Using Data in College Admissions with Empowerly

At Empowerly, our goal is to simplify the college admissions process. So, we make it easier for families to get the answers they need. Empowerly believes a team-based approach and monitoring by senior and experienced staff. Additionally, we make our resources accessible to you. In this article, we will discuss the Common Data sets and how valuable they can be in the process. Finding data in college admissions can be a great tool if you know how to use it.

One of the biggest frustrations for students and parents going through this process is the lack of clear, consistent, and accurate answers. Many people want personalized answers-and turn to online forums, friends, or even just hearsay from family and friends. Usually this results in even more confusing, a lack of organization, and lots of stress. Not to mention, usually teenagers do not want to listen to Mom and Dad for advice on their life.

The Common Data sets are a series of statistical tables that we have gained access to. In fact, this data allows us to understand how the colleges view the admissions process. There is a particular table on the importance colleges put on 17 variables in the admissions process. Essentially, this table tells us how the admissions office views an applicant. The beauty of this table is that it is standardized across all 4,000 colleges that we have the data from in the United States.

In this way, we can compare students with a standard set of scores (unweighted GPA, SAT/ACT, SAT II) to a standard set of metrics and understand where they are in this process. In addition, as we get more students, we can start to make localized decisions about where students should apply, how, and when.

We have aggregated these Common Data sets for our students to look at and use. There are a set of statistics that take some analysis to understand, but certain parts are valuable insights into the admissions process and how the current dean of admissions thinks.

In other words, our research team at Empowerly provides the answers you need. Your Empowerly counselor helps you interpret the data and apply it to your case. Ultimately, there's a whole team of expert college counselors to help you navigate this journey.

For more on college admissions, check out our website or book a consult to talk with one of our team members today.