Do extracurriculars really count? What if I am not a captain/club president/editor, etc.?
"Yes, that is okay, and do not spread yourself too thin. Do something that interests you and really get involved in it. This shows that you are interested in improving your community."
- Allen Pritchard, Assistant Director of Admissions, Randolph-Macon College
"When reviewing a folder, I ask myself the question: Has this student made good use of his/her time? This question can be effectively answered with extracurriculars: clubs, sports, and activities; a part-time job; or participation in groups outside of school, such as scouts, religious organizations, or community orchestras. Leadership in organizations is a good thing but it does not assure me that you have done anything. Whether you are a president, captain, player, or occasional participant, represent your activities well by listing them in order of their interest to you. Do fill in the spaces on the application, no matter what you plan to attach. It is also wise to attach a list of activities (again in order of their interest to you). For each activity, give a concise, two-sentence description of the activity and, more important, your involvement in it. Always put a positive spin on your involvement, even if it has been limited."
- Ann Fleming Brown, Associate Dean of Admissions, Union College
"Much depends on what we need in any given year. This coming fall, for instance, I am keen to find some choral soloists, especially sopranos and tenors. And we could surely use more cub reporters for the school paper. I did not need these as much last year, and may not next year. Applicants are wise to ask about such particular needs. Leadership skills are undoubtedly important and desirable, but not everyone can be a campus leader at the same time, nor should everyone want this occur. As Milton rightly put it: They also serve who only stand and wait."
- Brian Hopewell, Dean of Admission, Lyon College
"Only after you have passed the first hurdle of presenting an academic history that predicts academic success in the curriculum of the college. If that is not taken care of, all the offices and extracurricular accomplishments are moot. Once you have passed the academically admissible review, then involvements can help you. All selective schools want a well-rounded student body, but not made up of the exactly the same type of student. We want students that bring experiential diversity, too. Some may be officers. Others worked 20 hours a week. Others performed admirably behind the scenes."
- Mike Sexton, Dean of Admissions, Lewis & Clark College
If a student is deferred from an early decision application to the regular applicant pool, is there anything she can or should do to let the school know she really wants to go there?
"Sure. Pick up the phone and call the Dean. Or the President. See which school puts you through, or which Dean or President returns the call. That is where I would send my deposit."
- Brian Hopewell, Dean of Admission, Lyon College
"Read the defer letter carefully and do what it says! There are usually suggestions."
- Mike Sexton, Dean of Admissions, Lewis & Clark College
"In most cases at Bennington, through our highly individualized application and interview process, we will have a clear sense of the preference of the student for the College. Generally, I would invite the student to write the Admissions Committee regarding the fact that that particular institution is his or her first choice."
- Elena Ruocco Bachrach, Dean of Admissions and the First Year, Bennington College
"Do better academically and write the school to let them know that you recognize the weaknesses in your application. Explain what you have learned from them and how you have changed the habits that caused them. That is the best thing you can do, but you may still be denied admission."
- Allen Pritchard, Assistant Director of Admissions, Randolph-Macon College
"Write a letter expressing your interest in the College, naming specifics about the academic program in which you are interested and activities and programs in which you would like to participate. If you have additional grades, have your guidance office send them into the college. Less successful is to ask every adult you know to call in your behalf. Colleges and universities want to hear directly from the student. Do not bother to send in unusual gifts to the College. Food gets eaten, sky writing is ephemeral. One last point: If you are deferred from the early decision plan of a college, start to look long and hard at other colleges you would like to attend. Do not continue to focus your emotional energy on a college that may not admit you."
- Ann Fleming Brown, Associate Dean of Admissions, Union College
