Students striving for admission to some of the nation's most competitive colleges typically research acceptance rates to gauge their chances of being admitted. What many fail to realize is that their primary competition is not students across the U.S. or around the world.
The competition is often right in their own backyard, specifically, at their high school.
Students compete with peers who have similar academic opportunities, extracurricular involvement and community experiences. Colleges seek a well-rounded student body and want to enroll students with a variety of academic strengths, career goals and demonstrated interests to replace those who are graduating and leaving the campus community.
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Frequently, large numbers of students from the same high school apply to many of the same colleges. Often, these students have similar academic records, including SAT scores, AP exam scores and GPAs. They may also participate in many of the same school and community activities. As a result, these students often become one another's biggest competition in the admissions process.
I recall a situation at a private New Jersey high school where a dozen students were called to the counselor's office after indicating they planned to apply to William & Mary. The counselor asked whether each student would actually attend if accepted. Those who said "no" or "not likely" were encouraged not to apply to improve their classmates' chances of attending the university.
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Competitive colleges often seek geographic, demographic and academic diversity within their incoming classes, which can limit the number of students admitted from a single high school. As a result, students should look for ways to distinguish themselves from their peers. Often, this can be accomplished through a passion project aligned with their talents, interests and career goals. Admissions officers evaluate candidates based on the qualities they are likely to bring to the campus community, making it important for applicants to highlight what sets them apart.
Students can also gain valuable insight by logging into Naviance, Scoir or another platform used by their high school. After entering a college's name, they can see how many students from their school applied in recent years, how many were accepted and the applicants' SAT scores and GPAs. Most importantly, a dot will appear on a scatterplot showing where they stand compared with previous applicants and indicating their likelihood of admission.
Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT preparation & private college advising by Ivy League-educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: College admissions rivals may be in your own school