Deciphering today’s college admissions process
Our April 2023 workshop featured Keri Risic, executive director of admissions at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, talking to us about undergraduate admissions at the University and elsewhere. She began by describing the multi-year, multi-class recruitment process at the University. To fill a class of 6,000+ new freshmen, the Office of Admissions starts with a pool of more than 400,000 students, primarily in their sophomore and junior years of high school. As a student expresses interest, the University reciprocates with invitations to visit campus and attend a variety of events, many targeted specifically to the student’s background.
The University admits students on a rolling basis, from September to March of their senior year. Those placed on a wait list may be admitted up until June. Like many schools these days, the University uses a holistic review process, with each application being read by at least two reviewers.
Primary consideration is given to academic factors—grades, class rank, grade point average, course rigor, and test scores, if provided. ACT or SAT test scores are optional; a small majority of 2023 applicants submitted scores. Particular attention is paid to whether a student took advantage of the curricular opportunities available at their high school. Also important are other context factors like outstanding achievement or aptitude in a particular area, commitment to community service, or family responsibilities.
If you have a prospective student in your family, there are many things you can encourage them to do, including:
· Take advantage of the curriculum in their school to challenge themselves (without overburdening themselves). Advance placement and international baccalaureate courses are good if a student can succeed in them.
· Start thinking about college early, and try to visit a variety of schools in their sophomore and junior years.
· Take the ACT and SAT regardless of whether they plan to submit the scores. They can decide whether they want to send the scores to a given school.
· Apply early in the senior year to several schools, including “reach” schools and “safety” schools.
· Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid even if they don’t think they’ll qualify for financial aid. There may be scholarships available that they don’t know about.
· Apply for housing if there is a separate application.
—Ron Matross, UMRA president
College admissions: What you and your grandkids should know about applying for college
Tue, April 18 2023, 11am
Keri Risic
Executive Director of Admissions
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Event to be held via Zoom.
Do you have grandchildren or other family members who will soon be applying for college? If so, you should tune into UMRA’s April 18 Living Well Workshop via Zoom. Keri Risic, executive director of admissions at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, will be our guest speaker.
College admissions has become more complex in recent years. Despite declining numbers of high school graduates, applications to flagship universities and prestigious colleges have generally increased. Many high schools have stopped ranking students. Standardized tests are increasingly optional, and the use of ethnicity as a factor in admissions decisions may soon be banned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
A student applying to college now confronts a number of questions: How many colleges should I apply to? Should I submit test scores, or not? Should I take Advanced Placement courses? Is having a high GPA more important than taking harder courses? Should I get involved in a lot of activities or concentrate on just a few?
Keri Risic will help answer these questions and more. In her role as executive director of admissions, she oversees recruitment, admission, and enrollment of freshman and transfer students, including University Honors Program admissions and merit-based scholarship awards. She has more than 24 years of experience in the undergraduate admissions profession.
Risic’s professional affiliations include the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling, National Association for College Admission Counseling, and the College Board’s Enrollment Leadership Academy. She is an alumna of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and a former Golden Gopher athlete.
Please register today for this Zoom webinar and join us at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18.
—Ron Matross, UMRA president
Upcoming Events
Joni Mitchell will lead the discussion of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 19.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has attracted substantial debate recently because it can be used in many contexts, including educational settings to do things such as answer exam questions and write papers. But what is generative AI? And how can we know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing? Law School Professor Daniel Schwarcz will enlighten us during UMRA’s Luncheon Forum on April 23.
UMRA’s spring Armchair Traveler Program from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 24, will take us to South Korea with Marilyn DeLong and to Germany with Lynn C. Anderson. Please mark your calendars and save the date.
Silk Parachute, an anthology of essays and the 40th of 44 published books by author John McPhee, will be the topic of discussion when UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club meets via Zoom from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT on April 26.
We are fortunate to have Peter Moe, UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director, to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6! Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.