Think of an Ivy League school, your local community college, and a large state university. These three colleges and universities are looking for very different types of students and have vastly different criteria for those they admit to their programs.
Every college has a governing body made up of lead administrators who have a long-term vision of what type of college they are, disciplines and programs they want to emphasize, how the college should function financially and how they will be thought of in the academic community. When you submit your college application, these people are looking for certain skills, strengths and experiences that meet their college profile based upon your high school resume.
Community colleges admit nearly everyone who applies, giving them a large admissions funnel that accepts most students, many of whom go on to four-year colleges and universities. Your favorite state university probably has a medium-sized funnel with some level of selectivity. This means they are looking to admit certain types of students to enrich their student body, help certain programs grow, and improve alumni relations. Many people have a chance of getting in, but they won’t accept just anyone. Ivy League colleges have much more selective admission standards, giving them a tiny admission funnel, which carefully strains a small, hand-picked group from the multitudes who apply for admission.
Don't be discouraged by the admissions funnel. Remember, when you find colleges that match your interests, build your favorites list, and start applying for admission, you are funneling the colleges and universities, too!
These are the usual decision factors for college admission:
• The number of new students that can be admitted in the next admission season, which can be based on the amount of available student housing or classes.
• The types of students with special talents in athletics or the arts who will enhance specific programs or bring acclaim to the school.
• How many children of alumni shall be admitted.
• Achieving geographic, gender, and ethnic diversity that is representative of society and/or the community surrounding the college.
Remember, colleges and universities have a target number of how many roles they need to fill and what types of student/faculty characteristics will create the kind of environment that will enrich their institutional goals. The admission process begins with many students who are interested and qualified on the surface level. Your chances of getting in are highly influenced by how many students like you actually submit applications.
Be sure you are not putting all of your eggs in one basket by only applying to only one or two schools that interest you. Research carefully and find what the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores are for different schools, and find out what percent of applicants are admitted. Then, create a list of schools to apply to that includes a range of college options.
You should apply to one or two fall-back or “safety” schools – schools you are nearly certain you can get into, which you could attend if you don’t get into your other choices. You should apply to several schools that seem right on par with your achievement levels – perhaps a state school or two, or one or two private universities that appeal. Lastly, apply to a “stretch school” if you have one. If you’ve always dreamed of going to Stanford but aren’t sure you can get in, apply to Stanford as your “stretch school,” but apply to several other schools that you are more certain you can get into, such as Berkeley or University of Southern California. Then, if you are funneled out of your dream school, you still have several wonderful options. There’s no harm in applying to many different schools; just know that you will have to pay more in application fees and may have a harder time deciding where to enroll if you are accepted at most of them.