Frequently Asked Admissions Questions, Part 3
Frequently Asked Admissions Questions, Part 3
In this post, we’re bringing the third installment from our vault of frequently asked admissions questions. We hope you’ll find the answers useful to your process and that you’ll pass the knowledge onto your friends who may be in similar situations.
Now onto the FAQs!
So many other students from my high school are also applying to my favorite school. Do I have a chance?
It’s true that admissions officers evaluate students based on how they took advantage of the opportunities that they had. So, in that sense, it’s easy for them to compare students from the same high school. However, you are not in direct competition with any specific person from your high school.
Each of you will have different strengths and weakness, even if you share similar GPAs. Your majors will likely be different. Your extracurricular activities will be different. The level to which you pursue these things will vary. Certainly, your writing will be different.
Each of these variables gives you another opportunity to set yourself apart. And, if more than one student from your high school meets that same bar, a college will admit each of you who do. It’s possible that the student with the highest GPA from your school group isn’t the most appealing applicant among you. In reality, you are competing more against yourself than you are against your peers. Focus on controlling the parts of your process that you can and don’t worry about where your friends and classmates are applying.
Harvard is my favorite school. Should I even bother?
With an admission rate under 4% last year, Harvard seems like the reach of reaches. The truth is: schools like Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, etc. are going to be reaches for everyone who applies. No one should take them for granted.
If your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities are at an elite level and you have interest in Harvard or one of the other ultra-selective schools, you should apply. But make sure your list is balanced and strong overall so that you have the greatest chance of success.
Don’t apply to reach schools on a whim. You’ll need to show an understanding of why you’re a fit and how you’ll take advantage of the resources available to you. Places like Harvard are still looking for the same kind of excellence in applicants that has always defined them. With added competition, you’ll likely need to spend more time to demonstrate the ways in which you’ve reached for that excellence.
I’m not friends with my teacher. Can they still write my rec?
Yes! Every year we help students select which teachers to write letters of recommendation on their behalf. Some students worry that because they don’t have a close relationship with the teacher in the subject they’d prefer.
Perhaps it’s a math teacher that, although is friendly, there’s little need to visit for office hours. Or perhaps there are a lot of students in your class, so you have limited opportunities to connect with your teacher one-on-one. Maybe you loved the class, but it was completely virtual.
Don’t let any of these scenarios prevent you from selecting a teacher you otherwise feel is ideal. Rather, help that teacher out by providing follow-up information (a brag sheet, thank you note, or thoroughly filled out questionnaire). You can elaborate on situations or experiences in class that stood out to you – struggles you overcame, insights you gained, ways you helped others learn, advice from your teacher gave that positively affected your understanding, etc. – to enable your teacher to share these ideas with admissions officers.
Remember, the role of the teacher rec isn’t to demonstrate how close you and your teacher are. Its purpose is to demonstrate how intellectually curious you are. Choose the teachers who can speak clearly to this, even if there are others you might be friendlier with.
Have other questions? We’d love to hear them! Working with an admissions expert can help you successfully navigate the college process and reduce the uncertainty and stress too often associated with it.
The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.
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