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ADCOMS: Understanding Their Role in College Admissions

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One thing people worry about most when applying for college is what happens after they submit their application.

Often, they are concerned with who makes the final admissions decision. The group of people responsible for these actions is known as adcom’s.

ADCOMS stands for Admissions Committee’s and they play a very important role in the college application process. These committee officers of undergrad admissions review student applications. They decide whether to accept, reject, or place an application on a waitlist for that college or university. 

What is the Role of an ADCOMS?

An admissions committee handles choosing which students are admitted to a school or into a graduate program.

They work with other relevant committees with similar goals. All ADCOM members identify potential candidates who would be best for the school or program.

It is their main goal to choose applicants who they feel will be the most successful in attaining their intended degrees. 

The admissions committee chooses which applicants to interview or recruit by the institution.

ADCOM keeps track of the success of the committee each year by updating a database containing relevant information on all applicants they reviewed.

ADCOM reviews all admissions requirements for their school or program each year. 

Recommendations about changes to the admissions process are made by the institution’s steering committee (source).

Who Reads College Admissions Applications?

A school’s admissions committee contains various staff members who work for the university.

Selective schools will often keep the details about their admissions process private. Thus, it can often be difficult to get the facts about who exactly reads your college application. 

There may be anywhere from one to three professionals on the admissions committee who read your application.

These individuals could be recent alumni of the school. They could also be veterans to the applicant selection process for that particular university.

But there are several other factors that determine who is eligible to be on the ADCOM.

Most committee members have a background in certain areas that make them unique to the application process.

Students applying for a doctorate program may have their application read by alumni who graduated from the same program. 

Some members of the admissions committee may specialize in certain subjects. They could have knowledge of particular regions in the world, or have an impressive background in the arts.

There is no specific formula for an ADCOM which means potential students have no way to find out who reads their application. 

Because a school’s admissions committee is made up of a broad range of individuals who live very different lifestyles, the best thing for college applicants to keep in mind is making a strong impression when filling out their application (source).

What is Involved in an Admissions Committee Process?

The college essay process can be stressful for students, mainly because no one really knows what happens after their application leaves their hands. 

Many prestigious universities like to keep what happens during the process under wraps. Doing so can help prevent applicants from altering the system.

But even if you can’t find out everything about the admissions process, it is still possible to learn a few details about the process to put your mind at ease. 

The college admissions process is different for every country.

In the United States, high school students apply to go to a four-year college while undergraduate students apply to programs to earn their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or eventually their Ph.D.

Students may apply to one or more colleges or programs by submitting an application. Then each college evaluates the application using their own criteria.

The ADCOM decides whether or not to extend an offer to the student. 

How to Impress an Admissions Committee

One of the most important things students want to know about when applying to a new college or program is, what impresses the admissions committee?

Here are a few things that you should keep in mind while filling out your college application. These tips will help you make a good first impression with those on the ADCOM (source).

Excellent Writing Capability 

Your essay is what many members of the committee will pay attention to the most. It should be coherent and well-organized.

If needed, have one or more people read over your essay once you finish it. Sometimes others can see issues and tiny mistakes with our writing that we can’t. 

Write your essay as if you are telling the ADCOM a story. Let them know as much as you can about your personality, your educational achievements, and what your aspirations are for the future. 

Write in short paragraphs that are easy to read. You don’t want run-on sentences or paragraphs that go off subject. Make your writing expressive and engaging.

While a big part of your essay will depend on your personal writing style, in general, you will want to keep in mind these two grammar rules, stay in an active voice as much as you can, and allow your sentence structure to vary throughout the essay. 

What Makes You Stand Out? 

What is it about you that will make the ADCOM approve your application before any others? What makes you stand out?

Many times when writing a college application essay, students do not shed enough light on themselves and their achievements over the years. 

Creating an effective personal statement will allow the committee to see who you, the applicant, truly is behind all the SAT scores and your GPA.

Because members of the application committee do not meet with you in person, how you express yourself in your essay is the only way to make a good first impression. Therefore you should make it count.

What Can You Provide to the Community? 

ADCOM members want to know how you can contribute to the community.

This is one thing that is universal with all admission committee members.

Universities are very aware of how important cultural diversity is among students.

If you are an international student, simply stating that you come from a different country is not enough to make an outstanding impression.

Instead, get the message across about how you will bring a part of your own culture into the community and share it with others. This aspect also ties into what makes you unique. 

What are ADCOMS Looking For?

Application committees are made up of a unique variety of individuals.

While different schools may be looking for different types of students, here are a few things that most application committee members will look for when reviewing your application (source).

Do You Meet Their Mission Statement?

In any school that you apply for, it is very important that you possess the qualities that allow you to meet their mission statement.

You may have excellent testing scores or amazing writing skills, but you could still be lacking in areas that will help you meet their mission statement. 

If an undergrad student is applying for medical school, they will need to have some form of experience in the level of care mentioned in the institution’s mission statement.

If a school’s mission is to serve patients in a rural setting in the areas of family medical care, and you don’t have experience in that area, you may not be accepted for that reason. 

To resolve this issue, learn more about the school or institution’s mission statement and ask yourself if you truly meet those requirements before you apply. 

Do You Have a Clear Reason For Wanting to Attend Their School or Enroll in Their Program? 

Many students who have excellent scores may submit a great application with a well-written essay with no mistakes or errors.

But they fail to articulate why they want to attend that school or enroll in that particular program.

What is the driving force that makes you want to become a heart surgeon or earn your Ph.D. in education? 

Make that the main focus of your essay and you will have a better chance of impressing the ADCOM. 

Are You Truly Ready to Take On This Role?

The ADCOM members are going to assess your application and ask themselves if you are truly ready to take on the program you wish to enroll in, or if you have the level of intelligence needed to become one of the university’s esteemed alumni.

Take the time to ask yourself the same question, and if you feel you are truly ready for the challenge, boldly submit your application and hope for the best. 

Final Thoughts 

One of the most important things about applying to college or an undergraduate program is making a good impression on the ADCOM.

Many schools and institutions keep details about their admissions committee secret.

Keeping these details private plays an important role in allowing the members of the committee to make the best possible choices during the application process. 

While we have provided a few tips here on how to make a good impression with the ADCOM, the best possible advice we can give is to present yourself as a valuable asset to the school of your choosing and to the community it serves.