The video “Anatomy of a Decision” features key leaders discussing how they have made some of their toughest decisions over the course of their careers. The series’ first edition showcases an interview with Jeffrey Brenzel, former Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale University, about the student selection process at Ivy League schools and what they’re looking for in potential students.
https://glg.it/videos/jeffrey-brenzel-interview-college-application-process/
Very interesting. I would love to know more about how they decide who gets removed from the admit pile.
Very interesting indeed. When he said, ‘every competitive applicant gets 2 reads’, does that mean there are applicants who get thrown out after just a cursory review? Sounds like it
@wisteria100, that was my takeaway as well. They are trained to scan for certain indicators (scores/gpa/hooks I would imagine) and only once they are sure the applicant is “competitive” do they dig into the nitty gritty details and have a second reader join in a thorough reading of the application. Stands to reason with 40,000 applications at HYP and other schools every year I suppose.
This just confirms what we all thought. There are basic requirements you need to get past the very first hurdle. It is the only way to weed thru all of the applicants. Why waste anytime reading an essay from a student with a 2.0gpa and a 1000 SAT score if your an Ivy league admissions officer.
I was surprised to hear around the 1:30 mark that if the reader thinks it will fall into the top 10,000 applicants out of the 30,000 it goes on for further review. In info sessions, I always hear schools say that 75-80% of the applicants are academically qualified to do the work. But this makes it sound like they’re only considering about 1/3 for the more holistic review.
I guess you can be academically qualified but still not competitive.