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Today, being selected into a public university in America is not just a number game. There is a sure leaning towards a holistic approach by State Colleges regarding admissions especially to the prestigious institutions. If you are among the top GPA scorers, you are still likely to be admitted in a smooth manner. Students with average scores need to consider a few aspects and know all about the trend and the holistic approach adopted by colleges before enrolment.

Colleges are adopting a holistic approach to admissions today which means not just the scores but the applicant is scrutinized as a whole. Student’s background, extracurricular activities, community services and volunteering, athletics participation, participation and performance in school clubs, the type of school attended by the student and previous employment if any are thoroughly analyzed before admission is granted.

Different colleges use different methods of collecting information on applicants. All this means that the process of applying to colleges and getting admitted is much longer and painstaking now. A lot of schools have included additional sections asking for extra information on their application forms. Certain colleges even ask for letters of recommendation. A lot of high school counsellors are contacted by colleges to check on the credentials of students.

Though the process is quite cumbersome, there are certain benefits offered by this practice. Applications by students who have not really followed a traditional high school path are likely to be favoured. Close scrutiny and matching of interests ensures students selected through the holistic approach are happier in colleges. This is because their specific interest matches the focus on the college they are admitted into.

An important tip therefore as you apply for a private college or state college is to fill in every section of your application with care as you can be sure they will be reviewed in a critical manner. It may not really be surprising to find student with top grades in their schools being turned down by their preferred institutions. Those who can exhibit great depth in their value could find themselves surprisingly being offered admissions at many colleges.

According to the Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools faculty committee chair Jenny Sharpe, implementing comprehensive review requires a philosophical approach which is exactly what a holistic review is all about. This approach will enable institutions to scrutinize applications in a broader sense which includes all the achievements of students’ right from performance in academics to community services to leadership skills. The student is thus looked at from his or her life experience perspective.

A holistic approach to admissions process thus provides a qualitative, individualized and rigorous assessment of each and every application. Reviews will be based on a variety of criteria such as motivation to seek challenges, classroom performance as well as the difficulty level of curriculum within the high school opportunities context.

Holistic admission processes are here to stay. This can be highly motivating for school students to strive for an all round development and will foster more interest and involvement in a variety of activities apart from academics.