A Difficult Admission
Today’s high school seniors know that getting into a good school isn’t as simple as filling out a form.
After many hours of filling out applications, Erin Golden is headed to Penn State this fall.
After spending countless hours of her senior year applying to colleges and universities, Peters Township senior Erin Golden is relieved to say she will attend Penn State this fall.
Like many high school seniors, Erin discovered that applying to college isn’t as easy as simply filling out a form.
Last fall, she spent hours each night after school answering questions and writing applications for eight colleges, including Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State.
Having all of those options was crucial to finding a school that suited her. After she was accepted by a school, she spent more time applying to those schools’ honors programs. Erin wrote five additional essays for Ohio State’s program only to discover she was already in.
“It was worth it every time I got an acceptance letter,” she says.
Erin admits that she puts a lot of pressure on herself when it comes to academics in general – she graduated with a 4.3 grade point average and loads of advanced placement classes under her belt – but her experience is indicative of how competitive the college admissions process has become.
Students typically apply to five or six schools on average, says Erin’s guidance counselor, Jeff Sudol. He recommends they apply to one school just outside their reach, one safety school and a few schools they are comfortable with.
“It has become a huge process now,” he says. “I think most students are working through the process in their junior year, and by senior year they have a core group of colleges they are going to apply to.”
Despite her stellar academic record, Erin won’t be graduating number one in her class. Nobody will. Peters Township awards valedictorian honors to any student with a 4.3 or higher grade point average who takes at least five honors and advanced placement classes. It doesn’t bother her because she knows that top colleges look for much more than grades these days.
“The element of the application that means the greatest deal is the holistic look as an individual,” says Lee Stetson, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.
“We look for someone who jumps out at us as a person who would thrive both in and outside the classroom.”
More than 20,470 potential students applied to Penn this year, Stetson says. Only 2,400 will be accepted, about 17 percent, but more than 80 percent would flourish academically.
“It’s getting more competitive each year. We’ve been forced to turn away some excellent students.”
At Yale, the story is the same. “We’re really looking for students who look like they have the energy and commitment to add something to this community,” says Margrit Dahl, director of undergraduate admissions.
“So many students have the grades, but they don’t necessarily engage the community around them.”
Canon-McMillan senior Johanna Goodge did not expect the time commitment she made when applying to Columbia, Notre Dame and Penn State.
“I thought I could just go online and click and be done,” she says.
Collecting her transcripts and gathering teacher recommendations while keeping up with student council, varsity volleyball, Future Business Leaders of America and volunteer commitments proved daunting for Johanna, whose 4.6 grade point average ranked her third in her class.
But she knows she must excel in so many areas to appear valuable to her wish list of schools, often pressuring herself to keep up.
“I can’t stand not doing my best,” she says.
Jason Wilcox can relate. A senior at South Fayette High School, Jason divides his time between choir, concert band and marching band – he is a section leader in all three – as well as jazz band, drama club and various performances while holding on to the seventh spot in his class.
Jason devoted weeks to filling out applications to Duquesne University, Ohio University and West Virginia University.
Additional hours were spent rehearsing and recording audition pieces for each school’s music program, each requiring their own formats for submission.
“The application process is definitely not the same at every school,” he says. “I knew it was going to be a challenge, but it’s not what I thought it would be.”
WVU will welcome Jason in the fall, when he will begin studying music education.
“He strives for excellence,” says Jason’s mother, Sandy Wilcox. “He’s very driven.”
Overall, Jason is relieved it’s all over. Regardless of his rank, grade point average, or never-ending list of activities, he considers earning a place at a good college a mark in the win column. •
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