Branded Content: College admissions secrets--revealed
What’s more important: your GPA or your essay? How many letters of recommendation should you submit? What are colleges looking for? To gain insight into the college admissions process, we asked Touro College's Director of Admissions, Benjamin Enoma, these questions and more.
1. What key factors do you consider when reviewing an applicant for college admissions?
It’s what I call a fit calculus. Every institution is different and looking for something specific, but overall we are looking for two things: academic preparedness and character. Touro College’s New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS) looks for students who demonstrate the competence, motivation, and energy to pursue a degree program. Generally, colleges want to know that the candidate is going to succeed academically in the foundational classes and that this person’s character will foster learning and community. Character is measured through faculty comments, recommendations and extracurriculars.
2. How do you determine academic preparedness?
Colleges look at cumulative GPA to get a total picture of the high school journey. Standardized tests are not required at our institution, but are suggested. They are nationally normed tests which are predictive of a student’s ability to perform in the first year of college. Touro College’s NYSCAS recognizes, however, that a student’s ability to succeed in college is indicated by his or her present level of motivation and competence rather than just by past performance.
3. What do you look for in the essay?
The essay is extremely important and offers a great opportunity to distinguish yourself and make a compelling case for your fit. You don’t want your essay to feel that it could be written by anyone. Attention to instruction, responsiveness to the question posed, telling us about your personal brand and explaining how you fit with the institutional premise—these let your essay shine. Not all colleges or programs within colleges require an essay.
4. What is the most common mistake applicants make?
The most common mistake is having a cookie cutter approach and writing one essay, adapted for each institution. That may work well on the level of mechanical accuracy, but doesn’t show connecting values and how you align to the specifics of the institution. These types of essays are shallow and generic responses and are easy to spot.
5. Who should write my letter(s) of recommendations?
First of all, not all colleges require letters of recommendation. For example, Touro Colleges’s NYSCAS only requires them for those applying to the honor majors or to the integrated honors tracks, such as Undergraduate/Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Physician Assistant and others. More important than who writes the letter is what they are going to write about you. We need to hear a compelling case as to why this candidate should be admitted. For example, if you are looking at an institution that values leadership or community service then a letter from a congressman or someone in public service means a lot. You can control the success of letters of recommendation by giving the recommender some valuable information. Share the mission of the institution to which you are applying, and write a quick cheat sheet or resume, including any work experience or leadership positions that should be highlighted.
7. What tips do you have for researching colleges?
Go beyond the info sessions and campus tours by sitting in on classes, experiencing a day in the life at the school and interacting with students who are already there. If there is a movie night or a speaker on campus that you might be interested in attending, you should come and interact with people in the community. Students can make better-informed choices by getting a sense of what the experience would be like.
8. What suggestions do you have for international and non-traditional applicants?
For international students the most difficult hurdle is English proficiency. You have to prove that you can work, write, and comprehend English. This proficiency can be demonstrated through the TOEFL test, as well as the ATB test, which measures auditory, written and speech proficiency. Whatever diploma you are presenting must be verified and authenticated by the institution, and there are agencies that do this.
For those who are trying to balance their life responsibilities and education, it is important to choose a college that has flexible schedules, convenient locations and personalized guidance that will help them to navigate through their academic career.
