WHO ARE YOUR HIGH’S SCHOOLS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS REPS AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Did you know that every four-year college in the United States has a representative from their admissions office assigned to every high school in the US? Yes, even your high school has an admissions officer assigned to it by the different colleges. College admissions offices usually divide responsibility for high schools by geographic region. In other words, an admissions office might assign New York City and its boroughs to one officer, Southern California to another and the states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South and North Dakota to another.

A part of the job description for every representative is spending time (usually in the fall) in their assigned geographic areas, meeting high school counselors and getting to know the schools, holding admissions meetings for students at individual schools or offering larger meetings for many high schools at a hotel or large high school auditorium.

Admissions reps also participate in joint admissions meetings with other colleges. An example is the “Eight of the Best Colleges” Reception involving Claremont McKenna College, Colorado College, Connecticut College, Grinnell College, Haverford College, Kenyon College, Macalester College and Sarah Lawrence College.

Of greatest relevance to students, though, is the role these college reps play during the admissions process. While every college has its own selection process, often it is the admissions rep assigned to your high school who first reads your application, rating it according to some prescribed set of characteristics and making a summary comment. Sometimes the application goes onto other readers, sometimes to a committee, and sometimes to the Dean of Admission for the final decision of Admit, Deny or Waitlist.

In the best of all worlds, that admissions rep becomes your advocate, arguing your case in selection meetings. If the representative has

• Communicated back and forth with you by email and/or

• Met you at your school and/or at a larger group meeting and/or

• Had an interview with you and/or

• Comes to know you, ends up liking you and develops a relationship with you

Then he or she may have a very positive affect on your admissions possibilities.