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April 7, 2006
Deny, Deny, Deny...
As I was watching the Today show this morning, as I do every morning, I couldn’t help but watch the plug about the dreaded dare I say, college application! It seems as if ‘top students’ are being denied at universities all over the country. Why is this?
They didn’t seem to have a reason as to why students were getting denied; they just are. They neglected to explain what constitutes them as top students. Are they top athletes, do they excel in their chosen field (music or art) but have poor academic grades? We do not know.
Speaking for SHU standards, if a student is the next Leonardo DiVinci but has a 0.00 as a GPA, I am sorry to say the student would be denied.
A lot goes into evaluating a file for admissions and I think that concept sometimes gets overlooked. Some may think that we just look at the grades and say ‘yeah or nay’ and move on; which is not true! We look at a file for grades, first and foremost, but we also look at any added information the student may contribute. The additional essay that we require now is a great resource for getting a feel for who the applicant is as well as the letter of recommendation. Personally speaking, the more letters of recommendations you have, the better. We get an idea of who the student is by others that interact with you on a daily basis (for the most part).
Please don’t get discouraged in the Application process. Institutions have different requirements and make sure you understand their requirements prior to applying. Don’t assume that all universities have the same requirements and deadlines. So dare I say, once again, do your homework!
Posted by AshleyHoffman at April 7, 2006 3:16 PM
Comments
I'm on the committee that reviews borderline applictations -- that is, perhaps your SAT scores aren't quite meeting our standards. Your application might go to a committee that will look at such factors as GPA, class rank, or references.
Two big hints:
1) Get letters of reference from people who know your academic work.
I put little value on a letter from an administrator who only knows you from your record, a family member (who will naturally be biased in your favor), or a coach who only knows you from the playing field.
SHU has all sorts of programs that are designed to help those who are academically struggling, so a few Cs don't bother me nearly as much as signs that a student's grades have slipped over the past few quarters, has missed or been late to class too many times, or taken a courseload heavy on phys ed and basket-weaving, and light on fundamentals like language, math, and science.
2) In your essay, write with the understanding that administrators and facutly members will be determining whether you get in, not the athletics director. (The coach who recruited you already thinks you'll succeed athletically, or else he or she wouldn't have bothered to talk to you.) We're happy that you're excited by the chance to play your favorite sport, and we're glad that the sport is the reason why you gave our campus a second look, but we're looking for evidence that you will succeed academically. I wouldn't go so far as to say "Don't mention your sport in your application letter," but I will say find some reason other than sports that you can include in your essay.
And yes, we love our campus and think it's beautiful too, but we didn't get hired here because we told the administrators we loved the tree-lined driveway -- we got hired because we had a solid record of academic and personal accomplishments.
Comment by: Dennis G. Jerz at April 7, 2006 6:30 PM