Learn how the decisions you make now will impact college's admissions decisions.

1. Admissions Committees:
Numbers Do Matter
Katie Cooney Lesko
Senior Associate Director of Admissions

2. Important Factors
• Curriculum
• Academic Achievement
• Testing
• Recommendations
• Extracurricular Activities
• The “WOW” Factor
• Quality of Application

3. Curriculum
• Course selection
• Senior year
• Preparation for
area of interest
• AP/IB/honors/
college courses

4. Academic Achievement
• GPA
• Weighted /
Non-weighted Grades

5. TESTING
• SAT Reasoning
• ACT
• SAT II Subject Tests
• Testing-optional
colleges

6. Student A – History Education
Single-parent home, one of two children, one visit
Senior Courses: English 4 (H), Pre-Calculus (SUNY), Government and Economics
(H), Physics, Accounting
Number of Honors Courses: 7 in Liberal Arts Rank: n/a
Three-year GPA Trend: 83, 86, 80, senior year 86 SAT: 540 cr 540 m 600 wr
Essay: Description of the game-winning catch. “Euphoria wasn’t enough to explain the
feeling my teammates and I had.”
Recommendations: “…eager to learn all he can about his future career aspirations.”
“…friendly, responsible, mature…” “…a strong writer and is capable of expressing
well, both orally and in written form.”
Interested in: Intramural basketball, History Club
Activities: 9-12 baseball outfielder, team captain; 11-12 basketball coach – led team to
championship; 11-12 works 15 hours a week; 12 Internship as middle school history
teacher – already led 3 lessons

7. Student B – American Studies
Two-parent home, one of three children, Catholic school, visited THREE times
before application filed
Senior Courses: English 4, AP Calc, honors civics and psych, Service Class, AP
Spanish, chorus, Christian ethics
Number of Honors Courses: 14 Rank: n/a
Three-year GPA Trend: 90, 92, 88 SAT: 660 cr 650 m 700 wr
History GPA: 88, 92, 88 English GPA: 93, 95, 88
Essay: Little House on the Prairie teaches the young how to live properly.
Recommendations: “…very involved…” “The first one to ask what needs to be
done… feels a calling to service.” “Creative research paper on the historical time
of Little House on the Prairie…takes risks and rises to the occasion.” “…such a
strong sense of self that leads her to helping others.”
Interested in: honors, study abroad, campus groups, chorus and theatre
Activities at home: tutors, drama, captain for community meal
programs, chorus at school, church choir

8. Student C – Biology
Two-parent home, one of two children, no visit
Senior Courses: Literature, AP calculus, government and economics, marine
science, Academy of Finance courses
Number of Honors Courses: 8 Rank: top 38%
Three-year GPA Trend: 88, 86, 87 SAT: 500 cr, 540 m, 430 wr
Math: 83, 88, 86; Science: 85, 73, 82
Essay: reader response to “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Interesting take on mental
illness.
Recommendations: “…self-confidence without arrogance…“ “…asked to borrow
books on marketing…” “…insightful perspective on learning from a group
perspective.”
Interested in: lacrosse, communications
Activities: football – capt; lacrosse, business honor society

9. Keep in touch
Katie Cooney Lesko– klesko@siena.edu
Siena College
515 Loudon Road
Loudonville, New York 12211
1-888-AT-SIENA
www.siena.edu/admissions
http://www.rusiena.com