How do American universities evaluate applications?

American universities consider applicants' profiles based on many criteria, the most important of which are academic achievement, life outside of school, and personal character.

With more than 10 years of experience in study abroad consulting, Mr. Dang Huu Phuoc, Director of a study abroad company in Ho Chi Minh City, said he has met with admissions representatives from many American universities. According to him, schools often consider applications comprehensively, not just focusing on scores.

Here are some of Mr. Phuoc's shares about each part of the application file for top 50-100 universities in the US:

1. Academics: Always the first and most important factor, demonstrating the candidate's learning ability, qualifications, thinking and career orientation. To evaluate this, schools often base on a number of criteria:

- Grade Point Average (GPA) : Applicants are usually required to submit grades from the beginning of grade 9 to the middle or end of semester I of grade 12 and are highly regarded if their grades tend to increase over the years, or go steadily.

- Ranking : There are 42,000 high schools in the US. It is impossible to compare students' academic performance across schools nationwide, so admissions committees are interested in the rankings of students in their grade. However, most schools in Vietnam do not rank students. Therefore, admissions officers in the US often look closely at scores and teacher evaluations to analyze the qualifications of applicants.

If information is missing, they can open the data of candidates who applied to the school in previous years for comparison.

- Subject difficulty : Vietnamese students study 13 subjects in common, there will be no difference, but if there is a specialized subject, it is a plus point. Top 50 universities often consider "subject difficulty" as an important factor. They look at the results of the IB (International Baccalaureate) program or AP (Advanced Placement Program for high school students) to evaluate the academic ability of candidates.

In Vietnam, some international schools teach AP, while most public high schools do not. Interested students can take extra classes at a center or study on their own and register for the exam at the end of May every year.

IB also counts toward course difficulty and transferable college credit. For admissions officers at top U.S. universities, A’s and even B’s in advanced classes are more impressive than A+s in regular classes.

- Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) : The higher the standardized test score, the more advantageous the applicant will be at most schools. For example, with the SAT, a score of 1,400/1,600 or an ACT score of 31/36 or higher is considered relatively good.

- School Report/ School Profile : This is considered a detailed information about the achievements of students in high school. In this, schools clearly state the scores, grading scale, school evaluation or teaching program, such as whether or not they teach AP subjects.

They will carefully review the subjects in your transcript and compare them with the major you are applying for to see if they are suitable or not. For example, if an applicant chooses to major in Engineering but his/her Math and Physics scores are not as high as other subjects, this may be a minus point.

Mr. Phuoc on a business trip to the University of Connecticut, USA, October 2022. Photo: Provided by the character — Mr. Phuoc on the campus of the University of Connecticut, USA, October 2022. Photo: *Character provided*

2. Student life: The school evaluates applicants in activities outside the classroom. Factors considered include extracurricular activities, talents, work experience, awards... that the applicant has achieved.

When talking to a former admissions director at Dartmouth College, he said he wanted to know what applicants did in their free time after school, why they were interested in the activity, and how they became better at it.

For example, a candidate who spends three hours a day studying leetcode outside of extracurricular activities will be highly regarded if he plans to pursue a career in Computer Science.

One big mistake I see applicants make every year is trying to list too many extracurricular activities. I believe that for admissions officers, the quality of extracurricular activities is more important than the quantity. So, applicants should list the activities that are important, that have helped you grow and that truly nurture your passion.

3. Personal character: This is assessed by the admissions committee through essays, letters of recommendation, and in-person interviews.

In particular, the teacher's recommendation letter along with the academic profile contributes to demonstrating the candidate's ability and learning attitude. Learning attitude is highly valued by schools because they all want to recruit students who are good at thinking and have potential, instead of just learning by rote or studying for grades.

Essays and other letters of recommendation from club leaders, company bosses... along with the profile in section 2 will help the school analyze the candidate's personality, character and career orientation.

The former director of admissions at Dartmouth College said that he never accepts an applicant based on a great personal essay, but rather considers the entire application. So, while it is important to take care of your personal essay, don’t expect the admissions committee to be impressed and accept you right away if the other factors are not good.

4. Other factors

There are many factors that may seem strange or unfair to you, but are still part of the admissions criteria at many schools, such as: geographic area, socioeconomic background or family tradition (having a parent or grandparent who attended the school)...

American universities are all about cultural and ethnic diversity. Vietnam currently ranks 5th in the number of international students in the US. Therefore, I think that when applying, Vietnamese applicants will have to compete more. Applicants from countries with few international students in the US such as Laos, Singapore, Thailand... sometimes have a high chance of being accepted even though their applications are quite similar.

In terms of socioeconomic background, here is the financial factor. At many schools, you must have sufficient financial resources to have your application considered.

Additionally, you can add extra points if a relative has studied and graduated from the school you are applying to. According to statistics, 35% of students admitted to Ivy League schools have this factor.

Finally, top schools receive a lot of applications and want to ensure the highest possible admission rate. Therefore, they will prioritize candidates who show interest in the school, such as attending online events, visiting the school, or following the school’s social media channels.

Dang Huu Phuoc

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