The Common Application has made it easier to apply to many colleges. Photo: sign in the admissions office of a Pennsylvania college.
The advantage of the Common Application is that it is the same for numerous colleges, and can save time and trouble for a student. It is accepted at 488 colleges out of several thousand, but only a third of the 488 use it exclusively, meaning that two-thirds allow an applicant to submit either the Common Application or the school's specific application form.[167][168] According to Hernandez, many admissions officers complain that the Common Application stifles creativity and encourages "dull responses", and she recommends that students use the college's particular application when there is a choice.[167]
Interviews[edit source | editbeta]
Admissions office of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.
There are differing recommendations about the importance of interviews, with the consensus view that interviews were overall less important than college admissions essays, but should be done if they were offered.[69] One counselor suggested that if an interview was offered by a college admissions program, then it was not really optional but it should be seen as a requirement––not going to such an interview could be detrimental to a student's chances for admission.[10] One counselor suggested that a student try to get an interview, even if it was not required, since it might help "exhibit character strengths" that might not show up via grades on high school transcripts.[75] Several reports noted that most Ivy League schools have abandoned the interview requirement, but that if there is an opportunity for an interview, even with an alumnus of the college, then it is a good idea to do it since not doing it signals a lack of interest in the school.[10][169] Knowing a college can be helpful during an interview, so that an applicant can say something specific about the school, or a professor who teaches there, or a subject or internship opportunities, since it shows sincere interest.[14][169] Counselor Donald Dunbar suggested that a goal of interview preparation should be present oneself as "comfortable with spontaneous conversation" and being able to talk about interests without sounding like the answers were prepared in advance.[170] He suggested it was important to show intellectual passion and loving learning with a deep excitement,[171] and show "social maturity" with sensitivity, empathy for others unlike oneself, and concern for issues larger than personal career ambitions.[172] He advised that an applicant's attitude should not be what can the college offer but what can the student offer the college,[173] and to avoid asking questions about facts which are better answered elsewhere,[174] and to show an openness to new ideas, an ability to work cooperatively with others, ambition, and caring about others.[175] Counselors suggest that interviewees should be ready for sometimes provocative questions to test social sensitivity; Dunbar suggested that if an interviewer asks a "baiting or leading question", an applicant should respond by laughing while politely disagreeing with the perspective, and to keep trying to enjoy the conversation with the interviewer.[176] Dunbar advised that applicants should avoid sounding snide, annoyed, contemptuous, and avoid describing oneself as humiliated, bored, depressed, angry, shy, inhibited, anxious, frightened, and frustrated,[177] and should be upbeat but avoid going for the hard sell.[177] Another report suggested that shy or timid applicants were at a disadvantage.[178] Hernandez suggested that visits by college admissions personnel to the high schools were a waste of time for colleges, since there was not enough time to get to know specific applicants.[179] In addition, she felt that personal interviews were generally overrated, although she noted that many Ivies have alumni interviews which can help in borderline situations.[169] Hernandez suggested that a student try to find a common bond with the interviewer, and send a brief follow-up letter afterwards.[20] Interviews rarely matter at big colleges but may be more of a factor at small liberal arts colleges if offered:
Our advice is that if offered an interview, a student should take it ... And they should dress as if they are going to dinner with their grandparents. The biggest faux pax comes in inappropriate dress for both sexes. Spaghetti straps, buttons that pop open. For boys a rumpled T-shirt.... If you look in the mirror and you think you look good, change your clothes. This is not a date.
—Mamlet and Vandeverde[96]
Essays[edit source | editbeta]
There are differing opinions about the importance of the college essay. The consensus view is that the essay is less important than grades and test scores, but that an essay can make a difference in some instances,[10] often at highly selective colleges where they can "make or break your application."[132] There was one report that essays were becoming more important as a way to judge a student's potential,[132] and that essays have supplanted personal interviews as a primary way to evaluate a student's character.
Generally counselors recommend that the essay should not be too long, such as over 500 words. The Common Application suggests 250 to 500 words in length.[180] One advisor suggested that an essay longer than 700 words risked "straining their patience,"[181] but the 500-word suggested maximum length is not a hard–and–fast rule, and what's important is honing and rewriting:
Writing is easy; rewriting is hard. And essays deserve to be rewritten several times. Lots of kids think the objective is to write about something that will impress the admission office. In part that is true, but what impresses an admission officer is an essay that conveys something positive about the applicant; that allows the committee to get to know the kid just a bit from those few pieces of paper. The essay is an opportunity to provide a different perspective about the applicant, a reason to accept a kid. It is an opportunity not to be wasted.
—Steve Cohen in The Washington Post, 2011[10]
Advisors suggest that the essay should be concise, honest (with no embellishments), coherent, not boring,[18] accurate, evoking vivid images, revealing a likeable[18] and smart individual, with cautious use of humor, and possibly touching on controversial topics but in a balanced way.[181] Other tips include avoiding jargon or abbreviations, overly emotional appeals, profanity or texttalk (example: Schools H8 2 C texttalk), or artiness (e.g. poetry in an application)[18] or being cocky.[14]
Former guidance counselor for students at Andover and college admissions authority, Donald Dunbar, suggested that essays must emphasize personal character and demonstrate intellectual curiosity, maturity, social conscience, concern for the community, tolerance, and inclusiveness.[182] He advises don't just "be yourself", but show your "best self",[183] and that demonstrating class participation suggests a "willingness to go beyond selfishness" and shows enthusiasm for learning.[184] Alan Gelb suggests that the only no-no is "shameless self-promotion".[185] Topics to avoid include babysitting experiences, pets, encounters with illegal drugs or alcohol or criminal activity,[186] excuses to explain a low grade,[186] stories about a former home or big brother or sister,[187] simply listing achievements,[186] expressing thanks for being chosen as a leader, talking about a "wilderness leadership course,"[188] general complaining or whining,[186] racism or sexism or disrespect for groups of people,[186] bad taste or profanity or vulgarity or bathroom humor,[186] early love or sex experiences,[186] criticism or disrespect for parents,[186] telling only jokes,[186] excessive bragging or too many instances of the "I" pronoun,[186][189] divulging personal health information about yourself or a friend or a family member,[186] copy-and-pasting a term paper in the essay form[186] such as about global warming or the European debt crisis, and experiences involving lawbreaking or illegal activity.[186] Applicants should not express opinions too strongly as if no possible counterviews were possible.[186] The topic should be something the applicant cares about,[190] and which shows leadership in the sense of "asserting yourself to help others have more success"; according to Dunbar, leadership was not necessarily about being in charge such as being the team captain or school president.[191] Applicants should present a broad perspective and avoid simplistic words such as "never", "always", "only", or "nobody", which suggest narrow thinking.[192] Dunbar advised against the standard "tell 'em what you've told 'em" essay formula but doing something different, interesting, exciting.[193]
Former admissions director Michele Hernandez agreed, and suggested that the best essay topics were a slice-of-life story, with poignant details, in which the writer "shows" and does not "tell".[194] She suggested that a student show their essay to a literate friend and ask if would they admit this person to the college[194] She recommended that applicants not try to come across as a "preppy well-off kid" but downplay parental status.[195] Advisors Mamlet and Vandeverde suggest that students proactively try to explain an unusual grade, such as a low grade in a core course.[196]
Teacher recommendations[edit source | editbeta]
Some colleges ask for teacher recommendation letters, typically from 11th or 12th grade teachers of core courses, and preferably who know the student well. One report suggested that having more than four recommendations was a mistake, and that a "thick file" indicated a "thick student" to admissions personnel.[18] One report, however, was that teacher recommendations were becoming less important as a rating measure, according to one report.[132] There is a report that some colleges are asking for recommendation letters from parents to describe their child:
You might think they do nothing but brag ... But parents really nail their kids. They really get to the essence of what their daughter is about in a way we can’t get anywhere else.
—Deb Shaver, director of admissions at Smith College[197]
Other considerations[edit source | editbeta]
Archway outdoors shot says Dickinson College.
Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Advisors counsel that applicants should meet deadlines,[71][198][67] spend time researching colleges,[71] be open-minded,[70] have fun,[70] communicate what "resonates" to the applicant about a particular school,[42] not fall in love with one or two colleges,[41] follow directions precisely[67] and make sure to click the "submit" button.[14] Rudeness towards staff members, feigning enthusiasm, and being pretentious are other turnoffs reported by admissions officers.[67] There is strong consensus among counselors and advisors that starting the college search early is vital. One recommends starting early in the senior year;[70] another suggests that even this is too late, and that the process should begin during the junior year and summer before senior year.[42] And sources suggest that students who begin the process earlier tend to earn more acceptance letters.[71] Another advantage of beginning early is so that applications can be proofread for mistakes.[42] Advisors suggest that emails should be sent to specific persons in the admissions office, not to a generalized inbox.[14] Advisors suggest that applicants sending in paper applications should take care that handwriting is legible, particularly email addresses.[14] Advisors counsel that mistakes or changes should be explained somewhere in the application; for example, an adviser at Grinnell College suggested that a record need not be perfect but there must be an "explanation for any significant blip."[14][41] Advisors suggest that applicants should "own up to any bad behavior" such as suspensions since schools are "dutybound to report them", and suggest that a person should "accept responsibility and show contrition for "lessons learned," according to one view.[14][199] Disciplinary actions are usually reported to the colleges by the high school as a matter of course. Advisors suggest that the application should help a student position themselves to create a unique picture.[41] It helps, according to one advisor, if a person knows himself or herself, because that enables an applicant to communicate effectively with a prospective school.[42]
International applications[edit source | editbeta]
Foreign (non-US citizen) students applying from another country form a large and growing percentage of applicants (including accepted applicants) to American universities.[200] According to Andover counseling director Sean Logan, applications to American universities from foreign students have increased dramatically in the past decade.[61] International applications are typically similar to domestic ones but with additional complications. Most international applicants do not receive a GPA score or transcript from their school.[201] Most will not normally take SAT or ACT exams, so these must be arranged. Most American universities are happy to accept international and foreign qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate or IB, or British A Levels,[202] although it is often up to the applicant to elaborate on the meaning of these qualifications.[203] Non-native English speakers may be asked to provide English language qualifications. If a university requires or offers an interview, these can normally be conducted over the phone or with alumni residing in the applicant's country, according to Uni in the USA,[204] a guide book catering to the growing number of British students seeking to study in the United States.[205] International applicants often must cope with higher tuition fees and less available financial aid, although this varies significantly by college. Further, international applicants also have to apply for a student visa, which can be a complex and time-consuming process.[206]
How colleges evaluate applicants[edit source | editbeta]
Colleges use a variety of methods to evaluate applicants. One source noted that four of every five colleges accept more than half of all applicants, and three-fourths of students who apply to colleges are accepted by their first choice college.[208] Depending on the size and values of the school, admissions criteria can vary from being almost entirely formulaic to involving significant subjective judgment regarding the student's "fit" for the institution.[209] Criteria vary considerably by school, and one view is that the "great deal of inconsistency across institutions" sometimes gave an incorrect impression that "student selection is arbitrary."[209] Criteria include standardized test scores (generally ACT and/or SAT), class rank, grades (as shown in the high school transcript), degree of extracurricular involvement, and leadership potential. One report suggested that the most important criteria, in order of importance, were (1) grades in college preparatory courses (2) strength of curriculum (3) grades in all courses and (4) class rank.[132] Many colleges also rely on personal essay(s) written by the applicant and letters of recommendation written by the applicant's teachers and guidance counselor; one benefit of the essay is to help colleges such as Pitzer College, which claims that half of its applicants have "perfect or near-perfect grades and test scores", have a way of further differentiating students.[132] Institutions place different weight on these criteria: for example, some schools do not require or even accept the SATs for admission. It should be noted that some factors are beyond a student's control, such as a college's need in a given year for diversity, legacy applicants, or athletic recruiting.[41]
It is a gargantuan task for admissions staff at selective colleges to analyze and process thousands of applications with a "huge mail deluge" since there are often six pieces of mail for each applicant, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the application itself.[210] College admissions personnel spend less time on average reading each particular application; in 2009, the average admissions officer was responsible for analyzing 514 applications, and the trend was in the direction of officers having to read more and more applications.[132] A typical college application receives only about 25 minutes of reading time, including three to five minutes for the personal essay if it is read.[211] Advisors suggest that understanding some of the criteria can help an applicant apply to colleges with greater success. Some colleges extract information from the federal FAFSA financial aid form, including names of other schools which the applicant is applying to.[115] Counselors urge students and parents to understand what types of things colleges tend to look for in applications, and plan accordingly. A key attribute which admissions evaluators look for, according to Mamlet and Vandevelde, is authenticity—a real person who comes through the application, not a packaged artificial entity[212] or distortion crafted to impress an admissions officer.[96] An admissions officer at Vanderbilt University wrote about how their office evaluates applicants: "It's really about, 'What did I take advantage of in the environment I was given.'"[41] Several reports suggested that colleges were not looking for the "well-rounded kid"[126] but rather a "well-rounded class":[213][214]
Colleges are looking for ... the well-rounded class. Colleges put together their entering class as a mosaic: a few great scholars for each academic department; a handful of athletes; some musicians, dancers, and theater stars; a few for racial and economic diversity; some potential club leaders, etc. Colleges want a kid who is devoted to – and excels at – something. The word they most often use is passion.
—Steve Cohen in the Washington Post, 2011[10]
Colleges want students who have demonstrated through their actions an ability to see and connect with a world that is larger than they are.
—Robin Mamlet and Christine Vandevelde, 2011[215]
Academic evaluation[edit source | editbeta]
Admissions results 2012[edit source | editbeta]
2012 Admission Decisions for selected colleges
Source: The New York Times[216][217]
Based on self-reported data from colleges
---Click triangles to sort columns---
Results for admissions decisions for selected colleges are posted in the table to the right.
Statistical analysis[edit source | editbeta]
There are numerous reports that colleges use proprietary mathematical algorithms as part of their process for evaluating applications. Some colleges hire statistical experts known as "enrollment consultants" to help them predict enrollment by developing computer models to select applicants in such a way as to maximize yield and acceptance rates.[115] Some of these models take into account factors such as an applicant's "zip code, religion, first-choice major and extracurricular interests, as well as academic performance".[115] Colleges have been reported to have mathematical algorithms which recalculate an applicant's high school grade point average by weighting different course grades by such factors as perceived course difficulty and strength of high school curriculum; this allows the college to come up with a revised GPA number for a student they can compare against applicants from different schools. Furthermore, many colleges track how well other students from the same high school have done—that is, applicants from the same high school who attended or are attending the college—by comparing their high school grades against their college grades, and admissions officers use this data to try to estimate the likely college grade performance of a given applicant. Generally admissions departments do not reveal the particulars of such mathematical analyses. According to Michele Hernandez, Ivy League admissions departments compile an academic index based on three main factors: (1) highest SAT Reasoning Math/Critical Reading score (2) average of three highest SAT Subject tests (3) converted rank score which is based on grades, class rank, and high school difficulty.[224] In her view, two-thirds of this evaluation is based on tests, while only one third is based on grades, leading her to conclude at one point that grades were less important overall as a factor than test scores,[224] while in a different chapter she also suggested that the high school transcript information described roughly 60% of the college's perception of a student's academic performance.[225] Next, the composite academic index score was combined with an analysis of personal factors such as extracurricular activity or the essay, such that the academic factor was weighted 70% to 85% while the personal evaluation was weighted only 30% to 15%.[224] Generally the particulars of the mathematical formulas are not revealed to the public,[224] and different colleges have different formulas. Part of the purpose of algorithms is to expedite the handling of thousands of applications in a short amount of time. For example, at Dartmouth College, data goes into a "master card" for each application, which leads to a "ready sheet", where readers summarize applications; then, an initial screening is done: top applications go directly to the director of admissions for approval while lackluster ones go to another director.[226] Dartmouth uses "A" for accept, "R" for reject, "P" for possible, with "P+" and "P-" being variants.[226] A committee might spend a week with the "P" ones, of which only about a sixth will become acceptances, according to Hernandez.[226]
Analysis of grades[edit source | editbeta]
The consensus view is that high school grades are probably the single most important factor in winning admission.[41] Maintaining high grades is particularly important for the fall semester of senior year, as well as winter grades if applying by regular admission,[43] and there is a report that colleges are paying greater attention to a student's grades throughout senior year.[132] Particularly important is academic performance in core courses,[227] and having a high grade point average based on good grades in AP-level or honors courses.[116] Colleges evaluate applicants often by examining how a student has successfully exploited what a high school has had to offer.[228][229] High school guidance counselor Erin Day of Summit High School in New Jersey suggested that of the top five criteria for getting into college, having good grades were first, second, and third most important overall (test scores were fourth, extracurricular activities and essay were fifth).[230] An ideal academic record is one of increasingly better grades in courses of progressive difficulty.[231] Hernandez wrote that colleges looked for patterns with both grades and test scores; high grades with low test scores suggested a hard-working student, but high test scores with low grades suggested a picture of a lazy student.[225] Ninth grade grades generally do not count much,[116] but trends are important—an upward trend in grades was a positive factor, a decline a negative one.[225] Public universities are more likely to evaluate applicants based on grades and test scores alone, while private universities tend to be more "holistic" and consider other measures, according to one view.[232]
ACT and SAT scores[edit source | editbeta]
The consensus view is that these are important, although Mamlet and Vandeverde feel the scores "don't count as much as people think they do."[96] There are many reports that admissions departments consider only the highest test results in different test subsections, sometimes called superscore results or superscoring,[233] so if a student takes a standardized test during multiple sittings, for example, the highest math score and the highest verbal scores will be considered, regardless of which particular test date they were achieved.[234] Two sources in the Washington Post suggested that colleges routinely superscore the SAT test but rarely the ACT,[235] possibly because of difficulty processing five separate rounded numbers.[236]
Rigor of high school courses[edit source | editbeta]
Analysis of high school applicants.png
A consensus view is that taking rigorous high school courses is a plus.[69] Guidance counselors report that admissions personnel take a student's course of study into serious consideration when evaluating applications.[41][42] Admissions officers construct a high school profile and take into account such data as curriculum offerings, demographics, and grade distributions at the high school.[41] One adviser suggested taking the hardest courses that there were, and that the worst thing, in terms of evaluations, was to drop a hard course.[237]
Personal evaluation[edit source | editbeta]
Athletic ability[edit source | editbeta]
Athletes in popular sports such as football are recruited by colleges hoping to improve their athletic programs.
A survey of admissions officers revealed that 28% agreed that their school had accepted athletes despite having lower grades and test scores than others.[23] A survey by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that schools with strong athletics departments tended to have athletes with lower SAT scores than non-athletic students.[11] Athletes get better treatment even at elite colleges, according to one academic study.[11] A report suggested that some applications by athletes go first to a special committee for review by coaches, who may then, in turn, advocate for particular players.[18] Recruited athletes who play in-demand or "revenue" sports (i.e. generate ticket sales) such as football[238] or basketball can have a "significantly greater advantage in admissions" than others.[239][240] Some Ivy League coaches, seeking to improve the average academic performance of their teams, would admit mediocre athletes with top academic skills as a means to balance out the stellar athletes with below-average academic ability. To fix this "average score" arrangement in which there had been a temptation to admit an extremely poor student with great athletic ability, many schools went to a banding arrangement. For example, coaches would consider all wrestling applicants within a specified range or band of academic performance, and coaches could admit more wrestler-applicants who showed greater scholastic promise.[241] Howard and Matthew Greene report that coaches do not make admissions decisions, but they can advocate for a particular applicant.[69] And they report that committed athletes should explain in their applications how much time they have used towards perfecting their athletic ability:
We often talk with highly involved athletes who have little time for other activities outside of their sports. In many cases their grades suffer. Most student-athletes are not "recruited" to colleges, but colleges will respect their commitment and drive.
—Howard and Matthew Greene, 2003[69]
Particular skills[edit source | editbeta]
Some colleges are more likely to admit students with in-demand skills, such as writing, debating, theater management, science competitions, organizational skills, musical skills, and so forth.[240]
Personal initiative[edit source | editbeta]
Admissions personnel look favorably on applications where it is clear that the student, himself or herself, appears to be firmly in control over the whole application process; the appearance of pushy parents or coaching can have a dampening effect. Ideally it is best if the student, himself or herself, is in charge of organizing the college search and decision-making process; the "student must be in the driver's seat".[242] One admissions dean explained:[21] And admissions officers are turned off by "micromanaging parents".[67]
Students who really manage the show on their own, fill out the application on their own, make their own appointments for interviews, correspond with you on their own email account -- these students get extra points because they're managing their lives.
—Jennifer Delahunty, Admissions Dean at Kenyon[21]
Demonstrated interest[edit source | editbeta]
This can be an important factor in some situations, sometimes a "driving factor",[61] since a college may be more likely to say yes to a student likely to matriculate. Accordingly, it has been advised to become knowledgeable about schools being applied to, and "tailor each application accordingly."[43] College visits (including overnight ones), interviews, attending College Fair days, comments in the essay, and other indications of interest can be a factor for many colleges concerned about their yield––the percent of students who will say yes to an offer of enrollment.[18][115] According to Andover's college counseling director Sean Logan, it is important to have numerous contact points with colleges to show demonstrated interest: visiting, phone contact, emailing, visits to websites (including number of clicks as well as length of time on the website), whether a college visit included a tour and interview, and whether a college-recommended off-campus personal interview was done.[61] Schools such as Connecticut College and Emory University have been credited as "popularizing the yield game" by refusing well-qualified students who failed to show much real interest in attending, as a way to boost their yield scores.[115] One top high school student was waitlisted at a "likely" college[243] for showing lack of interest:
We assumed they weren't coming, because we didn't have much contact from them. We know they're probably using us as a back-up and they haven't done much to show any sincere interest, so we decided to waitlist them.
—Andover college counseling director Sean Logan, remembering a comment from a college admissions director.[61]
Active participation[edit source | editbeta]
Two wrestlers.
Students with special skills such as wrestling may be given preferential treatment.
One report suggested that colleges seek students who will be actively involved on campus and not spending every day studying alone in their rooms.[244] As a result, they are interested in teacher recommendations which suggest active classroom participation in high school classrooms, describing students who speak up in class, who ask questions, who are almost like an "unpaid teaching assistant" to help a high school teacher make a class great, or make a weak teacher's class bearable.[245]
Weeding out problem people[edit source | editbeta]
Admissions tries to screen out difficult people, spoilers, and "self-involved brats".[246] According to Dunbar, many colleges are "afraid of aggression", and recommends avoiding "harsh humor" or signs of severe emotion, anger, and aggression.[246] Admissions evaluators look for signals possibly indicating difficult people, such as nonconstructive or disrespectful criticisms of people by an applicant, or evidence of a drug or alcohol problem.[246] Colleges try to weed out dependent people who either follow their parents too closely, or do only what the "cool kids" do. Dunbar advised that "parental control of any kind, if detected, can be very damaging", and advised that students should not appear to be controlled by parental whims.[247]
Analysis of essays[edit source | editbeta]
Picture of a college building with steeple.
Dartmouth College admissions, according to Michele Hernandez, spends a week examining the possibles or Ps, and after much deliberation, accepts perhaps a sixth of them.
Michele Hernandez suggested that almost all admissions essays were weak, cliche-ridden, and "not worth reading".[194][248] The staff gets thousands of essays and have to wade through most of them.[249] When she worked as an admissions director at Dartmouth, she noticed that most essays were only read for three minutes.[194] Some too-common essay types were the "outward bound" essay about how a person discovered their inner grit while hiking tough mountains, or the "community service" essay about how a student discovered, while working among disadvantaged peoples, that "all persons were the same".[194] Admissions officers seek to learn how a person thinks, what kind of person they are, and their level of intellectual promise.[194] Essays are generally important only in borderline cases.[249]
Other factors[edit source | editbeta]
One report was that at Ivy League universities, 40% of students were so-called "special cases" including student-athletes, minorities, low-income, legacies, and development cases, and that admissions standards were typically lowered for these groups.[18]
Full-paying students[edit source | editbeta]
While there is general agreement that chances for admission are higher for students who are prepared to pay the full price, there are indications that this has been even more prevalent in the past few years given economic uncertainty and rising college costs,[250] particularly at schools without large endowments. Half of admissions officers at both public universities and a third of officers at four-year colleges were actively seeking students who could "pay full price" and did not need financial aid, according to one survey of 462 admissions directors and managers in 2011.[251] The report suggested that full-pay students tended to have lower high school grades and test scores than other students, compared to other applicants, on average.[251] Two other reports confirmed that public university admissions officers were actively seeking out-of-state and international students since they paid higher rates for tuition.[23][251] Another report found that one in ten admissions officers had said that their college admitted full-pay students despite their having lower average grades and test scores.[23] Reports vary about whether the financial neediness of applicants impacts admissions chances; one suggested that applicants with strong academic credentials or talents are more likely to get financial aid, but that depending on the college, "borderline admits" needing money were most vulnerable;[252] a second report was that "colleges like rich students".[252] One view was that financial aid depends on how a specific student compares with other students:
What this means is that your financial aid package from a reach college may not be as attractive as the package from one of your target, or well matched, colleges. If you are looking for generous scholarship aid, you need to look at colleges and universities where your academic profile is strong compared to that of the average admitted student.
—Hannah Serota, college counselor[252]
By contrast, other schools practice need-blind admission.
Geographic diversity[edit source | editbeta]
One view was that state schools strive to admit students from "all parts of a state,"[11] which suggests that applicants who live farther away from a given school had a better chance of admission. But a contrary view was that geographic location of the applicant matters perhaps only slightly, if at all; Hernandez looked at acceptance ratios to Dartmouth for different geographic locations, and found that geographic distance was not a factor influencing admittances.[253]
Race and ethnicity[edit source | editbeta]
Outdoors with people.
Students at the Commons at Green River Community College in Washington.
A survey of admissions personnel suggested that two-fifths had said yes to applicants from minorities despite having lower grades and test scores than other applicants, on average.[23] At the same time, rulings by the Supreme Court have prevented race from becoming an "overriding factor" in college admissions.[11] A report suggested minority students have a better chance overall at selective colleges.[18] In the case of multiracial students, they have a choice of which box to check since it may be perceived either as "gamesmanship" or reflecting one's racial makeup.[254] Some Asian-Americans have felt loathe to describe themselves as Asian, or to reveal information about their ethnic background, on the supposition that college admissions departments discriminate against them because of their ethnicity and consider them incorrectly to be "boring academic robots", according to several reports.[18][255] Typically, Asian applicants require a SAT score 140 points above that of a comparable white student, and considerably higher than that of a non-Asian minority, to have a similar chance of admission.[256][257] Asians get a "raw deal" in Ivy admissions, according to Hernandez, and have to be much better students than the typical white applicant to be admitted.[258] She wrote that it benefits an applicant to be African American, Latino, or Native American, since colleges can advertise their diversity as a result.[259] The admissions practices of Harvard and Princeton were investigated for possible discrimination against Asian-American applicants by Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.[256] An important development in 2012 is that the Supreme Court decided to review the case of Fisher v. University of Texas which may affect university-based admissions decisions based on race.[260][261]
Legacy applicants[edit source | editbeta]
Main article: Legacy preferences
There are differing views about how important it is to have a family member or relative who also attended a college. It is clear that it is a factor; one report suggested that having a family member who is an alumnus gives "a leg up" for applicants.[11][262] One report suggested that siblings do not count as legacies.[262] In some cases, a parent's attendance at a related graduate school counts as a legacy, but most colleges do not count this.[262] Many selective private colleges have a higher admit rate for alumni children as a way to "keep the larger set of alumni happy and giving", and being a legacy applicant can mean as much as "100 or 200 points on the SAT".[263]
Legacy admissions have had a history of controversy; economist Peter Sacks criticized the practice of legacy admissions as a "social reproduction process" in which "elite institutions have an implicit bargain with their alumni ... ’You give us money, and we will move your kid to the front of the line.'"[239] Another agreed that legacies perpetuated a "hereditary aristocracy".[263] But an opposing view is that all colleges, to varying extents, make choices as part of the admissions process, including state schools which charge in-state residents (with taxpaying parents) a lower rate than out-of-state residents, and it was argued that there was not really much difference between taxpaying parents contributing to a state school as well as generous alumni contributing to a private school—both with the possibility that it will help their offspring get into college.[239] Consultant Donald Dunbar suggested that admitting legacies encourages future donations, and in turn these incoming money flows help the school subsidize the education of more minority students;[264] another source suggested that alumni gifts was important in helping a college pay for need-blind programs.[263] Legacy admissions was criticized by Daniel Golden in his book The Price of Admission in which elite schools gave "heavy preferences to the wealthy", according to essayist Neal Gabler in the Boston Globe.[64]
Family wealth[edit source | editbeta]
Main article: Development case
In certain cases, family wealth of applicants is considered, based on potential to make a substantial donation[18] to the school (above and beyond paying tuition, and separate from considerations such as ability or fame). Such candidates are known as development cases, and are intended to bolster the finances of the university, especially to its further mission. The practice is not widely discussed by universities that use it, but is reported to be used by a number of top-ranked schools, Ivy League and otherwise, and has been associated with Duke University (which acknowledges its use) and Brown University (which does not comment), especially since the 1980s.[265]
Personal connections[edit source | editbeta]
Counselors and admissions directors tend to agree that in a few selected cases, connections were important. A report based on a survey of admissions directors suggested that "whom you know does matter", since higher-level administrators and prominent alumni and trustees can exert pressure on the admissions departments to admit certain applicants.[251]
Other considerations[edit source | editbeta]
There was a report that more colleges are resorting to computerized fact-checking software, as well as anti-plagiarism tools such as Turnitin, which checks documents for unoriginal content on the web,[132] possibly as a response to well-publicized scandals in which a student won admission to Harvard University by fraudulent means.[266] Supplementary materials generally carry "no weight" in college admissions, according to one view.[35] A report in Time Magazine suggested that many elite colleges used a vaguer measure of institutional fit to decide who is admitted, which is based on nonacademic qualities and may favor "underrepresented minorities and students who demonstrate exceptional talent."[209] Students who take a "gap year" between high school and college can benefit if the year was enriching and developing and helped the student mature.[69]
Acceptances and rejections[edit source | editbeta]
Notifications[edit source | editbeta]
Students are usually notified of a college's decision in April, sometimes in the last two weeks of March, unless they had applied using an early approach, and are usually notified by email,[242] although some colleges still send "fat" envelopes (usually an acceptance) or "thin" envelopes (usually a rejection). A trend appears to be declining percentages of acceptances to leading schools.[267] There are indications that the percentage of students who say "yes" to an offer of admission (the yield) has been declining, from 49 percent in 2001 to 43 percent in 2009.[7] Admitted students may also be awarded financial aid. There are two kinds of financial aid: need-based aid, awarded entirely on the financial specifics of the student's family, and merit-based aid, given to students judged to show exceptional academic promise. Several reports confirm that accepted students who are dissatisfied with an aid offer should contact the college to see if the offer can be improved.[100][35] International students who have been accepted should complete an I-20 form.[39] A disappointing aid package may be appealed with a polite call to the school's financial aid office, while being thankful for any funds that have already been offered.[100] In some cases, it is possible to bargain with a school for a more generous aid package, particularly if there is a more generous offer from a second school which the first school sees as a competitor. One report suggested that even by May 2012, there were 375 colleges which still had space for freshmen or transfer applicants for fall of 2012.[268] Seniors accepted to college are expected to maintain good grades during the spring; for example, one hundred high school applicants accepted to Texas Christian University, whose grades plummeted in the spring of their senior year as a symptom of senioritis, received so-called "fear of God" letters from an admissions dean asking them to explain themselves, and threatening to rescind offers of admission.[269]
Wait list considerations[edit source | editbeta]
Colleges use waitlists to hedge their bets, uncertain about how many accepted students will say yes, and to draw applicants from the waitlist when vacancies open. In addition, waitlists allow colleges to target acceptance letters to students likely to attend to maintain the college's selectivity ranking and yield.
About half of colleges use a wait list, particularly those which accept fewer than half of all incoming applications.[4][30][270] Since students on average tend to be sending out more applications, colleges have been having a tougher time knowing for certain whether the students to whom they have offered admission will, in fact, attend in the fall. Some of the uncertainty is related to the phenomenon of students applying to more and more schools, sometimes 15 or more, to increase their chances in a statistical sense, but this adds a new layer of guesswork for colleges trying to predict how many accepted students will say yes,[271] and puts waitlisted students in "limbo"[272] or the "basic equivalent of purgatory," according to US News.[273] In addition, many colleges lose some students due to a phenomenon sometimes called summer melt,[274] meaning that some students, even ones who have sent in a deposit, will not show up in the fall, and melt away, and this "melt percentage" can be as high as 5% to 10% of persons who have paid a deposit.
The admission process is a complicated dance of supply and demand for colleges. And this spring, many institutions have accepted fewer applicants, and placed more on waiting lists, until it becomes clear over the next few weeks how many spots remain.
—Jacques Steinberg in The New York Times, April 2010[271]
As a result, colleges use wait lists as a hedge to make sure they have enough students in the fall. Some schools "under-invite" applicants in the regular admissions season to appear highly selective and then about-face and accept them from their wait lists later.[8] One report is that Vanderbilt gets a tenth of their freshman class from the wait list.[8] But it varies from college to college and from year to year. For example, in 2010 Stanford and Yale wait-listed 1,000 students while Duke wait-listed 3,000 students.[272] Overall, one survey suggested that 30% of wait-listed students are eventually accepted,[272] but this is an average figure for all wait-listed students, and the percentage is dramatically lower at elite or prestigious schools. There is a report suggesting that in recent years, the lists are more fluid than in previous years in the sense that there is more activity regarding wait lists which have become more of a "safety net" for colleges rather than students.[11] Estimates vary about how many college applicants find themselves on a wait list; one report was that 10% of applicants were wait-listed.[273]
One adviser suggested that students who are wait-listed "work the wait list" by staying in touch with the admissions office to make sure they know the student will attend if accepted,[11] and possibly take steps such as forwarding new grades and making a subsequent college visit,[41] or send a one-page letter or 60-second video describing a strong desire to attend and the reasons.[271][277] A former dean of admissions at Franklin and Marshall College suggests that students not view the wait list letter as a "polite denial" but rather as a possible opportunity.[41] A second report in 2011 confirmed this, and it suggested that private colleges without "billion-dollar endowments or 40,000 applicants" were finding that the period from May to the start of classes in fall was a time of uncertainty, with many institutions seeking new applicants, and unsure how many of the applicants that had promised to attend would, in fact, show up in the fall.[279] What can happen is that institutions at the top of the "food chain" accept students from their wait lists, and these students in turn sacrifice their deposit to schools lower down the chain, generating vacancies and uncertainty.[279] A downside to wait lists is that by the time a student is accepted, there may be much less money available for scholarships or grants.[11] There was a report in The Wall Street Journal of a few colleges such as Franklin & Marshall which deliberately waitlisted overqualified students on the assumption that even if accepted, they would almost certainly not enroll.[115] The alleged purpose was to boost the admissions yield rate––the percentage of students who accept a college's admissions offer––as a means to improve the college's overall performance on the influential US News college rankings.[115]
Duke University in 2010 had 27,000 freshman applicants, accepted 4,000 and placed 856 on its waiting list in April, since it was uncertain how many of those accepted would choose to attend; in this sense, the wait list is a form of hedge for the university to guard against uncertainty.[271] Duke does not rank students on the wait list, but chooses based on other characteristics.[271]
Transfer admissions[edit source | editbeta]
Main article: Transfer admissions in the United States
While most college admissions involves high school students applying to colleges, transfer admissions are important as well. Estimates of the percentage of college students who transfer vary from 20%[280] to 33%[281] to 60%,[282] with the consensus position being around a third of college students transfer, and there are many indications that transfer activity is increasing.[282] One report suggested that nearly half of all undergraduates in the nation were attending community colleges.[283] Media coverage of student transfers is generally less than coverage of the high school to college transition. A common transfer path is students moving from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions, although there is considerable movement between four-year institutions.[284] Reasons for transferring include unhappiness with campus life, cost, and course and degree selection.[284] There are no consistent national rules for transfers, and requirements vary by college.[108] Many community colleges have articulation agreements with four-year schools, particularly flagship state universities, so that matters such as the transfers of credits are handled appropriately. There are indications that many private colleges are more actively seeking transfer applicants.[282] Still, transferring can be difficult; transfer students have been described in the past as "academic nomads".[285]Australia[edit source | editbeta]
As Australia uses a Federal system of government, responsibility for education, and admission to Technical and Further Education colleges and undergraduate degrees at universities for domestic students, are in the domain of state and territory government (see Education in Australia). All states except Tasmania have centralized processing units for admission to undergraduate degrees for citizens of Australia and New Zealand, and for Australian permanent residents; however applications for international and postgraduate students are usually accepted by individual universities. The Australian government operates the Higher Education Contribution Scheme(This has been replaced by the very similar HELP - higher Education Loan Program) for undergraduate students, so admission is rarely limited by prospective students' ability to pay up-front. All states use a system that awards the recipient with an Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank, or ENTER, and the award of an International Baccalaureate meets the minimum requirements for admission in every state. The Special Tertiary Admissions Test is the standard test resulting in an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank with the maximum being 99.95.
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory[edit source | editbeta]
The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) processes applications for admission to most undergraduate courses at participating institutions, mainly in NSW and the ACT.
It also:
processes applications for admission to many postgraduate courses
calculates the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and notifies NSW HSC students of their ATAR
administers tertiary admissions tests, such as the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
processes applications for Educational Access Schemes (EAS) and for some Equity Scholarships.
Northern Territory[edit source | editbeta]
The South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for Northern Territory tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and must meet course requirements.
Queensland[edit source | editbeta]
The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for Queensland tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded an Overall Position, based on their performance in class subjects and their school's average result in the Queensland Core Skills Test, as well as meeting course requirements.
South Australia[edit source | editbeta]
The South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for South Australian tertiary institutions. Year 12 students are awarded the South Australian Certificate of Education, and must meet course requirements. Their year 12 results are compared with students from the same year to determine their Tertiary Entrance Rank (T.E.R.).
Tasmania[edit source | editbeta]
Tasmanian school leavers applying for entrance at the University of Tasmania need to apply directly to the university. Tasmanian school students receive a Tertiary Entrance Rank on successful completion of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education. Students from interstate wishing to study at UTas may apply through either the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre, or directly through the University.
Victoria[edit source | editbeta]
The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre accepts applications for Victorian tertiary institutions. Applications consist of standardized test results and meeting institutional requirements. The standard certification for school-leavers is the Victorian Certificate of Education.
Western Australia[edit source | editbeta]
The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre accepts applications for Western Australian tertiary institutions. The standardized test for school-leavers is the Tertiary Entrance Examination.
Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium[edit source | editbeta]
Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium probably have the most liberal system of university admission anywhere in the world, since anyone who has passed the Matura may enroll in any subject field (or even several at no additional cost) at a public university. In Belgium as well, the only prerequisite for enrolling in university studies is to have obtained a high-school diploma. In both Switzerland and Belgium, medical studies are an exception, which have a numerus clausus system due to overcrowding. This liberal admission practice led to overcrowding and high dropout rates in the more popular fields of study like psychology and journalism, as well as high failure rates on examinations which are unofficially[clarification needed] used to filter out the less-capable students. Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice issued on July 7, 2005, which forces Austria to accept nationals of other EU Member States under the same conditions as students who took their Matura in Austria, a law was passed on June 8 allowing universities to impose measures to select students in those fields which are subject to numerus clausus in Germany. Starting in 2006, the three medical universities (in Vienna, Innsbruck and Graz) did introduce entrance exams. There are no intentions to introduce a numerus clausus in any subject field.
Brazil[edit source | editbeta]
Main article: Universities and higher education in Brazil
In order to enter university in Brazil, candidates must undergo a public open examination called "Vestibular", which lasts about 1 week and takes place once a year. Some universities may run Vestibular twice a year, for two yearly intakes instead of only one. This option is popular with private universities, while public universities usually run Vestibular only once every year (in November, December or January). Universities offer a limited number of places, and the best ranked candidates according to their overall Vestibular grade are selected for admission. Although the Vestibular format changes from university to university, it typically consists of a week-long examination on compulsory high school subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Portuguese language and literature, and a foreign language (usually English). Private universities usually "condense" this week-long examinations into a couple of days, but some public universities still require a week-long marathon.
Since public universities are completely tuition-free, competition at the Vestibular is usually fierce for a place in a public university. Due to high number of applicants, the Vestibular at some public universities may include a preliminary elimination phase (known as "Primeira Fase"), typically consisting of multiple-choice questions and held between one and two months before the subject exams. A minimum cutoff score is normally required at the elimination phase to advance to the second part of the Vestibular.
National Unified Admissions System[edit source | editbeta]
In recent years, university admission criteria have been considerably changed by the introduction by the federal government of a new national secondary school exam known as ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio) and the creation of a unified, national university application system known as SISU (Sistema de Seleção Unificada). Candidates in any Brazilian state can now apply for admission into courses available in the SISU system, even if the course of interest is offered by an out-of-state university. Places in any given course within the system are then filled based on the ranking of the applicants in descending order according to their overall grade in the ENEM. The application process is divided into three stages and candidates who fail to get a place in their course/university of interest in a given stage may re-apply either to the same or to a different course/university in subsequent stages.
In theory, any Brazilian university, either public or private, is free to join the SISU system and select their incoming freshman class based on ENEM marks. As of today, most public universities have joined SISU, but a few of them, most notably some of the most prestigious federal universities (e.g. UNIFESP, UFRJ, UFMG, UFRGS) have retained their own independent Vestibular exams, on top of the national ENEM, either for admission into all or part of their undergraduate courses.
Sometimes the ENEM replaces the old elimination Part I ("primeira fase") of the Vestibular. Alternatively, ENEM results may be used as part of the final overall grade in the Vestibular. More rarely, a few public universities have decided not to use ENEM grades at all and continue to base their admission criteria on the Vestibular only. Notable examples in the latter group include the highly prestigious federal military schools like ITA and IME and, as of 2010, the prestigious state research universities in the state of São Paulo (USP and UNICAMP). Resistance to the ENEM among some top public universities comes mostly from the perception that the national federal exam is less selective/rigorous than the older independent Vestibular.
Admission Quotas[edit source | editbeta]
Another important recent development in university admissions in Brazil has been the introduction in most federal universities of a quota system where a certain number of places are reserved a priori to applicants of a certain racial/ethnic background who have completed their pre-university studies in a public (i.e. state-funded) school. Candidates who qualify may apply to a course of interest under the quota system either through the national SISU system or directly at their university of choice ( in case that university uses both its independent Vestibular and the national ENEM exam to select applicants). Again as a notable exception, the selective federal military schools and the state universities in São Paulo have so far refused to use any quota system based on race or schooling background. USP and UNICAMP, however, have instituted a race-blind "social inclusion program" that gives a bonus in the final Vestibular mgrade to candidates who come from the public secondary schools, thus boosting their chances of securing a place in certain university courses of interest without necessarily using a pre-determined quota.
Canada[edit source | editbeta]
Undergraduate entry[edit source | editbeta]
In Canada, students applying from high school generally hear word back from a college or university between late March and late May, though offers of admission may be extended to high achievers (through GPA or other submissions) as early as November–January. Internationals/US applicants are likely to receive an offer or rejection by early April, depending on the original submission of documents. In some cases, an institution may offer admission in a high schoolers Grade 11 year, if monetary fees are sent in early.
Dual Admission[edit source | editbeta]
Many Canadian universities offer dual admission to students upon completion of their graduation requirements.
For example, grade 11 and 12 students at Columbia International College can apply for dual admission at Canadian universities such as York University, University of Alberta, Brock University and Cape Breton University.
College vs. university[edit source | editbeta]
Acceptance to any Canadian university or college requires completion of a high school diploma, such as the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Completion of pre-secondary education in Canada almost always means the student has:
Successfully completed (passed) a provincial or federal Literacy test,
Successfully completed (passed) a certain number of credits (30 in Ontario) in a Canadian high school curriculum.
In order to graduate, some provinces also require students to complete 40 hours of community service/volunteer work.[1]
In Canada, the difference between college and university is significantly different than typical interpretation in the United States or even United Kingdom. A Canadian college is more similar to an American community college. In contrast, a Canadian university is comparable to an American university, and virtually all Canadian universities have endowments over $20 million, most frequently above $100 million. It should be noted that almost all Canadian post-secondary institutions are publicly funded, as in, government subsidized. The few private institutions that are not government-supported are not widely known at all, have generally only been established since the 1980s, and are mostly located in British Columbia.
In the Canadian education system, which varies from province to province, colleges are geared for individuals seeking more specific technical careers, such as engineering, graphic design or animation. Whereas universities are geared to individuals seeking more academic careers, where a university degree is a prerequisite for entrance, for example lawyer, doctor etc. There are other systems in place for students to enter traditional trades (called "skilled" trades in Canada), and some provinces have unique preparatory systems or schools, such as Quebec's CEGEP Program.
In 2007, national headlines were made when the Obay Campaign was launched by Colleges Ontario as an effort to bring awareness to "academic snobbery" that exists in Canada, where college is typically considered a low second-choice to university. It is also incredibly rare for students leaving high school to consider both college and university, most standing firm on one choice as being their 'only option'.
Admissions requirements[edit source | editbeta]
Admission to colleges and universities in Canada has been a straightforward process since the 1970s. Students generally rank their choice institutions in order of preference and submit their transcript to the institution or provincial application service for evaluation. In the majority of cases, acceptance is based entirely on marks, with potential for elevation depending on what province an applicant may be from. Applicants in-province typically have much less stringent grade requirements than out-of-province applicants. For instance, a student applying from an Ontario high school to a university in Alberta or Quebec is likely to require marginally elevated grades, as opposed to applying to any school in Ontario itself, where universities and colleges have far lower requirements for their own province's high school graduates.[citation needed]
College[edit source | editbeta]
College requirements vary more significantly, though none have entrance requirements above 85% from a Canadian high school. In general though, more well-respected colleges (such as George Brown College, and Mohawk College) accept a very high proportion of students with averages above 70%, although they may place no limiting minimum for acceptance, and consequently take students with averages below 60%. Incidentally, even the newest, least-reputable Canadian universities have larger endowments than any Canadian college, with no Canadian college having an endowment above $10 million. See List of Canadian universities by endowment.
Special cases[edit source | editbeta]
Students with an IB Diploma can generally enter either college or university more easily than other Canadian high schoolers, due to the material covered in the program. Like students with AP credits, they may also clip courses in university with faculty consent.
In the case of more select university programs, and for almost all international students, an essay, statement of intent or personal statement of experience must be submitted directly to the faculty being applied for. Additionally, letters of reference, examples of extracurricular involvement, additional community service endeavours, athletic participation, awards and scholarships won and more may all be required items for acceptance to some of Canada's top programs.
Comparability of admissions[edit source | editbeta]
Although there is little competition for university admissions in Canada, there are an array of highly competitive programs, on par with some mid to top tier programs in the United States (which has a much larger applicant pool to draw from). In addition, a large portion (upwards of 30%) of university graduates in Canada continue on to pursue further education beyond an undergraduate degree, simply because employability standards are high in the country, often demanding multiple degrees for well-paying jobs.
Achieving entrance to any of five dozen universities in Canada poses little to no difficulty for any student who has graduated high school (or earned an equivalent diploma outside North America). On average, achieving the necessary grades for admission to a worthwhile Canadian university or college is very easy.
Post-graduate entry[edit source | editbeta]
Post-graduate schools in Canada are, as with other parts of the world, restricted to universities (i.e. One cannot get a Masters degree from a Canadian college). Admission to any post-graduate program in Canada is difficult, with many universities having world-renowned programs, and Canadian graduate schools being the sites for many famous inventions and discoveries.
See also[edit source | editbeta]
Post-Secondary Application Service of British Columbia (British Columbia)
Ontario Universities' Application Centre (Ontario)
Ontario College Application Service (Ontario).
List of colleges in Canada
List of universities in Canada
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
List of Canadian universities by endowment
Chile[edit source | editbeta]
In Chile university admission as a freshman is based on the Prueba de Selección Universitaria scores of the applicant. Chilean Traditional Universities tend to put a strong emphasis on Prueba de Selección Universitaria while the majority of the private universities use their owns test or handle Prueba de Selección Universitaria scores in a different way than the Chilean Traditional Universities. Architecture, theatre and psychology schools do also often give high value to special tests.
Mainland China[edit source | editbeta]
Main article: National College Entrance Examination
In the People's Republic of China, the National College Entrance Examination (高考, gaokao) is given each summer and required for each student. The exam covers common school topics such as math, language, history, science, etc. Better institutions require higher scores for admittance. The required score also varies by province: students in more competitive provinces, like Jiangsu, need higher scores than students from less competitive areas such as Tibet. Conversely, wealthier cities have more universities per capita and hence lower university entrance standards than some poorer provinces. In 2006 for example, the minimum score to enter a key university for applicants from Beijing is 516 but the minimum score for applicants from Henan is 591.[2]
Finland[edit source | editbeta]
For Finland, see Numerus clausus in Finland
Some fields of study explicitly encourage applicants to judge their chances realistically. For example, a student may apply to only one medical school per year.[3] Therefore, choosing to apply to the more competitive medical schools is risky, if the student is not sure about their strength.
For universities of technology, there is a similar, but less strict mechanism. The students gain extra priority points, which may increase their points for the first choice by up to 12.5%.[4] If a student was admitted to several programs, they can't accept any other than the one with the highest priority.
Germany[edit source | editbeta]
In Germany prospective students who have passed the Abitur may decide freely what subjects to enroll in. Recently, however, in some of the most popular and most desired subject fields students have to pass a certain numerus clausus — that is, they cannot enroll unless they have scored a minimum grade point average on their Abitur.
One should distinguish two types of higher education institutions in Germany, the universities (including Technische Hochschulen) and the Fachhochschulen (polytechnics). A prospective students who has passed the Abitur is qualified for admission to every German university, with the exception of very few new degree programs, where additional entrance examinations were recently introduced. A Fachhochschule, in contrast, often requires from the student the completing of an internship to qualify for admission.
There is also a second German school leaving exam, which qualifies the prospective students for admission to higher education in Germany, the Fachhochschulreife, often called Fachabitur in colloquial usage. An internship is already part of the Fachhochschulreife itself, therefore a Fachhochschule requires no additional internship from the student. However, most universities do not accept this qualification for admission. An exception are universities in the German state of Hesse, who accept this qualification since 2004 for admission to Bachelor's degree courses, but not to the traditional German Diplom degree courses. But with Fachhochschulreife (university of applied sciences entrance qualification) you can visit any Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) in Germany. You can see the difference between a University / Technische Hochschule and a Fachoberschule very quickly: A Fachhochschule has often the words "University of Applied Science" next to its name.
Greece[edit source | editbeta]
In Greece there are panhellenic examinations (πανελλήνιες, panelinies) after a student completes likio.
Hong Kong[edit source | editbeta]
All public universities in Hong Kong admit local students under the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS).
In the old system HKALE[edit source | editbeta]
The major criterion of selection is HKALE result, and to a smaller extent HKCEE result and interview performance.
In the new system HKDSE[edit source | editbeta]
The major criterion of selection is HKDSE result. To a smaller extent interview performances and to an even smaller extent secondary school performances.
Iceland[edit source | editbeta]
Both public and private universities in Iceland handle their own admissions. Students apply for a specific course of study and each programme has its own requirements. These are usually a matriculation exam but sometimes a minimum number of credits in certain subjects in gymnasium or even passing an entry test is needed. Foreign students must apply half a year prior to the first semester but the time limit for Nordic citizens is not as strict.
India[edit source | editbeta]
Most Indian universities participate in one or another centralized admission procedure. In summer 2011, an Indian institution was expecting 100% score for gaining admission, highlighting the crisis of confidence in quality of higher education in general and also limitations of admissions process.[5] National tests and interviews are organized by an independent body composed of members of the participating organizations. Little weight is given to applicants’ past academic record and more to their exam results. Applicants are ranked by exam grades, and submit their preference of universities/programs based on their rank and choice. Some such common entrance tests are:
Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), the undergraduate exam for the seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs);
Common Admission Test (CAT), XAT, JMAT, MAT or SNAP, the graduate exams for the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other business schools;
Graduate Admission Test of Engineering (GATE), the graduate exam for the IITs;
All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) for admission to Undergraduate Engineering and Architecture / Design courses;
Pre Medical Test (PMT)-conducted by the CBSE; the entrance exam for admission to MBBS program;
However, Things have now changed and the AIEEE is converted into JEE (MAIN). And the earlier JEE for IITs has converted into JEE (Advanced). All students first have to qualify JEE (MAIN) to be able to appear in JEE (Advanced) under certain criterion. Students need to be in the 20 percentile of their respective boards. Their score of JEE (MAIN) will be formulated by combining the 40% score of their BOARD Examination and 60% of their JEE (MAIN) paper's score. Only the pure JEE (ADVANCED) score will be considered for selection in IITs. JEE (Main) will be on the same pattern as earlier AIEEE. JEE (ADVANCED) will be on the same pattern as earlier JEE. Changes in system take place from 2012.
States have their own admissions exams and policies. For example, the state of Maharashtra uses the HSC test as a prerequisite for entering Degree level college and uses the SSC test as a prerequisite for entering Junior Level college as well as Diploma Level College.Apart from that 15% reserved for NRI / Foreign students
Indonesia[edit source | editbeta]
In Indonesia, University and College Admission is dependent on the University or College Status. Generally, Public Universities conduct their admission in unified system (as in 2012, as SNMPTN: Unified National Public Universities Admission). However, some public universities are conducting other selection mechanism on their own beside the Unified National Public Universities Admission. Meanwhile, Private Universities are usually done their admission before and after Public Universities Admission. Governmental Agency Institutes are done their admission independently (not included in Unified National Public Universities Admission).
Ireland[edit source | editbeta]
In Ireland, students in their final year of secondary education apply to the Central Applications Office, listing several courses at any of the third-level institutions in order of preference. Students then receive points based on their Leaving Certificate, and places on courses are offered to those who applied who received the highest points.
Israel[edit source | editbeta]
In Israel there is a test called The Psychometric Entrance Test (PET). The PET covers three areas: mathematics, verbal reasoning and the English language. It is administered by the Israeli National Institute for Testing and Evaluation (NITE) and is heavily weighed for university admissions.
Palestine[edit source | editbeta]
In Palestine there is a National Center for Examinations and Evaluation.
In Palestine, students are required to undergo the Tawjihi examinations, which then allow the universities (In the West Bank) to consider each pupil.
Japan[edit source | editbeta]
In Japan there is a National Center Test for University Admissions.
Malta[edit source | editbeta]
In Malta entrance is done after performing well in examinations which are a local version equivalent to the General Certificate of Education
Netherlands[edit source | editbeta]
In the Netherlands, prospective students have to choose, two years before graduation, for a graduation type (e.g. natural science graduation type). Subjects at Dutch universities freely accept all students who have chosen the correct graduation type (e.g. to enroll in physics, the graduation type 'natural sciences' is required). All other students have to pass an exam to be enrolled (this is the exception). Popular subjects, such as medicine or dental medicine have a numerus fixus, meaning that a limited number of students may enroll for this subject at a particular university. To decide who is allowed, a lottery is held in which ones grades influence chances of being chosen (an indirect and incomplete numerus clausus).
Nigeria[edit source | editbeta]
In Nigeria, undergraduate admissions into universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education and agriculture is administered by a centralized federal government agency known as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB. The body conducts Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for prospective university, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education and agriculture students seeking entrance into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Norway[edit source | editbeta]
In Norway candidates are admitted to entry-level programs through the Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service, that ranks qualified students based on a point scheme, that is based on grades and the degree of specialization and choice of study at upper secondary school, as well as age. At Master level admission is based on the grade average at the Bachelor level.
Pakistan[edit source | editbeta]
