<p>It’s a melange of ways. </p>
<p>Some applicants are REALLY awesome. So awesome that one person can read that file and go: “Wow… THIS is a kid who belongs here!”</p>
<p>Some applicants are on the other end of the spectrum.</p>
<p>For those applications on the extremes, one person can review the file, make a strong recommendation and that’s that. But there’s a lot in between, too. Those applicants will likely be read by two different readers. The first reader is always the regional admissions officer. I, for instance, read all the applications from Fairfield County, Ct; Monmouth County, NJ; Southern NJ; Maryland; Idaho; Wyoming; Montana; and a area in Mass that surrounds Hopkinton. At that point, all the applications we feel are “on the bubble” will go to committee. In a most selective environment, that’s a substantial portion of the applicant pool. The committee will then go over those applications, and make decisions.</p>