Given all the changes that came about due to COVID-19, the 2021 graduating year was one of much uncertainty. Below are some trends we saw that will likely impact elite university admission next year as well. I will be using Columbia as an example of an elite university to make my points:
Angular Students are always in demand. Elite universities are on the lookout for what we call “Angular Applicants.” These are students who have already demonstrated a deep independent intellectual curiosity or expertise in a given area, ranging from scientific research to in-depth immersion in the humanities, to outstanding athletics or performing and fine arts endeavors.
More push to admit low income and first generation students. The fact that so many elite universities were suddenly test optional this year because of the cancellation of test dates resulted in many more students, many who would not have otherwise applied due to lack of testing or due to low scores, applying to elite schools. There has been a push due to Black Lives Matter and increased scrutiny after the Singer college admissions bribery scandal to give more opportunity to these historically underrepresented minorities.
Supplemental Essays are more important than ever. For students to get a sense of what a specific university looks for in its candidates, the supplemental essay questions are a good place to start. Since Columbia values students who read and their core curriculum is reading heavy, they ask specifically what students have read both as a class assignment and on their own. Supplemental questions often require research.
Independent Intellectual Curiosity is key. Columbia wants to see students who not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk. It wants students who truly have a deep intellectual curiosity and pursue knowledge across a wide range of sources. Students will have to illustrate their curiosity through independent research, summer study programs, the books they read, the events they attend, and letters of recommendation they submit, etc.
The need to Demonstrate Match is more critical than ever. Most students say they want to go to Columbia because of the core curriculum and its New York city location. But there has to be more compelling reasons beyond these obvious and COMMON answers. Is there a particular professor or course of study that resonates with you? What about the student body do you like? How does the academic culture of a given institution match the way you like to learn? The more specific, the better.
Increase in waitlists and rejections. With universities receiving more applications than they could handle this past year, we saw more outright rejections instead of the usual deferrals from the early round to the regular round than we had seen in past years. As well, universities waitlisted more students than usual to deal with the uncertainly of how many accepted students would actually enroll.
It is, therefore, more important than ever to be more conservative in your choice of where to apply and make a wise decision regarding your early application option/s. Everyone can have a couple of somewhat reach universities on their list but a balanced list will include several target institutions and definitely some safe or likely options where admission is predictable.