The Six Factors That Shape Every Admissions Decision Every year, millions of students submit college applications — and every year, admissions offices at competitive schools make decisions that can feel opaque, unpredictable, or even arbitrary. But the process is more structured than it appears. Colleges across the country report their admissions criteria through a standardized document called the Common Data Set (CDS), which categorizes exactly what factors they evaluate and

Ivy Day 2026 Results and What You Should Do Next.