How Do Colleges Decide? - - Colleges of Distinction

The Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision when it decided that colleges and universities could continue to use race as one factor among many in making admission decisions.

For many Americans, the use of race in college admission seems unfair, running counter to Martin Luther King’s dream that his children “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” For many others, it seems more than fair to consider each individual’s characteristics and life circumstances in order to achieve a balanced freshman class, ensuring Justice Powell’s hope for a “robust exchange of ideas.”

That brings us to the question – how do colleges make admission decisions? Is it “fair”? How do colleges define “merit”? Should selective colleges and universities simply admit students on their grade point average and test scores? Or should they take a broader approach? What is the true measure of a high school student?

These questions are not easy. College and university admission officers at selective institutions typically have a broad definition of merit, as well as a deep commitment to fairness and equity. They know that the ability to contribute and succeed in college goes beyond grades and testing. Typically, selective colleges consider:

the quality of courses a student has chosen
the student’s involvement in the school or community
the ability of the student to write effectively
the student’s character and ability to function in a community (as reflected by recommendations from teachers, employers and others).

Many selective schools also use geography, legacy status, special talents and abilities to help determine merit. They will sometimes consider a student’s background, seeking to enroll students who are different from that institution’s “norm” in an effort to broaden the experience for all.

College admission officers are also required to “shape” a class to meet their institution’s goals. For the “robust exchange of ideas” to take place, the freshman class must include poets, musicians, politicians, scientists, athletes, dreamers, and many others.

Further, the soccer coach might need a goalkeeper, the marching band could use a tuba player and the theatre program always seems to need a few male “leads.” In all of these cases, the admission officer’s job is to find a student with one of these talents who will be a good “fit” or “match” for the college, and motivated to succeed.

At Centre and many other selective national colleges and universities, such an admission policy means looking for good students from Colorado as well as Kentucky, for first generation college-goers as well as legacies, for musicians as well as athletes. Might a student with better “numbers” be passed over for someone whose numbers are a bit weaker but is a talented artist? Sometimes, yes.

Is this “fair”? To someone looking from the outside in, it may not seem so. Selecting the “best” from among several thousand excellent applicants is almost guaranteed not to make everyone happy.

But the admission process at selective colleges is a human one that emphasizes the individual. Each application is considered individually by earnest, fair-minded professionals who seek to discover the talents and stories that each student might bring to campus.

The best advice for any student wishing to find a challenging and rewarding college experience is to do well in school, take the tougher courses whenever possible, get a good night’s sleep before the SAT, do a good college search and spend some time with the college essay. You have a story to tell. Tell it!