Inside the Admissions Office: How Admissions Officers Rank Candidate Profiles

What really happens when an admissions officer reads an application? How do colleges decide which students rise to the top and why?

In this webinar, Dr. Aya Waller-Bey, former Georgetown University Admissions Officer and admissions expert, will take you behind the scenes of the evaluation process. We’ll unpack the frameworks admissions teams use to assess academic rigor, extracurricular involvement, personal qualities, essays, and school context, as well as how these elements come together to form a complete candidate profile.

You’ll learn how officers compare applicants, what “strength of schedule” and “impact” actually mean, and how institutional priorities influence decision-making. Our panel will also share examples of what distinguishes strong applicants in competitive pools and and where students often miss opportunities to shine.

Whether you’re building your high school strategy, preparing for application season, or simply hoping to understand how holistic review really works, this session will give you the insights you need to navigate admissions with confidence and practical tips for strengthening your profile.