I’ve been answering questions that seem to be wildly misled about who actually reads your application. One site refers regularly to the "ADCOMM" -- admissions committee -- likes it’s some alien entity that always acts the same way, and not thousands of individuals. Questions like "how do admissions committees look at essays about my trip to Antarctica?" are almost as nutty ...

As an admissions officer, I love hearing about all the SECRET WAYS TO GET INTO COLLEGE. These generally focus on some lame way to send your application, or some special club you can join, or worst of all some company that you pay a fortune. There’s never any evidence that any of that works, other than a story about somebody who ...

October 2008--As markets continue their roller coaster ride while the presidential candidates sling invective at one another's financial bailout plans, I hear daily from people reacting to the financial situation as it relates to colleges. On the college side, college administrators are concerned many of you will stay home, or at least closer to home than you might otherwise have gone.  ...

All I really remember about taking the SAT is dots. A LOT of dots. I think I tried to fill them in so that they formed a bunny. Unfortunately, this did not lead to a higher score (but also not a terrible one). This started a lifelong suspicion that the SAT may possibly not mean much.  As an admissions officer and ...

Even though I do my best to convince students and families that the standardized tests, the SAT and the ACT, aren’t nearly as important to admission as the media might lead you to believe, I still get begged for advice on how to do better. Can test prep help? The College Board swore prep courses had no impact, but then they ...

After the past few posts on test scores, I’m pretty bored with the subject. Nevertheless, amid reports that ACT scores are down this year (overstated - they’re just down 0.1, and that’s equal to 2006 scores), I hear again the question about whether the SAT or the ACT is better. Before I answer, I’ll remind readers that, as I’ve mentioned before, ...

Then you get to your applications, and you get to the part where you answer some questions and ask some people to say stuff about you, and you realize this is the place you have the MOST control of the process. Then the panic starts. Let’s put this in some context. Essays and recommendations are WAY less important than your ...

When the question is open-ended (”Tell us about yourself”), stress levels seem to increase. Bear in mind that no one knows for sure what any individual reader will want or get from an essay. That being said, I suggest you try to include two main points: Why the school wants to have you there, and why you want to go there. ...

Some simple suggestions to round out my series on your admissions essay. Do: Write multiple drafts, get help with reviewing your document, and proofread. Allow TIME for revisions and reflection. Be especially careful of how your document cuts and pastes into online applications - with many you may have a perfect essay transformed into (in technical terms) gobbleygook. Keep the length ...

I promised I’d get around to writing about recommendations, and at long last I have. Colleges look at recommendations, first and foremost, to get additional information about what kind of student you have been and will be. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise, then, that the most important recommendations are usually from teachers. There are, of course, exceptions. If your ...

OK, I’m back. Sorry to be gone so long right when you all were in the midst of your applications, but hey, it happens. I was off in Japan and Korea where Mason is incredibly popular, and came back to a FLOOD of early action applicants screaming for attention. Also, thanks to over 4,000 of you who attended our Fall Showcase ...

'Tis also the season for my regular, always much anticipated, blog post on submitting your application materials successfully.  If you follow any of the other admission blogs (no reason you would, since you’ve discovered this one, other than morbid curiosity) you’ll see post after post complaining about all the mail us poor overworked admissions officers receive this time of year as application ...

Sorry to be gone for an extended absence. My only excuse is the INCREDIBLE volume of applications Mason is receiving which has me buried. A couple of things seem to stay the same year after year: Applicants continue to use very embarrassing email addresses. And yes, we pass them around the office. We have a contest for the most offensive, funniest, ...

As if waiting for admissions decisions while colleges spam you with “holiday greetings” that are really application deadline reminders wasn’t enough to dampen your festive spirit, along comes a new Scrooge. College Prowler is a company that claims to offer inside information on colleges, while mostly selling stuff, although they only list about 250 of the 4,000 or so institutions out ...

For many of you, the most stressful part of the admissions process happens AFTER you apply. First, the waiting, hoping for the thicker envelope (or the email with more megabytes), wondering how a bunch of people you don't know can have so much to say about what you get to do next year. So then you get admitted (I hope). Unfortunately, ...

One reason George Mason University was voted the nation’s number one “Up-and-Coming University” by U.S. News and World Report is their straight-talking Dean of Admissions, Andrew Flagel. With over 20 years of experience, Flagel has been helping students all over the country navigate the admissions process. Now, he’s lending his talents (and sarcasm) to FastWeb users. “First off, no matter what ...

Andrew Flagel currently serves as the Dean of Admissions for George Mason University. With over 20 years of service in college admissions, Dean Flagel is more than well-versed in the ins and outs of the admissions process. Even better, he is all-too-honest with his advice ...and his opinions.

Admissions committees care most about grades in certain subjects: Science Mathematics English Social Studies Foreign Languages

According to Dean Flagel, admissions committees want to paint students in the best light when it comes to standardized test scores. Here's how: • Take best score from each section and combine for best score • Some colleges look at writing score; others don't

According to Dean Flagel, the average admissions officer reads about 1,000 applications per month and spends roughly 7 or 8 minutes on each application. That's not a lot of face time for a student's essays, letters of recommendation, or resume. Oftentimes, students cram as much as possible into their application so that admissions officers can feel like they really get to ...