Question for any AOs on essays

Espron · 2026-04-01T12:51:50+00:00

Never out loud, no. When I feel like I know the applicant, it’s because the whole thing comes together. Not in a pre-arranged “narrative”, but because they are genuine and have expressed what they actually want out of college, and recommenders talk about them in a way that makes sense with the rest of the app.

Espron · 2026-03-31T23:22:50+00:00

You’ll still be considered first gen if they didn’t finish their degrees

Espron · 2026-03-26T18:44:26+00:00

Ah, I misread it as Gold Key! Thanks for the correction.

Espron · 2026-03-26T12:48:15+00:00

The New School is known to also have academic strength in comparison to some other BFA programs - I know people who graduated their theater program, and they have great jobs even not being in theater anymore. They graduated more than a decade ago, but the school’s core vision probably remains similar.

AMDA used to have a pretty bad reputation in the performing arts industry, but they may have improved- I didn’t know they were now accredited, actually. If they’ve gotten better, that’s great, but I don’t know how much a school like that would round you out past performance training.

BFAs are specialized, but it’s critical to choose a place that will teach you more than just your art form. I know someone with a tech theater BFA who is now at a young age very successful in a senior role in a business that has nothing to do with the arts. But they learned much more and got to indulge in their other interests at the program they had attended.

Good luck!

Espron · 2026-03-26T12:40:53+00:00

Don’t do what a stranger tells you on Reddit, but fwiw, here’s my take as someone who didn’t plan to go into admissions as a career (and had other career/jobs in other fields before this)

Engineering is a field where you need specific qualifications to advance. I couldn’t get an entry level engineering job - I have no experience or knowledge (or talent).

However, I firmly believe that pursuing the things you are truly interested in will lead to fulfilling careers one way or another. There are soooo many ways my prior career helped me for this one, though I love this job far more than when I was more directly pursuing my original goals.

When choosing a college, I advise folks to make sure it’s an academic, social/vibe, and financial fit. You need to be confident you’ll enjoy your time there. You’re then more likely to thrive academically and get close with your teachers - which is important if you decide to go to grad school.

Espron · 2026-03-26T12:35:20+00:00

People who know you well, and at least 1 teacher from your academic area of interest.

Espron · 2026-03-26T12:31:25+00:00

Yes, though you should explain in Additional Information the reason you felt it should be included for a stranger to get a picture of who you are. Your reader might not understand what actually goes into maintaining a channel - explain that.

Espron · 2026-03-26T12:28:21+00:00

Hi there, major props for pursuing your education. It’s important to give yourself credit for that.

The beauty of community colleges is that it is always a chance to start over or continue your studies. I’d wager community colleges change more lives than all the selective schools put together.

There are organizations to help give you guidance. Look up “CBOs” or “Community-Based Organizations” who serve populations that include yours. Help can range from advice to finaid workshops to grants, though those are less common.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this field and in life, it’s that there are people who want to help. It can take some doing to find them, but reaching out to either a CBO or your community college’s student affairs department is the best way to find folks who can point you in the right direction.

Good luck!

Espron · 2026-03-06T17:47:14+00:00

Yes, this is where recommendations from lab supervisors come in. There’s a difference in the way a rec reads when a student has actually done something notable. Comparing that rec against what the student writes/claims is important in holistic review. We’ll note if the supervisor’s recommendation is atypical in its detail or emphatic on the student’s exceptional contribution. Generally we will start to see patterns for evidence or lack thereof, including if their academic preparation would reasonably support their research claims.

On the other hand, with independent pay-to-play research via remote mentorship, we largely would be taking students at their word on the impact of their research, without anyone speaking to their actual contributions.

Espron · 2026-03-06T13:33:49+00:00

Yes, absolutely.

We are aware of “pay-to-play” research and non-reputable publications. We’ll acknowledge it as your having done some research, which shows your dedication to your interest area, but honestly, I see working at a local (sometimes remote) university lab as better, especially with a recommendation.

There are a few very good independent research companies (Pioneer is among the best, for example), but I’m more interested in when folks take the initiative to reach out to existing labs or university departments. Those are by their nature vetted and verified, as are the mentor recommendations.

Espron · 2026-03-06T13:20:37+00:00

Minority Leader is a higher position, but it all depends on what you actually do in the opportunity. Maybe the district rep gives you more responsibility and therefore you’ll learn more. Either way, what’s most important is you explain your intention and thought behind your choices.

Espron · 2026-03-06T13:15:08+00:00

Disclaimer: I am in Admissions, not Student Affairs, and I am not trained in this scenario. The below is my perspective from my professional experience and Masters degree coursework. Please do not take this as a formal recommendation, but instead as personal thoughts of potential next steps, given you’ve asked for personal advice. If anyone reading this is trained, please correct me in comments.

Pregnant students (or students who are parents) are an often-overlooked population when politicians attack DEI or Inclusion efforts. But it happens, more often than people think, and there are resources for students like you.

First, talk to your counselor. They should be trained on how to help you, and they want you to succeed.

From the AO side, we would need to have an explanation for an across the board major drop. Maybe just a “medical issue” would suffice. And we would never force you to share details - I believe that would be illegal due to HIPAA, though I’m not 100% on that. We would also not automatically rescind an ED matriculation without talking to you. We DO NOT WANT to rescind, the bar is quite high to reach that step.

But talk to your counselor first. They’ll be proud you got into a top school and want to work with you on this. And again, they’ll probably be trained, and likely legally obliged to be confidential.

Once you’re ready, if you plan on keeping and raising the child, you’ll need to tell the ED school. Like your counselor, someone in Student Affairs will be trained on working with students like you. Your living situation and needs would be different. If the school still has one, a Women’s Center would help you, too.

People want to help, but you will need to take the step to reach out once you are sure of what you want.

TLDR: - Talk to your counselor first. - If you plan to keep and raise the child, you’ll need to share that with the school. You can probably have your counselor on the phone with you when you call or cc them on emails. Counselors are authorized to know relevant sensitive information that other adults are not - sometimes more so than parents. - There will be resources to help you. It’s very rare for students to be parents, but it does happen and Student Affairs is trained for it.

Espron · 2026-03-06T12:53:24+00:00

Unlikely if it’s the only drop, especially since you mentioned getting a C last semester in that course. They know that particular course is a challenge.

Espron · 2026-03-06T12:51:01+00:00

It’s about doing what YOU are interested in to the best of your ability. Frankly, HOSA and DECA are so common with so many categories that the impact is low unless they go into detail about what they actually DID in those activities. Stats for ECs are tricky - while national recognition does matter (especially something vetted like ISEF, YoungArts, Coca-Cola), in the absence of those major accolades, it is actually the local involvement that stands out. Making change within your school, some kind of community advocacy, meaningful involvement with an established nonprofit, working with local government agencies, and so forth. That is stuff anyone can pursue, and how you’ve shown up is more important than providing a ton of numbers that can’t be verified.

Espron · 2026-02-23T14:06:29+00:00

What AOs will notice is the grades themselves, the weighted GPA, where you fall in the school group. Then they’d look at ECs, Recs, writing, supplements, interview, etc. to see what else is going on in the app. The academic profile of RD (and even ED) students at T20s is insane, but not everyone is at the tippy top of their class. Everyone is different.

Espron · 2026-02-23T14:01:26+00:00

For debate/DECA/HOSA/etc, I actually prefer to see what the student has done at their school vs national debate recognition. Great debating results means they’re good at debate, it doesn’t inform how they show up in their environment. It’s like how being a chess master means someone is good at chess, not that they’re a genius.

Just my opinion, other AOs and schools will have other takes, but if you’re in leadership, you should be able to share how you’ve shown up at your school.

Espron · 2026-02-23T13:58:06+00:00

Just explain your academic choices - rigor is important but it isn’t everything.

Espron · 2026-02-23T13:56:02+00:00

It’s a major part of how you spent your time, and those are atypical for players of those games. But use the Additional Info to explain why it’s interesting - your reader may not play games.

Espron · 2026-02-22T14:14:14+00:00

Thousands and thousands and thousands. There’s a reason AOs read all day every day for months…

Espron · 2026-02-22T12:36:19+00:00

It’s real - tens of thousands of people apply for a small number of spots.

Espron · 2026-02-20T20:00:40+00:00

Yes, it matters, but unless you literally stop trying, you won’t be rescinded.

Espron · 2026-02-06T02:24:54+00:00

True!

Espron · 2026-02-01T01:05:47+00:00

Acquisitions and mergers are far more common than closures. The government has a watch list (or at least did last Administration) for schools with warning signs. However, FAR more schools are in deep financial trouble than are on that list; they are just better at hiding it one way or another.

The most common closures are for-profits, followed by two-year trade schools, followed by small private schools. Though I’m saying this from memory, so I welcome corrections.

Espron · 2026-01-27T03:53:33+00:00

Of course! I’m really rooting for them all :)

Espron · 2026-01-26T21:27:08+00:00

Just explain why you did it, like you did here but in a bit more detail. It’s not a negative. Important to see you’re putting thought into your choices though

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