College Admissions Consulting Advice for International Students: How Admissions Decisions Are Made Written by Zaragoza Guerraon March 13th, 2018 Prior to joining College Coach, I spent part of my career as director of admissions for the Boston Conservatory, where I oversaw overall recruitment and auditions for students interested in music, theater, and dance. I spent most of my admissions career, however, as an admissions officer for two institutes of technology. As an associate director of admissions at MIT, I directed overall recruitment and yield activities as well as international, transfer, and special student admissions. I also served as an assistant director of admissions for Caltech, where I handled specialized student recruitment and reviewed domestic and international student files. Learn More About Zaragoza applying from abroad, college admissions advice, international students, The U.S. college admissions process can be perplexing to international and domestic students alike. Why are some seemingly qualified applicants denied admission, while others with outwardly similar qualifications are accepted? The answer lies in the fact that U.S. college admissions officers are not tasked with simply admitting individual students, but with shaping a diverse class that meets a variety of institutional needs. College Coach’s Zaragoza Guerra explains more in his article on the WES Advisor Blog. Click here to learn more about "The U.S. Admissions Process: Admitting Classmates, Not Just Students." Related Resources Read | Posted on August 21st, 2025 Reflections from an Open Nester Read | Posted on July 22nd, 2025 Class of 2025 College Admissions Recap: Trends, Wins, and What's Next Read | Posted on July 16th, 2025 Am I competitive for medical school?
