Factors in the Admission Decision
Factors in the Admission Decision
The factors that admission officers use to evaluate applications have remained largely consistent over the past 15 years. Students’ academic achievements—which include grades, strength of curriculum and admission test scores—constitute the most important factors in the admission decision.
• Admission Offices Identify Grades, High School Curriculum and Test Scores as Top Factors: The top factors in the admission decision were (in order): grades in college preparatory courses, strength of curriculum, standardized admission test scores, and overall high school grade point average. Among the next most important factors were the
essay, teacher and counselor recommendations, class rank, and student’s demonstrated interest, which were all ranked similarly.
• Students’ Demonstrated Interest in Attending: For the past six years, NACAC’s (National Association of College Admisssions Counselors) Admission Trends Survey has documented colleges’ attention to applicants’ interest in attending their institutions as a factor in admission decisions. From 2003 to 2006, the percentage of colleges rating demonstrated interest as a considerably important factor increased from seven percent to 21 percent. Since that time, the percentage has held steady at just over 20 percent.
• Student Background Information: Between 20 and 25 percent of colleges rated race/ethnicity, first-generation status and high school attended as at least moderately important as factors that influence how the main factors in admission decisions are evaluated.
• Why Colleges Revoke Admission Offers: During the Fall 2008 admission cycle, 21 percent of colleges reported that they had revoked an admission offer, compared to 35 percent in 2007. The average number of offers that were revoked was ten. The most common reason that colleges indicated for rescinding admission offers was final grades (65 percent), followed by disciplinary issues (35 percent) and falsification of application information (29 percent).
• Verification of Applicant Information: It is rare for colleges to take extra steps to verify information that applicants provide on their applications or to search for information on applicants outside of the application. Only 15 colleges (five percent) responding to the Admission Trends Survey reported that they verify applicant essays. About eight percent of colleges reported that they review applicants’ social networking profiles.
