there are some general criteria many selective colleges and universities use to determine who to admit to their school.

4. Academic Profile: Student’s transcript School’s Profile Other academic factors Personal Profile: Activity List - Resume (supplemental essay) Performances GPA – upward trends Essays: personal statement, other supplemental essays SAT I or ACTLetters of Recommendation: 1 math/science 1 English/history/language 1 counselor AP & SAT Subject Exam Scores Activity List - Resume College Applications include:

5. Awards and honors (athletic, artistic, musical, civic) Quality and depth of involvement Leadership Community services Impact student’s involvement has had on school and/or community Scholar-athlete Work experience or other responsibilities Building your Resume.

6. Alumni, faculty, and staff connections (Legacy) Cultural awareness/experiences Socioeconomic and educational background First generation to go to college Low economic family background Economically disadvantaged region Underrepresented minority Underrepresented high schools Personal disadvantage Academic diversity Military veteran/Peace Corps, American Corps, etc. Personal Background

7. Overcome personal adversity Overcome an unusual hardship Learning Differences Language spoken at home/ESL Frequent moves/many different schools Extenuating Circumstances

8. Demonstrated interest in college Met representative who visited York Visited college/university during a break or over the summer Contacted the admissions office for literature or an interview Good match – (Supplemental essay question) Showed that the school was a good match in supplemental essay or statement Showed you did your research and found schools that match your interests, values, etc… Fit Considerations

9. Context Student comparison Rigor of the course load and selection Intellectual independence/enthusiasm for learning/risk taking Creativity/other talent Concern for others/community Leadership potential/maturity/responsibility Recommendations 2 teachers & 1 counselor

10. Academic recognition and awards Artistic, writing, and/or other talent Depth in one or more academic areas Evidence of academic passion Grasp of world events Independent academic research Intellectual curiosity Writing quality: content, style, originality, risk taking Evaluative Measures looked for …

11. o Good students with increased level of achievement o Something unusual or an identifiable point of excellence o Sustained commitment o Increased level of responsibility o Leadership or leadership potential o Community involvement o Positive image / personal traits o Academic potential and passion Admitted Students Things they have in common

12. “What’s the Bottom Line?” “…Admissions decisions often reflect the effort on the part of an admissions committee to ‘build in’ diversity, and that sometimes results in some students with better ‘numbers’ (i.e. SAT scores or class ranks) being denied in favor of students who can bring a special talent or geographic, cultural, ethnic background to campus...” Princeton University

13. Don’t forget to attend your initial college appointment and then set up your parent meeting this Feb or March. Questions?