This informal CPD article ‘US Universities - Holistic Review Decoded’ was provided by UES Education, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.
What do US admissions officers really look for, beyond things like grades? This is a nuanced question that schools and futures departments need to understand in order to prepare applicants for successful applications.
Unlike UK universities, which operates within the grades-focused UCAS system, US universities assess applicants by means of a comprehensive evaluation process that considers all aspects of an applicant’s profile, called holistic review. Many US universities often emphasise building a community of learners, rather than focusing solely on selecting applicants with the highest grades. As such, they assess applicants for qualities like diverse perspectives, talents, and contributions.
Admissions officers are generally aware that students come from a range of backgrounds and have access to different opportunities; they want to see how a student has leveraged the opportunities available to them within their unique circumstances. As part of holistic admissions, this context is part of the factors that are considered in a student’s application.
Components of holistic review
In holistic review, all aspects of a student’s profile are assessed. You can see further information about the different components below.
- Academics: As in UCAS, grades are still very important! Beyond grades, US admissions officers might consider other academic factors like the rigour of a student’s chosen curriculum. Out of what’s available, are they choosing challenging courses? Are they taking as many A-Levels as their peers? At some universities, performance in subjects related to intended course of study, if they have chosen one, will also be assessed. For example, applicants to engineering and business programmes are typically expected to have taken, and done well in, maths courses and the maths component of the SAT or ACT, the standardised admissions tests.
- Activities: Activities typically hold more importance in US applications, and admissions officers often look for depth over breadth. They generally prefer that a student demonstrates commitment, leadership, and meaningful engagement in a few activities, rather than surface-level or short-term involvement in many. Also, admissions officers want to see students involved in things that really spark their passion.
- Essays: US applicants will have to write a personal statement (focused on personal topics like talents, overcoming challenges, and key life experiences: very different from the UCAS statement), and supplementary essays set by individual colleges. These are opportunities for applicants to reveal their personality, values, experiences, and creativity, and fit at the colleges to which they are applying. A key element in writing successful essays is often authenticity: students should be honest and open and write in their own personal voices.
- Letters of recommendation: Most US universities request a letter of recommendation from a counsellor, and two from subject teachers. Unlike references for UCAS, US-style recommendations are as much character references as they are academic! Universities typically place considerable weight on these recommendations, as they often view past performance as a predictor of future performance. Teachers and counsellors should comment on the student’s personal qualities, provide anecdotes that illustrate these, and be positive and enthusiastic.
- Interviews: Interviews are often optional, and much more casual than UK university interviews. They are a good chance for applicants to show their interest in the university, and make a good impression.
- Demonstrated interest: Many institutions may assess demonstrated interest, which is shown through things like attending events (in-person and virtual), visiting campus (again, virtual visits count!), engaging with university representatives through things like email, following the university on social media, and/or signing up for and opening email newsletters.
Final thoughts
Teachers and futures departments play a critical role in demystifying US admissions –with its complex system of holistic review—and empowering students. They should be encouraging students to think holistically about their own strengths and experiences early on: holistic review isn’t something that can be crammed for but is about consistent engagement and development over time.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from UES Education, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
