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MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the Early
Decision option offered by some schools?
A: Early Decision is the option some
schools give you to apply early. You apply sometime late in fall and you hear back from
the college usually around Christmas or a little bit after as to whether you were accepted
or not. The catch is that if you are accepted under the Early Decision option, then
you have to withdraw all of your other college applications and attend the school to which
you were accepted. Basically, you are making a commitment to attend this school above all
others. You should only apply to a certain school under Early Decision if you are certain
you want to attend. You may only apply to one school Early Decision; the rest have
to be Regular Decision.
If you don't get in under Early
Decision, the school will usually add you to their regular applicant pool and reconsider
you for admission in the spring.
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Q: Do my chances of
gaining admission increase if I apply Early Decision?
A: Not really. While at the most
competitive schools, a greater percentage of applicants is accepted under Early Decision
than Regular Decision, the applicant pool is much stronger (which is why they accept a
greater percentage from that pool). That means that the Early Decision applicant pool is
the absolute cream of the crop. For the most part, a school won't accept an applicant
under Early Decision whom they wouldn't accept in their regular pool.
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Q: How is Early Action
different from Early Decision?
A: Early Action is offered by some
schools as an alternative to Early Decision. Under Early Action, you apply just as early
but it's non-binding, which means you can choose to go to another school even if
you're accepted early. (However, you can't apply early to more than one school.)
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Q: What are the different
weights placed on criteria (grades, activities, test scores, etc.)?
A: Although everything really depends on
the school to which you are applying, most schools won't give you specifics. For the
most part, schools will look at grades and test scores before looking at anything else.
However, grades aren't examined under a "good/bad" context; admissions
boards will take into account the difficulty of the courses you've taken. You've
probably heard this a million times, but it's true: a B in AP Calculus will probably
count for more than an A in Algebra II. (Don't be too worried if your school
doesn't offer many AP courses – they'll take that into account. Just take
as challenging a course load as you can.) Test scores are very important, as well.
As for activities, colleges usually look
for quality above quantity. For instance, someone who participates in a few activities for
many years, with leadership positions and true dedication, will impress them more than
someone who unconvincingly, half-heartedly participates in everything. (Of course,
that doesn't mean you shouldn't participate in a variety of activities.
Just make sure you enjoy everything you do participate in!)
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Q: How important is it for
me to take a foreign language?
A: Now more than ever, colleges are
looking for foreign languages in applicants' curricula. We would advise you to take
four years of the same language.
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Q: What's more
important, GPA or class rank?
A: Class rank is usually a better
indicator of relative achievement than GPA. Because schools are different, it may be
easier to have a 4.0 in one school than in another. If, for instance, you have a 4.0 in a
school where thirty percent of your class also has a 4.0, then class rank would reveal
this. (However, if this is due to the fact that you go to an unusually good school, the
college will know that.) On the other hand, if you have a 3.7 in a school where a 4.0 is
quite rare, then class rank will reveal how hard you have been trying, as seen by the
number of people ranked below you. Class rank allows colleges to better gauge what your
achievement level is.
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Q: Should I be
interviewed?
A: Again, you should check with your
school. Some schools want interviews, while others don't require them. Some schools
have alumni living in your area who might be able to interview you.
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Q: If I do go to an
interview, what should I wear? What are some good tips I should follow?
A: Males should wear nice pants, a
button-down shirt, and good shoes. Make sure everything is tucked in, and looks nice and
neat. No jeans, and don't wear too much aftershave or cologne.
Females should wear a skirt and shirt, or
a dress, and nice shoes. Make sure the skirt isn't too short (knee-length or below
would be safe) and the shirt isn't too low-cut or tight. Go easy on make-up and
perfume.
Remember that above all, you want to
present yourself as an intelligent, capable young adult. Give your interviewer eye
contact, and try not to fidget. Give his or her hand a firm (not bone-crushing)
handshake when you meet for the first time, and introduce yourself. Answer questions
honestly and simply; if you need time to think after a question, go ahead and give
yourself some time. Don't curse, obviously; don't chew gum or smoke. At the end
of the interview, stand up, look your interviewer in the eye, and shake his hand as you
thank him for his time.
If you're very nervous about the
interview, see if you can practice with a teacher or relative. And you don't need to
be too nervous! Unless this interview is for a competitive fine-arts school, the interview
probably won't make you or break you.
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Q: How are poor grades
early in my high school career going to affect my chances of admission?
A: While poor grades are certainly never
an asset, if your grades have constantly improved throughout high school, colleges will
note that. Don't be too worried about the C in freshman English, especially if
you're pulling a high B or an A in AP English senior year. (Princeton University, for
instance, doesn't even consider freshman year.) Your potential to be an excellent
student is important to colleges, even if you haven't always acted on that potential.
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