Admissions: Getting in and Choosing Well

Even before Elizabeth Blackwell’s admission into medical school, applications have been a daunting mainstay in higher education. No matter if you are a high school student applying to get into CMC or if you are a CMC student applying for scholarships, graduate schools, etc.

The only time you ever received free admission was when you were 5 years or younger, and even then you could not really go on the "big kids" rides. This post seeks to help students who have wandered onto this website and do not understand college admissions.

Four things that admissions officers want to see:

  1. Strong Academics- Take challenging classes, and earn high grades. In high school, that means you should take the AP or IB courses and do well. The age-old question is whether to take challenging courses and be mediocre or take unchallenging courses and do well. The answer that all college admissions officers give you is to do well in challenging courses. Nevertheless, you can take challenging courses in the humanities, but not in mathematics, and keep your GPA high. However, if you do not take challenging math courses now, when will you take them? Most likely college; where your college GPA matters more than your high school GPA.
  2. Strong Standardized Test Scores- These test scores examine your aptitude and verify your grades. If you have a great GPA, but a low standardized test score, something is amiss. You either are a horrible test-taker or take unchallenging classes. If you don't have great test scores, you just have to make within the range of the school or have something else to add.
  3. Extracurricular Activities- The adage here is “does something, do it well.” Being the Renaissance man will only help if you are great at all of these things. Otherwise, you will only be a “Jack of All Trades, but a Master of None.” Thus, in high school, instead of being President of a number of clubs at the high school level is the National President of a club. Same goes for sports, be amazing at tennis, instead of mediocre at track, football, and soccer. Also, do things that are outside of school, such as get jobs with companies or receive leadership positions through your own connections.
  4. Community Service- This dedication to some part of your life guarantees that whoever is looking at your application thinks that you are a good person. Simply, joining the local community service organization is good enough.

Each of these areas is important and helps make up a good application. If you have strong academics but zilch in extracurriculars and community service, then you isn’t a strong applicant. However, if you have only extracurricular and community service, with a poor academic record, you are even worse off. Thus, grades and test scores come first, and then you have to manage things from there. Obviously certain people who are valedictorians and receive 1600 SAT and 36 ACT scores have more leeway in not having done extracurriculars or community service, but the majority of the population is not like that. Keep in mind that when you apply, admissions officers are human. Although their jobs are to evaluate students and admit them into the college, they will meet you, see you, and judge you. If they judge you favourably, they can be your advocate or they can be your worst nightmare. In the working world, this aspect is that “anywhere there is a potential employer, it is an interview.” Thus, you must do the following:

  1. Send thank you (which you should start doing once you stop gaining free admissions);
  2. Be a good interviewee and;
  3. Distinguish yourself.

These things will not get you into a college, but they may help if you are on the brink of acceptance or rejection. Ultimately, even if you make it to CMC, your life will not be smooth sailing. You are coming to CMC to learn, and you will receive grades for papers and tests. The applications, testing, interviewing (generally, summing one’s life into a stack of paper) will happen again for jobs, graduate school, scholarships, and the world in general. It only begins with college admissions and never stops from there. No matter where you live in this world, there are things you want that other people also want. To make it equitable, we have processes like this to find the best person for the best place. When choosing a college, I would suggest that you use the following criterion in making a choice about college, grad school, or life in general with the following three E’s:

  1. Education- Is there an academic program that I want? Will this be educational for me? Will I be challenged? Does this place give me a wide variety or narrow set of options? Do not limit yourself to the top schools because you know that the top schools are the best and you need to get into them. Graduate school is where it matters, find a college that suits you and will allow you to get good grades.
  2. Environment- Do I like southern California or England? Are the people nice? Is there a viable social scene?
  3. Economics- How much this will cost me? Can I or my family bear this burden?

Good luck on all your present and future applications!