I’m often asked about how I read an admission file. I really never have a clear-cut answer for that, but I do have some general personal preferences as to the order in which I learn about the student. This can be broken down into three areas: getting to know the applicant, determining a student’s academic preparation, and other people’s impressions of the student. These areas really help me in determining whether or not the student is a good fit for the University of Denver, and ultimately determine who is admitted and who is not.
The first thing I read is the actual application. I like to learn where a student is from, where they go to school, what they want to study, etc. I take a close look at the family information to see where their parents went to school and whether or not they are alumnus of the University of Denver. I’ll also take a look at the sibling information to see how many brothers or sisters the applicant has and where they currently attend school (or where they might have graduated from).
The short answer, activities, and essay also help me in learning a great deal about the students. I take a close look at the quality of the activities that a student has been involved with both in and out of school. I like to see students that stick with activities, but at the same time are willing to try new things. Essentially, I want to see that students made good use of their time outside the classroom and over the summer. The essay is a very important part of the application in that this is where a student can tell me something about themselves that I otherwise wouldn’t know by reading the rest of the application. I’ve seen some great essays so far this year and am continually amazed at the experiences and opportunities some of our applicants have had.
The most important part of the application is the academic record. I look very closely at the high school transcript. Here, I am specifically looking at a student’s grades, curriculum choices, and the strength of their high school. I want to see a student that challenges themselves with the most demanding courses they can take, without falling below a “B” for a grade. In terms of the SAT or ACT, I only see the highest scores, so I never know (nor do I need to know) how many times a student has taken the tests.
Finally, I want to see what other people have to say about the applicant. The college/guidance counselor typically knows the student better than most. Their recommendation often speaks to the applicant as a student and a person. Any questions that arise from looking at a student’s transcript are often times answered by reading the counselor recommendation. Additional recommendations, while not required, speak to a student’s success in a specific class or an extracurricular activity. If a student has done one of our Hyde Interviews, I will read the comments from that as well.
The order/process in which I read an admission file is not the same for everyone in our office but the above process seems to work well for me. Some files do take longer to read than others, but rest assured, every student applicant is given a fair and consistent review.
Craig Dionne, Northeast Regional Director of Admission
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