Admission Process

Admission season has started and it requires to clear your thoughts about the Admission Process

Admission process is not a mathematical formula where you input certain things and the output is a forgone conclusion.
When we advice that certain norms should be observed while applying it only implies that from experience we have observed that the probability of admission increases if one adheres to them.

Admission process involves:

1. Certain Tangible Factors
2. Some Intangible Ones
3. Lastly University’s Admission Environment at the time of your applying.

The Tangible factors are your GPA,GRE/SAT and TOEFL scores.To this I will also add your selection of the university or compatible of your program with your credentials.

The Intangible factors are Essays, Recommendations.
Both of the above are explained in detail in my earlier postings.

The 3rd factor of University’s admission environment is explained here.This can be understood by citing some examples.
There are times when a student with top class credentials is rejected by a university like Kent State University but he is accepted by North Carolina State University or Carnegie Mellon University. Why? This can be understood if you view it from each university’s perspective.
What does a university take in consideration while deciding about an application?
Now again there are factors which are

A. Apparent
B. Hidden Agenda

A. The Apparent Factors are 1 and 2 stated above and these are the ones which the university states when asked.The web sites of the universities will tell you what minimum GPA or GRE or TOEFL scores they need. They will also tell you about the essays and Recommendations but will never tell about their hidden agenda.

B. What is the Hidden Agenda?
Universities will like to have a diversified community they will never like to have all or majority of students from the same geographical region or economical standing.
A university may be cash strap and may have decided to cut down on recruitment of students.
There may not be a professor available or willing to take you under him.This means either your type of research is not being carried out or the professor who is conducting it is not accepting additional students.
Lastly what is the competition saying? If there are students having a better match with the universities requirements then your candidature shall be overlooked.This competitive position is not static so it will change each year.You may be rejected one year but may be offered admission next year.

Thus you will see that admission process like any thing in life is not a science governed by a mathematical formula nor an art being pursued by whims of an artist.

I feel that it is an art of using science to help oneself.