Unlocking College Admissions: The Power of the Common Data Set

The Common Data Set

As we settle into fall, many high school juniors are beginning the process of exploring colleges. They may take their first steps by looking at college websites or touring a campus. They might even have picked up a Fiske Guide or searched online for “top colleges” for a particular major. As they consider their options, they’ll likely dig deeper into the details of these colleges, gauging their fit and what they have to offer. However, decisions about where to apply will not only be informed by what students discover through these searches and visits, but by their sense of how competitive they are within a college’s applicant pool. Ultimately, it should be every student’s goal to build a balanced college list, and this often means examining a college’s admissions data and process.

Where Can I Find a College’s Admissions Data?

Luckily, each year colleges across the country publish a document called the Common Data Set. This document holds a wealth of information, ranging from a breakdown of student expenses to details about the number of degrees conferred by program. Most importantly, it provides a glimpse into a college’s admissions process and profile from prior years. Much of the data potential applicants need is housed here, and because it comes straight from the source, you can trust that what you’re seeing is accurate.

But Where Can I Find the Common Data Set?

The Common Data Set is typically hosted on a college’s website, though locating it can be tricky since there’s no standard location across colleges. For instance, Stanford University hosts its Common Data Set on its university communications page, while James Madison University hosts theirs on its institutional research page. These two locations are common places to check, but the easiest way to locate a specific college’s Common Data Set is with a quick online search. Include the college’s name, “Common Data Set,” and the most recent application year. The first few results will likely link you directly to the document, which will often be a PDF or Excel file.

What Will I Find in the Common Data Set, and How Should I Use It?

While there’s no standardization in where the Common Data Set is hosted, the information within it is presented in the same “common” format across institutions. This means you’ll always be able to find admissions-specific information in Section C. Once you reach Section C, the first things you’ll see are application and admission figures, which will give insight into a university’s overall selectivity. This part of the Common Data Set may also include information about how many students were waitlisted and accepted off the waitlist, details that could come in handy later in the process. Many colleges have minimum subject unit requirements that applicants must meet to be considered for admission. As you scroll further through Section C of the Common Data Set, you’ll find a chart that shows these requirements or recommendations. I encourage students to compare this chart to their own transcripts to ensure they meet or even exceed them. Next, you’ll encounter a list of factors the admissions office considers when reviewing applications. These factors are categorized as either very important, important, considered, or not considered. Reviewing this information can frame your understanding of what the admissions office prioritizes, guiding you on what to prioritize as you apply to certain colleges. For instance, if a college considers demonstrated interest important, you might want to take extra steps to connect with that college and showcase your desire to be a student there. You’ll also see numerical data related to SAT, ACT, and GPA. Many colleges publish charts showing their middle 50% ranges for these metrics. As a prospective applicant, it’s helpful to compare your own GPA and test scores to these ranges. Keep in mind, however, that the ranges represent the middle 50% of admitted students; there are admitted students who fall both below and above these ranges. Most admissions processes are holistic, and academic data can only take you so far in understanding how colleges make their decisions.

What if the Common Data Set Doesn’t Have What I’m Looking For?

The Common Data Set has its limitations, and not all Common Data Sets are created equal. Although they follow a common format, colleges have some flexibility in choosing which data to include. For example, one college might report its waitlist stats, while another may leave that section blank, and there are even some colleges who don’t publish a Common Data Set at all. This serves as a reminder that, while the Common Data Set can be a valuable tool, it’s not the end-all-be-all of college information. Students should remember to seek out a range of resources as they make strategic decisions during the college search and application process.