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| Albright College doesn't require scores or recommendations |
Since
the Common Application made significant
changes in membership policies a number of years ago, many colleges moved to
streamline admissions requirements and eliminated elements of what was once
considered essential to a complete application for admission. For a surprising
number of colleges, gone are personal statements, counselor recommendations,
teacher recommendations and for a growing number of institutions—test scores.
According
to the Common App requirement grid and information provided on the FairTest website, out of 823 Common App members listed
on the College Deadlines, Fees and
Requirements grid:
- About 40 percent do not require personal statements (the basic Common App essay)
- Over 53 percent do not require counselor recommendations
- Over 61 percent do not require teacher recommendations
- About 44 percent require neither a counselor recommendation nor a teacher recommendation
- Almost 42 percent don’t always require test scores (note that FairTest and the Common App differ slightly as to definitions for these policies)
- And 15 percent don’t always require test scores AND don’t require a counselor recommendation or a teacher recommendation
So
what’s left? Grades and rigor of high school course work as reported by the
student or outlined on an official transcript provided by the high school.
But
considering issues of grade inflation or subjectivity, how do colleges assess
the value of course and grade information? By using a very handy tool called
the high school “profile.”
For
the record, profiles are generally attached to every transcript or as part of
a complete “secondary school report” submitted to colleges.
And
given the crucial role this single document plays in the college admissions process, it’s shocking how few
students and parents are familiar with their own school’s “official” profile.
For
starters, virtually every high school has one.
And
its value is enormous, as the profile officially translates your transcript
into terms that college admissions offices can use to compare your record
against those submitted by other candidates. It also helps readers evaluate a
student’s performance relative to other applicants within the same
school.
In
other words, the profile places you in context of your school and your school
in context of other schools in the district, state, and nation.
“…as
former admissions officers, we will tell you that a well-done school profile
makes all the difference,” explains Alison Cooper Chisolm and Anna Ivey, in How to Prepare a
Standout College Application. “It gives a much richer context for
evaluating an applicant’s academic abilities and achievements.”
A
good high school profile will include
- Basic school demographics
- Grading system and how GPA’s are calculated
- Class ranking policies
- Scheduling system
- Profile of most recent graduating class including grade distribution, national awards earned, standardized test score averages (ACT, SAT), and AP score distributions
- Course offerings with an emphasis on honors, IB, or AP classes
- Extracurricular opportunities
- Percent of students attending 2- and 4-colleges
The
most helpful profiles also explain class selection policies, prerequisite
requirements, or general schedule restrictions affecting course options. For
example, if a school has a policy that limits the number of AP classes a
student may take in one year, then that policy should be clearly stated. Or if
certain classes have “prerequisites,” those too should be noted.
And
be aware that there’s a great deal of information that can be read “between the
lines” of a high school profile. For example, even high schools that claim not
to rank students often provide a very exact GPA distribution that allows
colleges to estimate or “force” a rank.
But
despite the importance of these documents, variation among profiles—even in a
single school district—can be startling.
Some
are glossy
and detailed; others are much
simpler and far from detailed. Some are up-to-date
and specific; others are more generic.
And
it’s not unusual for pricey private schools to produce 4-color,
multi-page marketing pieces on behalf of their students.
Yet
even knowing how crucial these documents are in the admissions process, school
administrators sometimes put minimal effort into the preparation and
presentation of statistical information critical in evaluating student
credentials. Input on what should be included on the profile from those most
affected—college-bound students and their families—is seldom sought.
The
College Board has developed a detailed set of guidelines for the preparation
of high school profiles. In general, schools should limit their documents to
one page—front and back—on regular (not glossy) 8.5” x 11” paper, using
computer-friendly dark ink, as many colleges scan profiles into their systems.
Above
all, high schools must update their profiles annually. They need to highlight
changes in ranking and/or grading policies as well as document any alterations
to curriculum or diploma requirements.
And
by the way, the high school profile should never be a confidential
document. You should be permitted to review and maybe even comment on
the document that will accompany your transcript to all the colleges on your
list. And note that these documents can be political “hot potatoes”—leading schools
to take the less controversial route by including fewer details on student
performance.
In
addition to seeing a copy of your school profile, you may also want to evaluate
profiles from neighboring or competing schools to judge how yours
compares. In fact, underclassmen and their families may want to use the profile
to track how well the school is doing or to set personal academic goals.
Note
that while some profiles are posted on the web, others are only available
directly through school counseling offices.
And
if you think your school is not fairly or accurately represented by the
profile, ask questions and get involved.
How
you and your school stack up against the competition might well affect your
admissions prospects.
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