A Great "Why" Applicant vs. The Overqualified Applicant

curiouscolleges
Sun, 22 Dec 2019 03:42:22 +0000

So,

Let’s say someone applies to a top college like an Ivy or that level. He/she has reasonable grades (some As, some Bs) in some classes, many 4s and few 5s in APs, ok test scores (High 1400s-Low 1500s), some extracurricular, let’s say he/she plays piano, has won few school awards, and the personal essay is pretty decent according to the admissions, maybe about some road trip that was a big turning point in their life. Letter of Recommendations are great, showing how he/she operates in the classroom, always asking questions and curious about others have to say. This person might select a major, let’s say Sociology. His/her “Why” essay for the college is very convincing. He/she’s done a great deal of research on the school and talks about a unique program the school offers. He/she even mentions a great professor he/she wants to work with. It’s clear to admissions that the college will be perfect for this applicant.

However the admissions come across an applicant who is the top of class with the exact same classes as the former. Has the same APs but has more 5s. This person has entered in some state performances for the piano, even submitting a music portfolio which the former does not have. He/she has high 1500s test scores, several awards from some prestigious organizations, and a great essay that shows a great deal of the applicant’s personal journey (also detailing a road trip) to success or so. Letters of recommendation show the person’s significant contributions to the school, and how much he/she likes to help others in classes. This person also picks Sociology as a major. This applicant is almost a better version of the other applicant, definitely qualified, but there is one problem: his/her “Why” essay isn’t as convincing as the other person. It’s almost as if this great applicant didn’t put as much effort into the why question. He/she talks about some of the college’s environment but not going in depth on what it has to offer or something along those lines.

These applicants are the same in their interests and personality, but one expresses great interest in wanting to go, while the other one is more qualified even though his/her “Why” reason isn’t as good.

If you were on the admissions team and had to choose between one of these applicants, who would you choose?