HOLISTIC ADMISSION
read applications, and some hire tem- porary staff or seasonal readers to assist during peak seasons. For less selective institutions, some automa- tion may be used. Clearly, the higher education landscape is complex, and no two institutions are the same. As coun- selors assist students in their college admission journey, they should seek to understand the unique situation of each institution their student is inter- ested in to determine if it’s a good fit. The insight here is just a fraction of what’s available to counselors, who must not only consider the varying types of institutions, but also different types of students. As someone who PUTTING IT IN PRACTICE
partner, as are fellow high school counselors. College admission and financial aid personnel are happy to answer questions, share information, and connect with students. An immediate resource to turn to is NACAC’s sixth edition of the Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling textbook, which is now available for purchase. In it, I delve into other nuances of the college admission process, including school rank, essays and short answers, let- ters of recommendation, demograph- ics, disciplinary review, and more. Remember: This profession will constantly challenge us to learn and grow. There will be students who will push you to learn new things in order to support them effectively. When
Gone are the days of focusing solely on admitting students. Now, institutions are interested in holis- tic admission and understanding the entire student to determine if they’re a good fit for the institution’s mission. Students will be part of the commu- nity and culture of their institutions, so understanding who they are out- side the classroom is important to reviewers as they seek to admit stu- dents who are most likely to succeed. For example, if an institution values leadership, they want to see how stu- dents have demonstrated leadership on a sports field, in volunteer work, or within the classroom, among many other potential avenues. With that said, counselors must understand that while a student’s holistic experience is taken into con- sideration, performance in the class- room will always play an important role in college admission decisions and course rigor will be considered highly in determining who to admit. While an exact rubric may not be publicized, each institution does pub- lish key data points that can help counselors and prospective students understand their likelihood of being admitted. These common data sets include the average or middle 50 per- cent of standardized test scores, GPA, class rank, and more. HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE Further complicating the process is the array of ways an institution can choose to admit students. Some institutions admit students to the college or university as a whole, while others admit by program of study. Some institutions will wait until a round of students is ready to review, while others will compare students to a set standard and make an admis- sion decision on a rolling basis. Many institutions employ full-time staff to
Gone are the days of focusing solely on admitting students. Now, institutions are interested in holistic admission and understanding the entire student to determine if they’re a good fit for the institution’s mission.
worked on Broadway and used to be a professor of theater, I can attest that a student auditioning for a per- forming arts program requires differ- ent guidance than other applicants. Having worked at three NCAA Division I institutions, I also can attest that athletes have different requirements and expectations, especially if a stu- dent hopes to play at the Division I level. Whatever the situation, each student is unique and so are the skills necessary to be a successful college counselor. I like to remind counselors, both new and experienced, that they are not alone on this journey. The higher education community is eager to
you get the first music performance major at your high school, you can call higher education institutions with strong music programs to ask them for advice, or you can reach out to counselors at high schools with strong music programs. Every expert was once new and many of them are eager to share what they’ve learned along the way. Amy Hutton, Ph. D. is the associate vice chancellor and chief enrollment officer at the University of Colorado Boulder.
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