Each year I interview applicants to my fancy-pants New England undergrad university. This year the school ran short of alumni from my school who live in my area (not surprising, given where I live) so I volunteered to take some extra interviewees. In the end I talked to six candidates. One really impressed me in particular, but they were all bright, accomplished, active, interesting, with great grades and SAT scores (higher than my own) and lots of extracurricular activities and volunteer work. Two were to be valedictorians this year. Frankly, compared to them, I have no idea how I got into college.
Yesterday I found out the results for each applicant—accept or deny. Below are (anonymized) summaries of the rather lengthy reports I wrote on them. Which applicant(s) do you think got in?
Applicant A:
A’s reasons for applying to the colleges she is interested in, including __, are remarkably specific, practical, and well-considered. The lack of a core curriculum attracts her and how she can explore so many different disciplines, as well as the large variety of resources and programs. Though [another school] is admittedly her first choice, the schools she applied to were all very carefully chosen on their own merits and hers and I agree with her that __ would likely fit her well. A seems very interested in several areas of the humanities. She spoke excitedly of how much she enjoyed a summer academic program where she got to be around others who are interested in learning like she. A also has real life work experience. This tattooed, purple-haired girl is fun to be around, easy to talk to, very curious and interested in what life has to offer, and refreshingly pragmatic (in deciding about colleges; she wanted to know if __ was “really worth the cost” which I found a sensible question.)
Applicant B:
B was very knowledgeable about __ and excited about the opportunity to study there for well-considered reasons. He stated that “__ is at the top of the list” for him and seems “tailor made,” that, having visited several schools, __ stood out. B said he was very excited that at __ he could “take a little bit of everything.” He described his interest in taking creative writing, cosmology and theoretical physics, political and environmental topics–and the ability to branch out more as he discovers what else is out there. B has a huge number of extracurricular activities of a great variety. In many of these areas he is a leader and he was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all of them. He has also done missions work. B was extremely charismatic and confident, interesting and entertaining, with good manners and social skills. I believe B and __ fit great together–they would both benefit. I highly recommend this applicant, based on the interview.
Applicant C:
C stated he was interested in __ because it has a “good reputation” and would benefit him with its alumni connections, and because it is “beautiful and fun.” He was well-informed about __ though he hadn’t done much research into the curriculum beyond the pre-med field. C is very interested in medicine. Aside from French (or more specifically, visiting France) he didn’t profess interest in anything else academic during our interview. C is extremely involved with and passionate about his religion (he is Muslim). He would eventually like to work in the medical field in third world countries as part of his religious organization and was extremely reverent regarding his imam (his big worry about attending __ is that his religion is not well-represented there).
Applicant D:
D did her research on __ and mentioned many features of the school that attracted her, such as the first year advising system. She was particularly interested in __’s curriculum, as well as the many theater and community service opportunities available. I didn’t get the sense that school was difficult for her, and it seems that she enjoys it, but her face really lit up when discussing the arts, in particular drama and music. D has a large number of extracurricular activities, but what was most interesting was how they interrelated. She is now considering law as a field. She also does a great deal of community service work through her church. D reminded me of a lot of my __ classmates in the variety of things that interest her and in her many talents.
Applicant E:
E plainly stated that he is interested in __ because of its soccer program and because many of his friends are going there and he would prefer not to be faced with making new friends. He did note, when pressed about academics, that they are “top-notch” and that he knew there to be a large variety of classes. He had wildly inaccurate conceptions about the curriculum, however (that he would be turned away from courses in departments besides his concentration, for example). E’s interest in __ appeared to be mainly geographic and athletic. As for academics, E said he considered biology and literature and was genuinely interested in anthropology and archeology. E did several times admit concern about being up to __’s academics, asking about how many people fail to be able to graduate, and if there are special tutors for athletes. He found his AP courses difficult, he said, and definitely needed the ten extra points given in those. From what I could tell, E would be an excellent member of the soccer team. He did not mention any other extra-curricular interests.
Applicant F:
F seems to be interested in __ primarily because of the bio-med program, though she also talk about the open curriculum and the history department as being draws, and the ability to explore new interests using the pass/fail grading option. F said she was interested in “the mind” and stated she had “always wanted to be a doctor” and “assumed” that’s what she would do (and wasn’t especially introspective on the topic.) F is on an academic team, does volunteer work with the mentally handicapped (teaching the Bible), and does other community service activities. F was self-possessed and polite. She did not evince a great deal of passion, even when talking about medicine–she was very matter-of-fact.
