<p>I’ve read on a few threads that many unqualified applications are thrown out without reading their essays, LORs, etc. What exactly makes an applicant “unqualified?”</p>
<p>Consider the source. Is this a credible source inside admissions who talks of throwing out applications? I didn’t think so.</p>
<p>Incomplete application (i.e. missing required information).</p>
<p>Application does not meet stated baseline criteria (e.g. if the school states that it only considers applicants with at least a certain set of high school course work, those without that set are auto-rejects).</p>
<p>Probably super low test scores or GPA, or not having proficiency in English where English is required (e.g. TOEFL score lower than requirement, although this could probably fall under “Incomplete application”).</p>
<p>Might have been possible during the paper applications era but these days everything is also on the computers.</p>
<p>However, some schools with high number of applications give the discretion of making the cut to a single adcom who can decide whether the application should go any further.</p>
<p>Incomplete applications.</p>
<p>It is also possible that a college may have a stat range for applicants whose essays and subjective aspects are reviewed, while those above the stat range are auto-admitted based on stats and those below the stat range are auto-rejected based on stats.</p>
<p>It would not necessarily be surprising if there were colleges that did admissions that way.</p>
<p>Unless there is a hook, I can’t see an Ivy League college keeping applications where the weighted GPA is 3.0 or lower. It is just not worth their time to bother.</p>
<p>I believe that there are a LOT of kids applying to top schools with no knowledge at all about what stats they need to apply. It’s like, their mom and/or dad says “you are so smart! you should go to Harvard!” and has no idea what the competition is like.</p>
<p>@rhandco this is so true. All of my friends are like “don’t worry you’ll get in wherever”, and I’m applying to places like Stanford, Brown, Penn. People really don’t understand the level of competition nowadays. </p>
<p>@rhandco Haha, this is totally my parents. I have average stats for the schools I am applying to, but they haven’t figured out yet that applications are insanely cutthroat. </p>
<p>@rhandco Wow that describes practically everyone in the top 10 percent of my class. When I ask where they are applying they say “UC this, that, and of course Harvard/Stanford” even though they have below 1800 SATs. They/their parents assume that because they are in band/ hispanic that they’ll get a full ride anywhere and joke about schools like UCI and UCR even though that’s where most students end up.</p>
<p>Your HS is doing you a disservice if the top 10% of your class has less than 3.0 weighted GPA. Weighted GPA is usually 5.0 is an A.</p>
<p>Below 1800 SATs applying to an Ivy is ridiculous without a hook. Being a URM is a hook. Being in band is not a hook, LOL.</p>