UC San Diego uses holistic admissions.
If you don’t like the idea of being judged on your test scores and grade point average alone, applying to schools with holistic admissions should give you some peace of mind about your college application.
That’s because the schools that use a holistic admissions process give consideration to any special interests, rare talents, and even personality traits that you portray in your application, interview and essay.
Which Colleges Have Holistic Admissions?
In general, most of the top-ranked colleges in the US use holistic admissions these days. In particular, all the schools in the Ivy League use this admissions process, as do most of the top liberal arts colleges.
If you are not sure if the college you are applying to adheres to holistic admissions, you should check the website to find out. And the sooner you know, the better — then you can make sure that your application represents you as a well-rounded student.
What Do These Colleges Look for in Applicants?
In general, schools that employ holistic admissions pay attention to more than just academic performance.
But this doesn’t mean that your standardized test scores and GPA are not considered at all. (Just because your college choices use holistic admissions does not mean you should be trying any less on the SAT or ACT!) It just means that your commitment to other areas of life is also taken into account.
More specifically, the details that are often considered include your extracurricular activities, examples of leadership, community service and special skills. Even working in your free time after school could be considered an advantage on your application when it comes to holistic admissions.
So if you were able to achieve a 3.5 GPA while participating in a sport, acting as president of a club, and performing community service, you might have a better chance at getting into college than an applicant with a 4.0 and no sign of extracurricular activities.
How Can You Improve Your Chance of Admission?
If you think holistic admissions may work in your favor, it is important that you learn how to convey how well-rounded you are to the admissions committee. It is not as simple as sending your test scores to colleges or making sure your transcripts are submitted by the deadline, though these tasks are also essential.
Extracurricular Activities
One of the best (and easiest) ways to show that you’re a well-rounded student is to be active in sports and/or clubs during your time in high school. The activities you choose can show an admissions committee what your passions are.
However, don’t join a bunch of clubs you don’t care about just to impress a college, and definitely don’t do this last-minute. It’s pretty obvious to admissions committees that you haven’t genuinely developed sudden interests in pottery, track and drama all in the fall of your senior year.
Application Essay
During the holistic admissions process, you should focus on writing a college application essay that will show who you are as a person. This is your chance to prove that your grades and test scores are not your only defining factors.
Student Interview
If you have a learning disability or had to work full time during school, your essay is your chance to let the admissions team know this. Of course, you can also discuss this in the student interview, if there is one associated with the admissions process at the college you wish to attend.
Letters of Recommendation
Finally, your letters of recommendation should make it clear that you are an outstanding applicant. If you have a mentor who is aware of any struggles you have had to endure in order to get through school, ask him or her to write a letter of recommendation. The same goes if you have devoted a substantial amount of time to community service or an interesting extracurricular activity.