The Application Process: A Guide for Parents
When your son or daughter applies to college, each college admission office collects a folder of information about him or her that will be used when making the admission decision. Parents should be aware of what information goes into this all-important folder.
Application and
Essay
The application includes simple biographical information such as birth
date and family background. Frequently, students are asked to write essays
to acquaint the admission committee with the applicant’s experiences,
strengths, knowledge of grammar and spelling, and ability to think and
write. It is through the essay that your son or daughter will have the
opportunity to present himself or herself in the best possible light.
Academic Record
The most important item in your student’s admission folder is his
or her high school academic record. In fact, many consider it the best
indicator of your student’s later college success. The program of
study, specific courses, and grades received are what admission officers
will consider in appraising your son’s or daughter’s transcript.
Colleges pay special attention to challenging courses that are successfully
completed. (Your son or daughter should review the entrance requirements
of the schools in which he or she is most interested.)
In many high schools, each student’s record is compared with that of his or her classmates and he or she is assigned a class ranking relative to the others in the class. Class rank is an important means of showing admission officers the level of competition encountered and your child’s achievement relative to the competition. Not all high schools compute class rank, so don’t worry if your school does not rank its students.
College Entrance
Exams
Colleges requiring the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), ACT (American
College Test), or Subject Tests (formerly SAT II: College Board Achievement Tests) use
the scores in several different ways. First, a college may use the scores
to predict your student’s college success. Second, colleges may use
scores to compare students from similar backgrounds and schools. Finally,
colleges may use test scores to help place your son or daughter in appropriate
courses. Pay particular attention to which test scores are required by
each school to which your son or daughter applies.
Recommendations
Recommendations from teachers, guidance counselors, and others represent
a very important part of your son’s or daughter’s admission
folder. They tell about the student’s classroom experiences in ways
not represented by grades.
Teachers may comment on your student’s contributions to the class and the quality of his or her written and oral work.
Counselors can highlight strengths not otherwise included in the official application and can comment on your son’s or daughter’s potential for studying at a particular college.
Recommendations allow the writers to go beyond information requested in the general application to describe your child’s individual qualities and characteristics.
Student Activities
and Employment
Your son’s or daughter’s record of involvement in activities
(curricular, extracurricular, and outside of school) can be a significant
supporting credential. Out-of-school activities such as work, scouting,
religious groups, and community volunteer work should not be overlooked.
Membership is not the important factor; rather, the level of involvement,
commitment, and accomplishment is important. It is better for your child
to be involved in one activity and make a significant contribution than
to be involved superficially in a number of organizations.
Make the Application
Work
The single most important step in completing college admission applications
is also the simplest—take time to read the instructions before filling
out the forms. For your son or daughter, the application is like a final
test. While it’s true that the greatest emphasis will be placed on
courses, grades, and, in some cases, test scores, colleges want to know
about him or her as a person.
The application, essay, and interview (if available) are opportunities for your son or daughter to profile himself or herself. If your son or daughter has any questions about how he or she compares to other applicants at a particular school, consult the high school counselor and the college admission officer.
The Results
When your child’s application has been reviewed by a college or university,
a number of possible responses can come back.
They are:
- Admit
- Deny
- Conditional Admit
- Wait List
If you are unclear about the meaning of anything in your son’s or daughter’s application response letter, call the admission office of the college for clarification.
Once your son or daughter accepts an offer of admission from a particular college, it is time to decline all other offers of admission. This makes it possible for colleges to extend offers to students who may be on the Wait List. A student should never indicate an intention to enroll at more than one college.
If a student has difficulty choosing among the schools to which he or she has been admitted, a campus visit is always encouraged. If you haven’t already visited a college or university during the application process, it is important to do so before making the final choice. Only a campus visit can give you a firsthand knowledge of a school and a feel for how your son or daughter will fit in.
