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, at 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
Many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.
John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21.
Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33.
Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, the presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion about what we can learn from our pets about facing end-of-life challenges and decisions.
The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Join members of the UMRA Hiking Club for a hike on March 3 at the Holland Lake Trailhead in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. It is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Our route will take us on an unpaved trail with some roots, rocks, and easy hills. It will be about 5 miles for 2 to 2.5 hours. We will meet for an optional lunch afterwards somewhere nearby (TBD).
You are invited to the March 5 meeting via Zoom of the Family History Interest Group (FHIG) for presentations by Will Craig and Laura Erickson on researching family history using local and virtual resources.
“Insects” is the theme for the UMRA Photo Club meeting in March, and “Geometrical Forms” is the theme for April. Newcomers are welcome.
The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits. The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views.
The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.
For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.
Theme to be announced.
The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will interpret the holdings and bring out a sampling of what it holds. We will also get a tour of the caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K.
You are cordially invited to see Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, who will discuss UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.
Do you have a box or several albums of old family pictures that you are not quite sure what to do with? Or perhaps you just want to find out more about your ancestors and are not sure where or how to begin. This meeting of the Family history group will be an open discussion.