How can universities reduce stress for students during the application process

On a warm afternoon this past spring, we welcomed about 50 university guidance counsellors from international schools in China’s Greater Bay Area to our campus to discuss the applications and admissions processes.

One adviser asked me about a student of hers who received a rejection from us. “How many As should he have to get in? There can’t be any Cs?” she asked. I felt awfully sorry for the kid. After years of hard work on grades, tests and extracurricular activities, being rejected is a bitter experience.

University admission decisions are based on many factors. The minimum entry requirements are published on university websites, but this does not make the selection criteria any less “abstract” to most applicants. The selection process is an even bigger mystery.

It is a shared responsibility of high school, family and university to support students throughout the application process. What can universities do to lower candidates’ stress?

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Help students to understand the options available

Students make strenuous efforts to manage multiple university applications. University admissions teams can work closely with high school counsellors to help students make informed and balanced university lists. This will assist students in recognising that they have plenty of choices and ease their anxiety if they do not get into their preferred institutions.

This can be supported through fleshed-out recruitment talks to students to help them identify which institutions will suit their future career plans and interests. Admissions officers should point out the unique features of the institutions they represent and key factors that will help students to compare institutions.

First, reduce students’ anxiety in the application process by shifting their focus to a consideration of what they can get from a university education rather than a feeling of being judged by each institution they apply to. Do not define an institution simply by ranking.

Second, build clear connections between majors and career prospects. There is often a disconnect between the subjects on a high school curriculum and the majors offered by a university, many of which are interdisciplinary or vocational. Take time to explain the connections between high school curricula, university majors and future careers. This will help students to identify where their strengths lie, visualise different career trajectories and select universities that best support their personal development.

Third, paint a picture of daily life at the institution. It is common to introduce a university from its location, costs and accommodation. The key is to help students piece the information together and see the whole picture. For example, when talking about location, explain a bit about the place, what it has to offer, the transport links and how long it takes from town centre to the university. Some students want to stay close to their families, some want to work part-time in town after classes, so these practical details help students choose universities that suits their lifestyles.

Improve efficiency in the application system

Institutions should simplify applications to reduce the amount of time it takes applicants to complete. Simple changes such as displaying all the questions at once enable applicants to get oversight of what they must provide and prepare and manage their efforts accordingly.

Admissions teams should review the application system before each recruitment season starts and remove any questions that did not help with last year’s evaluation and selection. For example, refrain from asking applicants to write personal statements or essays if they carry little weight in the final decision. Give clear instructions on the content and format of the files for uploading.

Include a message of encouragement in the rejection letter

It is natural that universities tend to pay more attention to the wording and design of the acceptance letters. However, messages that are going to convey rejection and disappointment can bear great weight in a student’s life. How universities treat rejected students shows their real understanding of education.

Rejections should be delivered with respect and kindness. Show appreciation of students’ efforts in making the application. Rejection letters can tactfully place more weight on the perspective that the university might not be the best match for the applicant, rather than hitting on the painful fact that the applicant failed in the competition to get in.

Just as a degree from a well-known university is not a golden ticket to success, a rejection from a particular institution does not consign a student to failure. The young Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California several times – and that is just one of many such stories. By explicitly stating this, universities can and should help students understand that they have a bright future ahead even if they receive rejections from their desired institutions.

Treasure the connection

There is a cost associated with processing unsuccessful applications, but this investment is not a waste and rejected applicants are not all “valueless”. In the longer term, the unsuccessful applicants might connect to the university in other meaningful ways. They can apply again for postgraduate studies, recommend the university to friends and relatives, and even become potential donors. Steven Spielberg eventually became a trustee of UCLA.

A rejection letter should not cut off the connection between a university and an applicant. It can do more than “reject”; it can also offer an informative package signposting many other ways to connect to the institution.

It could share tips for spending a productive gap year, which might support students who want to apply again next year. It could advertise recruitment events for the next season. It could share a list of exchange and summer programmes offered by the university and encourage the rejected applicants to join if they enrol at a partner university. It could even promote postgraduate and other programmes.

Rosemary Bai is marketing coordinator for international undergraduate admissions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

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