AO Application Review and Rating
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Anonymous
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I am trying to find all of the T10/T20 admission's office review rubrics/ratings. Would love to put them all in one post.
Anyone else interested in crowdsourcing this and posting here? |
Anonymous
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Stanford (from reddit):
High school Name/location, GPA as reported on transcript, graduation rate, graduating class size Your top 3 majors you listed on Stanford app Any tags on your profile such as DIV, which is diversity, for black, Hispanic, native American. Other tags include first generation college student, recruited athlete, LEG for legacy student if your parents attended Stanford or are Stanford Professor, DON if you are relative of someone who has or is committing to make large (6 to 8 figure) donations to the school. Your GPA recalculated on 4.0 scale, without freshman year classes. A tag for academic rigor. Most admitted have MD, which is "Most Demanding" Scores from each of your 2 application reviewers. Scores are from 1 to 6 where 1 is the best, and can also have pluses or minus (i.e. 2-). You are rated on: Test: The only objective one, just based on SAT/ACT and SAT II. Possibly also AP/IB? By far the easiest to get a 1 in. HSR: High School Record, I think this is mainly how well-regarded your high school is and how many people it has sent to Stanford historically. Better high school = better score. It might also include things like class rank/GPA not entirely sure. SUP: Support, How strong were your recommendations from teachers/ counselor/ interviewer? Are you legacy/relative of donor? Are you a recruited athlete? Is a Stanford coach or professor vouching for you? EC: Extracurriculurs. Standard school clubs count for very little (even with leadership positions), unless you come from poverty/bad area. Things that are unique and/or tie into intended major or you received prestigious awards or press attention for are good. SPIV: Self-Presentation & Intellectual Vitality. Pretty vague but probably based on your essays, interview rating, and overall application. Pretty sure this is akin to Harvard's "personal rating." Heard they give racial minorities a boost in this area. Eval: Overall evaluation of your application. Generally I think everyone 2 and above gets admitted, and 2-/3+ are the edge cases. Interview - The scores the interviewer submitted for you as well as a couple paragraphs they wrote summing up the interview and reviewing you. You are rated from 1 to 6 on 3 categories: intellectual vitality, depth/commitment, and self presentation/character. Interviewer will usually discuss your intended major/academic plans, most notable extracurriculars, family background (including where your parents are from), and goals for the future, how easy you are to talk to. Reader 1 and Reader 2 Reviews: Repeat of the reviewer scores from above Also includes 2 - 4 sentences of comments from each reader. Will mention the top 2 or 3 extracurriculars, 2 words each summarizing your best 2 - 3 essays, intended major, leadership, awards, your family's background, and what they like (or possibly don't like) about your application. Things like being from an underrepresented state, having prestigious awards or news articles written about you, tons of leadership positions, many (double-digit) AP classes, uncommon circumstances/background etc. will appear here * Will say whether they think you're an for-sure admit, likely admit, borderline case, likely not admit, etc. Includes abbreviations such as "PQ" = Personal Qualities, or "IV" = Intellectual Vitality. Reader 2's review is usually shorter and mentions whether they agree or disagree with reader 1. Scores from the reviewers are usually the same or at least very similar. A copy of your application that you submitted, along with high school profile that your high school submits (info about the school), submitted test scores, blacked-out teacher letters of rec. Teacher recommendations were blacked out for me since I waived those FERPA rights when I requested them. I was surprised by how short they were (only a few sentences, not a full page letter like I thought). Bonus: [Here's a visual] (https://www.reddit.com/r/stanford/comments/fv4896/declared_majors_of_stanford_undergraduates_autumn/) I made earlier showing the majors of Stanford students. CS is by far the biggest one (more than 3x than any other major), followed by human biology (premed), and economics. Note that Stanford will take your intended majors into account, they give preference to underrepresented majors and judge overrepresented ones more harshly, evaluate if your race & gender are under or overrepresented in the major, and evaluate how well your ECs, classes, essays, recommendations fit into your major. What is Stanford Looking For? Stanford ranks all applicants on a scale of 1-6 (1 highest) in three categories: academic, extracurricular, and intellectual vitality. GPA is recalculated as well. Only grades from sophomore and junior year are included, and only those from academic courses. Further +/- grades are flattened, so A- counts as an A, and B+ as a B. The average recalculated GPA is 3.94. While students should have a more singular extracurricular passion, they should be all-around stellar academically. Consistent weak grades in one subject, especially STEM courses, will greatly damage an applicant’s chances. Stanford receives enough applicants that it can afford to be choosy; thus strong academics all-around are necessary. Legacy students have a significant advantage when applying to Stanford, gaining admittance at nearly 3 times the rate of non-legacy students. While that does still leave them with an acceptance rate of just over 10%, this is a major boost, and shows Stanford’s emphasis on preserving its culture, which many universities believe legacy admissions helps with. The essays are important, and Stanford uses both the main question and the supplemental essays to judge a student’s character, authenticity, and potential to contribute to the campus community. Stanford often admits candidates who are most compelling over those who are merely highly qualified. The story told by your essays is incredibly important here. Stanford has recently begun a new diversity initiative, aimed at increasing representation in their student body. This will provide a slight boost to first generation or underrepresented populations who are applying. https://www.ivyscholars.com/stanford-university-guide/ |
Anonymous
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Harvard (most well known bc of lawsuit):
https://www.collegeadvisor.com/resources/ivy-league-application/ This was eye opening - I can't summarize it well enough. https://www.kolly.ai/blog/reviewing-my-harvard-admissions-file |
Anonymous
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Penn (from reddit):
Major: Undecided (applied for political science) Applicant: Domestic NY GPA: 3.6 UW (9 Bs throughout hs, one P in a senior year course Calculus II) SAT: 1570 -- Alongside my file, Penn sent me a key that helped explained some of the abbreviations I saw. M/A: (scale of 1-4, 4 is highest) Match and Alignment -- Student's developed interest in Penn, fit with Penn programs, and talent within academic priorities E: (scale of 1-6, 6 is highest) Excellence of Mind -- Student's pursuit of academic interests and achievements within school/community context I: (scale of 1-6, 6 is highest) Impact in your space -- Student as a catalyst for impact/involvement with school/community context AI: Academic index, a calculated value combining GPA and ACT/SAT Portfolio rating: (1-9) only for applicants to architecture, DMD, fine arts, and music Based on the above, it's safe to assume Penn prioritizes fit, stats, and community impact. -- Now, with that in mind, these were my following scores: M/A: 3/4 -- this is my highest rating. i think it makes sense, i did my research for the supplemental essays E: 3/6 -- pretty dang low for a penn admit I'd assume. I: 4/6 -- makes sense, most of my ECs were community-centric but nothing insane + most of my essays centered community AI: 234 -- i believe this score is out of 240. I guess it's an easy way to compare me with other applicants, especially since I was a waitlist admit. --- In addition to the abbreviations, Penn also notes "indicators" on the file. They are: FG (first generation) Legacy (specifically parent, stepparent, guardian, or grandparent who graduated from penn) F/S (child of faculty or staff) SE (student coming from potentially lower socioeconomic environment) LGBTQA (member of the LGBTQA community) ACA/PROB (disciplinary action or misdemeanor/felony) PHL (philadelphia resident) Sibling Applying (indication that a sibling has applied in the same application cycle) QB-FM (Questbridge finalist matched with Penn) I personally only had FG and LGBTQA (Penn has a specific question for LGBTQA relation, so that's how they know). I was kind of surprised to see LGBTQA and PHL here, as well as SE being distinct from FG. I can't say that Penn prioritizes LGBTQA folks or Philadelphia applicants, but it's definitely noted. Also neat to have a specific definition of legacy -- turns out my little brother isn't getting that boost </3 -- Overall, kind of underwhelming. It's not entirely clear why they admitted me off the waitlist -- in fact it's possibly more confusing. The omission of comments means there's nothing specifically pertaining to my essays, LOCI, or LORs, but it's entirely possible that those were the make-or-break for me due to my not particularly outstanding scores as listed above -- I've read my LORs as my recommenders slightly reworked them for other programs I needed LORs for and I know they're great. My essays were some of my favorite, and my LOCI had to have played some role in getting me in, I'd assume. I hope this serves as something interesting, maybe insightful, as we head into ED deadlines next week! If there's any advice I'd give, it's to focus on what you can change -- stop dwelling on your GPA, test scores, ECs, awards, etc. and work your ass off to present what you have in a way that'd wow those AOs! https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/ydb2pb Admissions Criteria: The factors Penn considers very important are: course rigor, GPA, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, and character. Other important factors are: class rank, interview, extracurriculars, and talent. An index rating of 1-9 is assigned for two criteria, GPA and standardized test scores. GPA is turned into an unweighted 4-point scale for ease of comparison. This scale includes pluses and minuses, and grades from all classes in 4 years of high school. Penn superscores SAT and ACT scores, and has no preference between the two. Letters of recommendation are used to sort students with perfect scores who are not intellectually vibrant from those who are curious and contribute positively to the classroom. While interviews are not mandatory, the vast majority of applicants are granted one, and they can influence the decision. What is Penn Looking For? What Penn is looking for most is students who will fit into their cultural climate, and be able to succeed and thrive on their campus. That means first that they want students who are academically prepared for the academic work the school will expect them to do, and second students who will fit into the high-energy and academically curious student body. Applications to each of the schools at Penn are treated separately, and the schools are looking for different things in the students they admit. Students should make sure they are applying to the school they are best suited and prepared for. For Wharton, students should demonstrate a deep passion for and interest in business, along with displaying leadership qualities. These should be reflected in their extracurriculars. They are expected to have a high degree of math preparation, including calculus. The School of Engineering focuses on the applied and practical side of sciences, while the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is more theoretical in its approach. Students should determine which of these approaches they are best suited for when applying. Engineering further expects a high level of preparation in both math and science courses, and signs the student has involved themselves in the practical side of the sciences. The School of Nursing is looking most of all for students who are truly passionate about helping others, and the field of nursing itself. Students with no clear idea why they are interested in nursing or what the school is about are discouraged from applying. The dual-degree programs are even more competitive, and require the highest degree of preparation. Students need to show that they would be able to succeed at two of Penn’s schools simultaneously, and that they have the drive and background to back up that claim. Penn looks for evidence of a student’s drive and ability to work in a self-directed manner. |
Anonymous
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Duke:
So unlike the Ivies, Duke, has a strict numerical point system in which applicants are rated on six distinct criteria, as opposed to the two ratings given by the Ivies, so that when you apply to an Ivy League school, they give you an academic rating and a personal grade, those are the two ratings. When you apply to Duke, they have six different distinct ratings that they give you: "For applicants to Trinity, applicants are rated on six different criteria, and each criteria is weighted 10 points for a total of 60 points maximum. - Strength of curriculum (AP courses, etc.) = 10 points - Grades and class rank = 10 points - SAT/ACT scores = 10 points - Extra-curricular achievement with focus on national awards = 10 points - Essays = 10 points - Letters of recommendation = 10 points" And so generally, you wanted your overall composite score for these six different criteria to be over 45 to really have a serious shot of getting in.*** NOTE: Duke no longer giving numerical rating to standardized testing, essays in undergraduate admissions as of this year - so the scoring has changed to a max of 40 points instead of 60. According to Guttentag, the only categories given numerical ratings now are the four categories that remain: “the strength of a student’s curriculum, their grades in academic courses, their extracurricular activities and the letters of recommendation.” Many people think this makes ECs MUCH MORE IMPORTANT at Duke than other T10s. https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2024/02/duke-university-undergraduate-admissions-changes-numerical-rating-standardized-testing-essays-covid-test-optional-ai-generated-college-consultants |
Anonymous
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Northwestern:
They like real genuine kids - little to no exaggeration. AO are focused on: Intellectual impact: Northwestern isn’t just concerned about learning for learning’s sake (although that’s important, too). They also want to see how you can take your work in the classroom and use it to impact the world around you. Research: Northwestern wants students who will take advantage of all the research initiatives on campus. They want you to think about (and demonstrate) entrepreneurship, innovation, and a keen eye for research. Student support and community: Northwestern is big on supporting students and maintaining a strong sense of community. Browsing through information about student life will help you find your “fit.” While academic preparation is the most important factor overall in the admissions process, this is a weeding out factor, meant to ensure that all of the students at Northwestern are academically prepared for the rigors of college courses. Excelling academically alone is not enough to guarantee acceptance. Northwestern uses a holistic admissions process, and while academics are considered in this, they are not the entirety of what the school is looking for. Northwestern is interested in “fit,” the idea that a student and a college should be well-suited for each other. That is the students strengths, and what they want to pursue, should line up with what the school is looking for, and what they can offer to the student in turn. Students who are passionate, intellectually curious, and academically driven fit into the idea of Northwestern. For extracurricular involvement, Northwestern is looking for passionate, focused students, as most other elite universities are. Students who demonstrate considerable talent and aptitude in their own niche as specialists are more likely to stand out and gain acceptance. Students who are good at many things but not great at any one thing have a harder time standing out. |
Anonymous
Other big parts of NU's application review process: Team-Based Reading During the Early Decision cycle, applications are initially reviewed through a method known as "Team-Based Reading." In this phase, teams of two admissions officers collaboratively review each application file. This approach ensures a comprehensive assessment from multiple perspectives, which helps the admissions team gain a deeper understanding of each applicant's unique context and potential. Class Shaping Following the initial review, the process moves into the "Class Shaping" stage. Here, decisions are refined to ensure a diverse class, balancing factors such as academic interests, geographic origin, and other institutional priorities. This stage is crucial for building a well-rounded student body that aligns with Northwestern's values and goals. Evaluation in School Groups It is important to note that applications are evaluated in "school groups." This means that your profile will be viewed not only holistically but also in comparison to peers from your own high school. This approach places a strong emphasis on selecting the most challenging courses available and standing out within your specific educational context. Excelling academically and being an active participant in your local community is critical to improving your chances of admission. How Academic Rigor is Graded at Northwestern Northwestern evaluates academic rigor on a scale from 1 to 5, with a '1' or '2' typically required for admission: Academic Rigor Rating Description How to Achieve[i] 1 Highest Rigor Top 3% of class, 1500+ SAT/33+ ACT, maximizing AP/IB/Honors courses, demonstrated intellectual curiosity through research, high AP exam scores 2 Strong Rigor Competitive class rank, strong SAT/ACT scores, challenging coursework within context of your school 3 Moderate Rigor Solid academic performance, consistent effort in core subjects 4 Below Average Rigor Minimal engagement in challenging coursework 5 Limited Rigor Very limited academic effort Extracurriculars: At Northwestern University, extracurricular activities are not just a complement to your academic performance; they are a core part of your application, making up 30% of the overall evaluation. [This is higher than DUKE] Northwestern assesses extracurricular involvement on a scale from 1 to 5, focusing on leadership and impact. It's essential that your involvement is not merely extensive but meaningful—leadership roles, national awards, or initiatives that have significantly impacted your community are highly valued. Extracurricular Impact[u] Rating Description Examples 1 National/International Recognition Olympic athlete, major film/TV roles, national youth orchestra 2 State-Level Achievement State-level music ensemble, Boys/Girls State, all-state athletic team, university-published research 3 Localized Leadership Captain of sports team, Gold Award/Eagle Scout, president of a significant club 4 Consistent Involvement Active member in multiple clubs or organizations for 2+ years 5 No Involvement NA |
Anonymous
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Cornell:
This is what Cornell was looking for last year, from Cornell presidential task force - areas of focus/student attributes for AdCom consideration …. Identify and recruit students who show the following attributes/life experiences that have been identified as enriching the educational experience in the classroom: - Academic achievement, and achievement in other areas - Inquiry: intellectual rigor, passion, curiosity, creativity, exploration - Distance traveled: overcoming obstacles or barriers; experience working part time; overcoming feelings of isolation or disempowerment, headwinds, invisibility, struggles - Persistence: grit, resilience, perseverance, focus - Community orientation: demonstrate kindness, demonstrate compassion, teamwork focus, impact, pride in culture or heritage, situational awareness, service, engagement - Leadership: influential, trend-setter, lights up room - Knowledge of and appreciation for Cornell's unique history and mission More than many other Ivies, Cornell is focused on "fit to major" bc you apply to different colleges with different AdComs. Cornell wants to find students who fit the philosophy and culture of the university. The admissions officers evaluate applicants on the following criteria: Intellectual potential Character Involvement Reasons why you chose Cornell Cornell wants to see that you have stretched yourself by taking the highest-level courses that are available to you in high school. They also want to see that you have a good character that reflects your initiative, honesty, open-mindedness, and empathy, which should be reflected in your recommendation letters and your essays. For your involvement, Cornell will review your extracurriculars, jobs, and community activities to see evidence that you have developed your special interests and talents. Finally, they will want to see the reasons why you want to attend Cornell. |
Anonymous
Is not quite good enough for HYP an acceptable answer or do they prefer lies? |
Anonymous
this is fascinating. also explains the two kids we know who got in RD - beyond stellar (national level ECs with awards/medals in individual sports) but not the highest test scores at all...... |
Anonymous
| bump |
Anonymous
really interesting. |
Anonymous
Noteworthy nuggets here (Excerpted): - Therefore, applicants should note that there is truly little difference between getting a 33 or a 36 on the ACT, as both results would yield a 2 in the academic rating. - Most importantly, notice how a 1 category can be earned with unusual accomplishment in “one or more categories.” This means that being a world-class pianist vs. being a world-class pianist, tennis player, and chess player will yield no difference in this rating category. Simply having big accomplishments in one deeply developed area is enough! Less is more. - By pursuing a passion project, applicants can boost their extracurricular score by having a unique extracurricular that is “world-class” by virtue of how rare it is. They also show their strong character and personal values to admissions officers because they are taking action on traits such as concern for community, equity, and public-mindedness. In essence, a passion project is proof of your personal character and values. |
Anonymous
Fascinating. So if you are applying from a private without the Tier 1 EC/Awards, but your classmate(s) have that, NU is a wasted application. |
Anonymous
Fascinating what Cornell is focused on. Not what you'd expect given the nerdy grinder culture. |