How Grad School Officials Evaluate International Applicants

By Don Martin. International students often wonder what those who evaluate their graduate school applications are thinking as they read a candidate's file. Having been a director of admissions and an associate dean for enrollment management, my 28 years of experience in higher education included evaluating and making final decisions on tens of thousands of applications. I also attended many conferences with other admissions and enrollment professionals. During these events, we had opportunities to discuss our approaches to evaluating applications, including those submitted by international students. The following are some of the major things admissions officials keep in mind when evaluating and making final decisions about international applicants. Read more...