Finding the diamond in the rough

Arlene Cash, the vice president for enrollment management at Spelman College shared the importance of discovering the hidden treasure in an applicant. At Spelman, 25% of applicants are considered under a special admission program. Using a variety of methods, admissions counselors spend time getting to know an applicant and gathering information that will reveal more about the student’s potential for success than high school GPA or standardized tests. Some of the things a Spelman admissions counselor considers are an applicant’s excitement about attending Spelman and their commitment to enrolling, matriculating through a program, and graduating. Applicants accepted through this special admissions process see substantial improvements in their GPA from high school and usually graduate in 4 years.