Walls says one of the questions he is most frequently asked is who makes the decisions to admit which students. Basically, the twelve-member admissions staff, which is composed of the dean of admission, director of admission, assistant deans, and admission counselors, split into three groups and review the applications. Each application is read by at least three staff members, and a reading sheet is attached to each one. A numerical score is kept on that form and tracks items including academics, extracurricular activities, and essays. Academics get weighted most heavily, and a perfect score would be eighteen.
Walls believes it's a good policy that the admission staff makes the decisions.
We are the ones who are out there visiting the schools and doing the recruitment work, and we really know these students, their high schools, and their counselors, so it makes sense that we would be the ones actually reading the applications. With competition as stiff as it is, Walls is invariably quizzed about what his staff looks for in an applicant. He says they place a premium on commitments outside the classroom, in anything from athletics to community service, and that an essay that reveals something of the student's personality is also key. However, the most crucial factor may be what classes the student took in high school. You may have two students with identical grade point averages, but one is wait-listed or denied and one is admitted.