The Concept of Scarcity in Admissions

Level 5 - Ivy League

Welcome! Today we are going to explore a very important concept in admissions, both at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Have you ever found yourself wondering how admissions officers view extracurriculars? Wondering if the actions that you are taking will make any difference in whether you are accepted into a given program?

There are plenty of examples of applicants that we know that have spent a lot of time doing activities that made no difference in the admissions decision.

You do not want to waste your time chasing a lot of things that make no difference when a handful of actions will actually be the primary drivers on the decision.

This is called efficiency, and it can either be your friend or your enemy. But either way, it will exist.

What is efficiency, and why does it matter?

Efficiency is the process of using the least amount of energy to achieve the greatest amount of output.

In the case of admissions, you want to know which activities will produce the greatest impact on your admissions chances.

There are nearly an infinite number of ways to get into college. But remember, admissions is best thought of as a game of probability, not a game of possibility.