1. The Admission Odyssey Navigating the Private College Admission Process
and the Common Application
Everett Nelor
Occidental College
adapted from “The Admission Odyssey” by Dr. Erika Yamasaki

2. A few tips to get you started…

3. Types of Applications College’s own application
Common Application (
Common Application + Supplement
Types of Applications

6. Application Deadlines
Early Action
Early Decision (I and II)
Regular Decision

7. What are colleges considering?
Holistic admission process will consider multiple factors beyond GPA & test scores.
Academic preparation
Rigor of your curriculum
Grades
Trends
Intellectual curiosity
Letters of recommendation
Personal statement & supplement

8. The Personal Statement
This is the part of the application you have control over. Use it to distinguish yourself.
It is not a traditional academic essay.
Colleges will evaluate writing mechanics but more importantly, how you communicate your personality and passion(s).
Be authentic and personal.

9. Supplement Questions
These are shorter responses in addition to the Personal Statement.
Questions will vary from college to college.
Many supplements are looking for more specific information than what’s in the Personal Statement
Have fun!

10. What else do colleges consider?
Extracurricular talents & passions
Supplemental letters of recommendation
Auditions, portfolios, etc.
Recruited athlete?
Overall “fit”
Interview
Campus visit
Knowledge of institution
Demonstrated interest

11. Don’t forget! PROOFREAD the entire application before submitting.
Don’t rely on spell check alone. It can miss typos and embarrassing mistakes. Are you torturing or tutoring?
Y do i c this more often? IDK. Please use complete sentences and proper writing conventions.

12. “It depends…”
The most common (and accurate) answer to most admission questions. So don’t hesitate to ask.