Let’s talk about holistic review.
My guess is that you’ve already seen these words on a few college applications or websites. And while you might get the gist of what it means, you’re not alone if you’ve been wondering what “holistic review” is and how it relates to your student.Basically, holistic review is when a school makes a decision about a student based on their application as a whole, rather than solely on their academic background.
While grades and test scores still matter (a lot), the applicant pool is increasingly competitive each year. Because of this competition, it’s no longer enough for colleges to base their admissions process solely on a student’s academic achievements.
Although this might seem overwhelming at first, this is really great news for students! In addition to their grades, students can really focus on highlighting their interests/extracurriculars/volunteer work/jobs/special circumstances/etc and it will all factor into the admissions decision!Translation: You can stand out to admissions offices by telling them what makes you, you!
Sounds way easier than stressing about whether your academic background will be enough to get you through, right?
So what’s considered in this holistic review process? Here’s a general list of things that can be considered, but really just about anything can factor in!
- Class Rank
- Academic Background/GPA
- Test Scores (SAT/ACT)
- Achievements, Awards, Honors Orgs
- Special Accomplishments, Work, and Service (Both in and outside of your high school!)
- Essays (This is where you can REALLY show them your personality. Letting them get to know you and hear your voice in your essays is huge!)
- Special Circumstances (This is really helpful if you’ve experienced anything that might have affected your academic performance, including socioeconomic status, a single parent home, family responsibilities, overcoming adversity, cultural background, race and ethnicity, language spoken in the your home, health-related issues for you or your family, learning differences, and the list goes on!)
- Recommendations (These typically aren’t required, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few from your teachers, organization leaders, or other reputable leaders who can vouch for you as a person/student/worker/etc.)
- Competitiveness of Your Major (Don’t forget to take into account the popularity of your major at each school you’re applying for as this can seriously impact the competition between applicants.)
That’s A LOT of information that goes into an admissions decision.
I know it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or even discouraged by everything on this list, but it’s important to remember that holistic review can only benefit your student!
The purpose is to cover as much ground as possible within a short application – kind of like a first date.
And, very much like a first date, it’s just as important to relax and be yourself as it is to put your best foot forward.
Let’s continue the discussion! What are your thoughts on holistic review? Please leave a comment below!