More Than the Numbers: Why the Whole Person Matters in Admission and Beyond

I’ll admit it: the admission process can be tricky to navigate. Whether it’s independent school, or college admission, it can be difficult to understand what factors are really taken into consideration. This is not intentional misdirection. With more than two decades working in admission at four different schools, I can tell you with confidence that we want students to navigate this process smoothly and successfully. The reason why it can sometimes seem vague is because the nature of a holistic admission review means that every applicant is considered uniquely, and each facet plays a different role depending on the big picture.

A holistic admission review means that the assessment is based on a combination of factors. For example, we consider both academic measures and more qualitative data like recommendations. You may wonder why we look at the whole student in this process. Wouldn’t it be simpler to have a minimum grade point average and test score? The reason is because the data prove that the combination of factors matters. In fact, it actually matters throughout secondary school, college, and into your career.

As an admission office, our number one guiding principle is to set students up for success. So, we do our best to ensure that we are admitting students who are academically prepared for Dana Hall’s curriculum. Oftentimes past performance is our best predictor of future success. This is why grades and test scores are important. But they are not the end-all-be-all. The students who achieve the most success possess other characteristics such as dedication, resilience, and a growth mindset. These skills are amplified through experiences outside of the classroom.

The data back this up. I recently performed a multi-year research study that tested several admission factors and whether or not they predicted success (which I had defined as a combination of first-year GPA and retention). My study identified the following key factors as being statistically significant: long-term dedication to at least one extracurricular activity, leadership experience, level of challenge of the classes taken, and community service experience. To reinforce these findings, recent research on career success tells us that college students who have been involved in meaningful co-curricular and real-world experiences enjoy the most professional achievement, as well. 

This is why the whole person matters when it comes to Dana Hall School admission and our school philosophy. We reinforce a richly well-rounded experience because we know that it will set our students up for long-term success here, in college, and in career and life. Students can use this knowledge to make smart choices and to put their best foot forward in any admission or job application process. Here are three recommendations for families to follow:

1. When in doubt, go for the challenge. If a student is considering the higher level class or trying a new academic endeavor, embrace the challenge. Sometimes we don’t feel 100% ready, but with a small leap of faith and supportive people around us, we can achieve greater things than we thought possible.
2. Elaborate on extracurricular experiences. In applications and interviews, students should share what they learned and gained both inside and outside of the classroom. Skills on the field, the collaboration skills developed through community service, and a sense of responsibility from a babysitting experience are all valid and important.
3. Make sure students are busy enough. It may seem counterintuitive, but students who keep themselves busy with involvements in activities, athletics, and/or part-time work tend to do better academically. It’s true that they do not have as much time for studying and homework because of these commitments. But, this necessitates strong time management, good focus, and organization — critical skills for long-term success in almost any endeavor. 

So, we encourage our applicants and students to lean into their multi-dimensionality and know that all the interesting and unique facets of who they are matter. While we want the admission process to be as simple and straightforward as possible, we also know that honoring the whole person in the process serves everyone better.