Many selective colleges describe their admissions process as holistic, but the term is often misunderstood. At its core, holistic review reflects a deliberate choice about how admissions decisions are made. Rather than admitting students solely based on grades and test scores, selective colleges in the United States evaluate applicants as whole people, within the context of their academic and personal experiences.

Understanding holistic review helps explain why admissions outcomes cannot be reduced to a single metric and why students with similar statistics may receive very different decisions.

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Holistic Review Vs. Numerical Rankings

One way to build a college class would be to admit the students with the highest GPAs and test scores. In some international education systems, admissions decisions rely almost entirely on standardized exams or numerical rankings.

Selective colleges in the United States take a different approach. Holistic review allows admissions officers to consider academic achievement alongside qualitative information that cannot be captured by numbers alone. This includes how students have challenged themselves, how they have excelled outside of the classroom, and what they might contribute to a campus community.

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How Admissions Officers Evaluate the Whole Student

In a holistic review process, admissions officers consider both quantitative and qualitative data. Academic performance and course rigor remain central, but they are read alongside teacher recommendations, essays, extracurricular involvement, and interview reports.

Essays, interviews and recommendations provide insight into a student’s character, motivation, intellectual curiosity, and voice. Extracurricular activities help admissions officers understand how students spend their time and where they invest energy outside the classroom. Together, these elements help create a fuller picture of who the student is and how they might engage with the academic and social life of the university.

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How Holistic Review Supports Building a Class

Holistic review is also about building a class, not just admitting individuals in isolation. Admissions officers are thinking about how students will learn from one another and contribute to the educational environment.

By considering background, perspective, interests, and experiences alongside academic strength, colleges can assemble classes that reflect a wide range of viewpoints and life experiences. This diversity enhances classroom discussion, collaboration, and learning outcomes for everyone on campus.

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What Holistic Review Means for Students

For students, holistic review means that how they present themselves matters just as much as what they have achieved numerically. Admissions officers are not focused on a single test score or one isolated metric. They are evaluating the full arc of a student’s academic development throughout high school.

Students who understand holistic review tend to make intentional academic and extracurricular choices. They reflect thoughtfully on what genuinely interests them and why, and they aim to create meaningful impact not only through their studies, but also through their experiences outside the classroom.

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Our Strategic Advising Approach

Because our firm is led by former admissions officers, we approach holistic review from the same perspective used inside admissions offices. We help students understand how quantitative data and qualitative information are evaluated together, and how to present a clear, credible application that reflects who they are.

If you would like to learn more about our approach to advising, we invite you to get in touch.