Two Perfect Students, One Rejected: The Hidden Rules of College Admissions
When two applicants have similar qualifications, what ultimately makes the difference in a college admissions decision?
Contrary to what many believe, it’s often not the prestige of the activity or the number of accolades. It’s the cohesiveness and clarity of the application itself. Here’s an adapted example from Who Gets In and Why, a book that takes a behind-the-scenes look at elite college admissions.
Two students, both with strong profiles, raise red flags.
In this case, both students had slightly declining grades in 12th grade. Nothing dramatic—but enough for admissions officers to pause and ask why. Their applications offered explanations.
One student had long been passionate about animal welfare. After learning about the mistreatment of elephants in Thailand for tourism and labor, she traveled there the summer after 11th grade. She joined a local animal rights group and participated in hands-on advocacy. Unfortunately, she returned home late and missed a portion of the school year—her GPA slipped slightly.
The other student was the eldest of five siblings. To help support her family and save for college, she worked 30 hours a week at a local ice cream shop throughout the summer—and continued working those hours into the school year until a replacement could be hired. Her grades, too, dipped.
Sounds reasonable. But both of these students would be rejected—if the applications were submitted just like that.
Why? Because admissions officers are human—and busy ones.
They are not saints, nor are they out to “save” applicants. They work within a system that rewards efficiency. If something seems off or questionable, it becomes an easy reason to move on to the next file.
Let’s take a closer look:
The student who volunteered in Thailand might come across as privileged. Thailand is far from the U.S.—how did she fund the trip? Was this really advocacy, or a luxury vacation that doubled as an application story?
The ice cream shop story raises credibility concerns. Thirty hours a week? For a high schooler? And during the school year, no less? Is that even legal in the applicant’s state?
In both cases, the details left unaddressed lead to doubt. And doubt leads to rejection.
Here’s how both students could have been accepted—with just a few lines of clarification.
The Thailand student should have briefly stated how she funded her trip. A simple sentence about fundraising, scholarships, or even parental support would have provided context.
The ice cream shop student could have listed her manager’s name and contact, and broken down her weekly duties and hours. It would immediately validate her story.
The takeaway here isn’t about whether volunteering abroad is better than working locally. In fact, depending on the essay themes and overall direction of the application, the ice cream shop job might have made for a more powerful narrative.
The real point is this:
Your college application is not just about telling your story. It’s about presenting it with structure, completeness, and credibility. In other words, your story is the starting point—not the goal. The goal is a logically consistent and well-supported application that leaves no critical questions unanswered.
