So I’m applying to FIU
I had a checklist of things to do (SAT, etc) which were all sent and it said my application was complete. Suddenly I see a new item, holistic undergrad essay.
On the website it says that:
FIU is committed to helping students from around the world achieve a higher education. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will conduct a holistic review of applications that meet the criteria listed below. Applicants are notified by email, if they are required to submit an essay and additional information for a holistic review. Applicants selected for holistic review must submit an essay; only complete applications will be reviewed.
Does “Applicants selected for holistic review must submit an essay; only complete applications will be reviewed.” mean that not all applicants are selected? Is this good? Or bad ?
The college simply wants to get to know you better before they make a decision on whether to admit you or not. I would take it as an advantage and a good thing! You are giving them a chance to further evaluate your application, especially if some parts of the application are not as strong.
So they usually send them to candidates with parts of the application that are not strong?
From the website only - it does appear that they ask for an essay from students whose application is not as strong as they would like. There’s more information below - FIU’s average accepted student has a 3.92 GPA and a 1670 old SAT or 25 on the ACT. It seems like they ask for holistic review essays for students who score slightly below their requirements - for example, a student with a 3.7 but only a 22 on the ACT. It seems like they also ask for it from students who are maybe a bit unbalanced - who scored a 26 on the ACT but only had a 3.2 GPA.
These students are likely borderline for admissions, and FIU wants to give them the opportunity to give some more insight into their personalities and interests. It also gives you a chance to, potentially, explain your lower scores.
However, we know that other, more subjective measures such as motivation, drive, courage, perseverance, resolve and strength of character play an important role in students’ ability to succeed at FIU and in life. Please provide us with a 500 word (one page, single spaced) personal statement explaining which of these measures makes you a good candidate for admission to FIU and what strategies you will use to ensure your success in and out of the classroom.
This is the opportunity, for example, for Maria to explain that although her GPA is only a 3.2 and her ACT a 26, she struggled in school because she was learning English at the same time after immigrating with her family in middle school. Or for George to explain that his ACT score was so low because his father died the week before he was supposed to take it. Or for Terry to talk about how deeply passionate they are about history and how they plan to study it in school, so FIU can say “Wow, okay, even though Terry’s borderline, Terry sounds like the kind of student we want at FIU.”
It’s good in that it gives you an additional opportunity to convince FIU to admit you.
Contact your admission counselor for clarification. It seems that only applications that have been read and identified as falling within the criteria listed will be notified by email for the opportunity to submit an additional essay. Juillet gave a good explanation that the school may wish to give a student with borderline stats a chance to show that they are capable of being successful at the school and a productive member of the school community.
This is a safety school for me so I was a but concerned.