This school year, our counselors are inviting parents for a meet-and-greet opportunity to enjoy coffee and conversations related to the college admissions landscape. On Friday, November 1st, we will offer our first session (7:30-9:00 a.m.), discussing the holistic admissions process in the United States, which contrasts sharply from the colleges/universities abroad. In particular, our dialogue will be most informative for first-generation college applicants, as well as families with an international background who may be unfamiliar with the process here.
Generally speaking, the most selective universities and colleges in the United States consider more than grades and test scores when accepting applicants. Instead, they use a holistic approach, which according to ThoughtCO, can be defined as an emphasis on the whole person, not select pieces. As such, elite colleges lean heavily on extracurricular activities, personal essays, letters of recommendation, demonstrated interest, and college interviews to weigh the merit(s) or detractor(s) of each student. Colleges want to admit exciting students who will contribute to the campus culture in meaningful ways. Thus, under a holistic admissions policy, a student with a 4.0 GPA might be denied while an award-winning athlete with a 3.4 GPA might get accepted. The student who wrote an outstanding essay might get preference over the student who had higher ACT/SAT scores but produced a mediocre essay. In general, holistic admissions take into account a student's interests, passions, special talents, and personality, and not simply quantifiable measures, such as GPA or SAT/ACT.
To get a bird's eye view of the admissions process, check out Today's Show, where their reporters were allowed to peer over the shoulders of Grinnell College's admissions staff in 2014, as they sorted and evaluated applicants across the nation. Although the clip can be stressful to watch, it also liberates the viewer, knowing that the decision is completely out of one's control, and as such, students and families can relax and enjoy the process as much as possible. We encourage you to watch the clip, take notes, and come prepared to ask questions on November 1st; we are fortunate to have highly seasoned counselors here at HHS, and we are prepared to take the edge off in the college process.
