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from: Behind the Scenes: An Inside Look at the Selective College Admission Process 15th Edition Do Zany Applications Help or Hurt? With the demise of the evaluative interview and the overemphasis of the essay in the selection process-the two used to be more balanced in terms of the weight assigned to each-applications are becoming zanier and favor the admission of more "useless clever" students than the variety of talents (including truly creative writers), interests, achievements, backgrounds, personalities and career goals-the mix that most selective colleges seek in the entering classes. Are Summer Programs on Campus Worth The Money? Yes, if they are serious academic programs. I highly recommend such experience for students from public schools and private day schools during the summer between their junior and senior years. For a student already in boarding school, such an experience would be redundant. Do Athletes Have A Better Chance? Candidates who are "blue chip" athletes and top notch students are likely to be admitted anywhere that they apply. Those who are "blue chip" athletes and only mediocre students will be admitted to many colleges. And those who are "blue chip" athletes and poor students will be admitted to a surprisingly large number of colleges although this phenomenon appears to be more under control these days. The same is often true when a student's talent lies in music, drama or fine arts. What About The Common Application? Many years ago, more than 100 private colleges and universities banded together to create a Common Application. Many of these institutions (including Harvard) use the common application exclusively. Other members encourage its use and say that they give equal consideration to the Common Application and the college's own form. My advice, as one of the six founders of the Common Application, however, is to use it only for your "likelies" and "safeties".
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