Listen as an NPR reporter gains access to the secret room where the Amherst College admissions committee decides the fate of thousands of applicants. NPR reports that the college will accept 1,000 of the 8,000 applicants who applied. This glimpse into the process reveals that decisions truly come down to the smallest little differences those students never in a million years would think we’re going to make the difference. This recording underscores the importance of the personal statement. The college essay will be the first opportunity most students encounter to present themselves on paper. The essay truly can be the difference between acceptance and rejection. Unfortunately, often students are told to “be honest” or “write about something that “means a lot to you” or “show them how passionate you are” and then students sit down to do that and they have no idea what to do. At that point they generally write something that is forced and boring. Since the high school English teachers are so swamped and they don’t have experience reading applications often they simply make minor corrections on the essays or point out grammatical mistakes. There is no way they can possibly put the time necessary into reading every student’s essay. In the end, the sad truth is that the people who can afford outside consultants who know the system really well are the ones who experience the most success.
The application review process varies from school to school, so there will always be significant variations in the time that is spent reviewing an individual application. Too, the applications and the applicants vary so that impacts the amount of time they are given as well. Many applications are “no brainers”—either to admit or to deny–and they do not need the same amount of time or debate that other, more middle of the pack ones do. In the end, it is less a matter of pure time then the quality of the review and given the importance to the institution of the admission process, a process that creates a class and shapes the culture of the school, applicants should feel confident that their application received a fair and through review by experienced, dedicated professionals.
When I worked in private college admissions, I would spend about a half-hour on the application proper. However, this doesn’t take into account any of the following:
Short Answer:
It really depends on where you apply. Some schools will spend just a few minutes. That is all they have time for. They will look over your transcript, check out your test scores, glance over your essay and rec letters, check out your extra-curricular activities and make a judgement. Some schools take longer at doing this, others do it really quickly. It depends on what the school values. Is it a transcript or test scores or is it something else?
Several weeks.
No one knows for sure, but my guess is 20-30 minutes max.
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