What tips an AO's decision for a cusp candidate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

I believe 50% of the T25 is still test optional? Do they math.
Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, Michigan, WashU, Emory are all TO for next cycle. Not even touching UCLA/UCB or USC.

Not even getting into "most selective" SLACs (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Pomona) - because, well, you know the answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

I believe 50% of the T25 is still test optional? Do they math.
Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, Michigan, WashU, Emory are all TO for next cycle. Not even touching UCLA/UCB or USC.

Not even getting into "most selective" SLACs (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Pomona) - because, well, you know the answer.

Some of them don't count as "most" selective.

Penn is test required now. Rice is test recommended, essentially test required for unhooked. Emory always loves to see a high scorer.

That leaves Princeton, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Vanderbilt, ND, WashU. Eight schools. 1/3.

I am not counting public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

I believe 50% of the T25 is still test optional? Do they math.
Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, Michigan, WashU, Emory are all TO for next cycle. Not even touching UCLA/UCB or USC.

Not even getting into "most selective" SLACs (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Pomona) - because, well, you know the answer.

And that means Applicant numbers will surge even greater at those schools as more and more are test required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

I believe 50% of the T25 is still test optional? Do they math.
Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, Michigan, WashU, Emory are all TO for next cycle. Not even touching UCLA/UCB or USC.

Not even getting into "most selective" SLACs (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Pomona) - because, well, you know the answer.

Some of them don't count as "most" selective.

Penn is test required now. Rice is test recommended, essentially test required for unhooked. Emory always loves to see a high scorer.

That leaves Princeton, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Vanderbilt, ND, WashU. Eight schools. 1/3.

I am not counting public schools.

There is no way Princeton remains the only Ivy test optional. It looks bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

I believe 50% of the T25 is still test optional? Do they math.
Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, Michigan, WashU, Emory are all TO for next cycle. Not even touching UCLA/UCB or USC.

Not even getting into "most selective" SLACs (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Pomona) - because, well, you know the answer.

Some of them don't count as "most" selective.

Penn is test required now. Rice is test recommended, essentially test required for unhooked. Emory always loves to see a high scorer.

That leaves Princeton, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Vanderbilt, ND, WashU. Eight schools. 1/3.

I am not counting public schools.

There is no way Princeton remains the only Ivy test optional. It looks bad.

That's why Columbia stays on the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on some of the other questions, what tips an AO decision for a borderline candidate? I saw this post on Reddit today, and this response made me pause - this seems like they are filtering for personality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i7z43z/what_is_that_one_factor_that_pushes_kids_over_the/

"Often, it’s just the sense that the applicant is a good egg who will likely be highly involved in and contribute to campus life: a considerate roommate, an intellectually curious and conscientious student, and an enthusiastic community member who will join clubs, serve on executive boards, perform improv, write for the student newspaper, lead hikes for the outdoors center, and otherwise contribute to a welcoming, fun, and varied campus community."

this other thread also had some surprising responses from former AOs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1i4mr89/whats_up_with_the_aos/

In that second link!:


Honestly, I can tell you from working with students myself that sometimes - but not always - it's the slightly lower SAT students who go TO who stand out in terms of character, leadership, and other intangibles.

Just because you have great stats doesn't mean that you have the strongest personal qualities, the kinds of things AOs and other people in the education field can pick up in essays and LORs.

Well the majority of most selective schools are test required now. Top scores/top grades w/ rigor

I believe 50% of the T25 is still test optional? Do they math.
Princeton, Penn, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, Michigan, WashU, Emory are all TO for next cycle. Not even touching UCLA/UCB or USC.

Not even getting into "most selective" SLACs (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Pomona) - because, well, you know the answer.

Some of them don't count as "most" selective.

Penn is test required now. Rice is test recommended, essentially test required for unhooked. Emory always loves to see a high scorer.

That leaves Princeton, Northwestern, Duke, UChicago, Columbia, Vanderbilt, ND, WashU. Eight schools. 1/3.

I am not counting public schools.

There is no way Princeton remains the only Ivy test optional. It looks bad.

Princeton cares not at all about how it looks.