The college admission process for highly selective colleges is unpredictable and a bit mysterious. It may seem that an applicant’s outstanding accomplishments are destined for acceptance; but then the student faces unexpected rejection. An important piece of the puzzle is understanding institutional priorities - college factors that influence the final admission decisions at selective colleges. While families can’t control the outcome, focusing on what students can control is the best approach.

What Are Institutional Priorities?  Institutional priorities are the strategic goals and needs that colleges want to achieve through their admission process. These priorities can shift from year to year and are tailored to each college’s mission, financial goals, and institutional development plans. 

How Do Institutional Priorities Impact Admissions?  Selective colleges receive thousands of applications from highly qualified students, far exceeding the number of available seats. Having exceptional grades, test scores, and course rigor is the first step in the process that enables applicants to become a part of the initial review. However, colleges will often differentiate among the applicants by weighing their institutional goals alongside the applicants’ academics and accomplishments. The final admission decisions  are ultimately influenced by factors that go beyond individual merit. 

A good friend once said to me, “If you play the glockenspiel, and the college needs a glockenspiel percussionist- you are in!”  Here are a few examples of how institutional priorities can shape admissions outcomes:

1. Filling Specific Academic Programs: A college may need to increase enrollment in underrepresented majors, such as physics or classics versus popular majors like business or biology.

2. Geographic Diversity: Many colleges strive to enroll students from all 50 states and many countries from different parts of the world to create a diverse community. 

3. Institutional Legacy and Alumni Connections: Some schools place value on “legacy” applicants — students with family ties to the institution. While controversial, this priority often aligns with colleges’ goals of maintaining alumni engagement and fundraising.

4. Athletic Recruitment: For Division I and II schools, recruiting athletes to fill spots on sports teams is a significant priority. These students often go through a separate admissions track that considers their athletic contributions as heavily as their academic qualifications.

Why You Can’t Control Institutional Priorities?  Institutional priorities are shaped by internal discussions within colleges and are rarely made public. Because these priorities are unique to each school and shift over time, families cannot predict the factors that are influencing the decision making. For example, a college might prioritize first-generation college students one year and focus on increasing enrollment in the engineering school for the next year

What Can Families Focus On? While institutional priorities remain outside of your control, there are key areas that students can manage to strengthen their applications:

1. Admissions decisions still heavily weigh grades and course rigor. Excelling in the classroom is the first step in being competitive. 

2. Compelling essays provide a chance to share a student’s unique story and personality. Crafting thoughtful, authentic responses can make a significant impact.

3. Colleges value intellectual curiosity, which shows a genuine passion for learning and a willingness to explore new ideas. 

4. Meaningful and “uncommon” activities are unique, less conventional pursuits that demonstrate a student’s individuality, creativity, or initiative.

5. Building relationships with teachers and mentors can lead to letters of recommendation that offer genuine insight into a student’s character and abilities.

6. Researching schools and applying to a balanced mix of selective, probable, and likely options ensures that students will have good choices come decision time.

Institutional priorities may seem like an unpredictable wildcard in the admissions process, but they’re only one part of a much larger picture. Families can’t control these priorities, and worrying about them often leads to unnecessary stress. Instead, focus on what you can control: presenting a strong, authentic application that highlights a student’s unique strengths and interests. By doing so, you’ll maximize your chances of finding a college that’s a great fit, regardless of the institutional priorities shaping the admissions decisions.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!   

College 101 Admissions Consultants LLC. Website: www.mycollege101.com.  Email: [email protected]. Phone: (508) 380-3845.

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