The+Admissions+Team

// Before we get too far, this caveat is necessary. . .generalizations may seem larger than actual size. //
What is the university admissions committee looking for? The safe is answer is "it depends." But generally speaking an admissions team is looking for:
 * Diversity in the strengths of the university community and culture
 * Fit: will you fit into the university culture? will you enhance or add something to the culture?
 * Interests and values: do your values reflect the mission statement and values of the institution? are your interests somehow reflected in the majors and activities of the institution or are you likely to feel like a misfit?
 * Writing ability
 * GPA and all that jazz: your GPA and your test scores do matter and in some cases more than others; either or both may be a deciding factor if you're on the bubble or if they have to choose between you and some other number of students

DO NOT WRITE THE SAME ESSAY FOR EVERY UNIVERSITY
 * Make sure you have some idea of the university culture. Even if every school to which you plan to apply asks for a personal statement, know your audience--be aware of the institutional culture and its mission/vision statement(s)
 * If you go on a campus visit and, as is often the case, your guide is an upperclassman or even a graduate, ask
 * how the university has changed
 * how your guide would describe his or her graduating class: its personality; the senior gift, if that's a practice; etc. How would your guide complete this sentence: "If I had to describe my graduating class is three (3) words, I would say the Class of 20xx is/was. . . . . "
 * if the senior class gives a gift or does some sort of project, ask about the project for your guide’s class—what they did or what they plan to do; knowing why the class made that choice might be interesting too
 * how the university has helped your guide grow and in what ways