What Admission Officers Wrote About Successful Applicants to Richmond

We love to use the term “holistic admission” in the college admission process. It’s a widely agreed upon way to articulate a rather simple concept: building a class is like building an orchestra. To create a dynamic residential campus filled with many lived experiences, talents, and strengths, we’re assembling a group of students whose individual qualities come together to create something richer than any one person could accomplish alone.

A great orchestra needs more than a section full of violins. It needs percussionists, brass players, woodwinds, and strings. Some musicians carry the melody, others provide rhythm, harmony, or depth. In the same way, our incoming class is made up of students with different interests, perspectives, and ways of contributing. Through your transcripts, activities, essays, and letters of recommendation, we’re listening for what kind of contribution you might make, not only academically, but as a future member of our campus community. When those strengths and experiences come together, they create a vibrant and balanced ensemble.

How can I show in my application that I’ll be a good fit for Richmond?

A whole host of elements resonate. It is not true that to be a competitive applicant, you need to be perfectly well-rounded. We’re not sitting down with a prescriptive list of ideal activities, making sure you’ve checked every box. We’re also not looking for an orchestra full of first-chair violinists. It’s less about what you’ve done, and more about what your interactions reveal about who you are and who you might be on our campus.

Instead of tallying the number of team captains, artists and performers, community volunteers, and student government or club leaders in the class, we hope to identify how your experiences shaped you as a person and contributor. We look for qualities that add something meaningful to the composition: will you bring a clear commitment, a strong sense of self, a noticeably inquiring mind, or a combination of all these traits to Richmond? If yes, that’s a solid place to start.

What do admission officers actually write on the college applications they read?

As admission officers, we enter the review process with a clear vision of how to identify these fit factors for Richmond. However, half the reason our criteria seems so mysterious on your end rests in the fact that you have no idea what we’re noting, tracking, or commenting on behind the scenes. This is particularly true on the less metric elements of an application that are not as easy to quantify. You can count your As and Bs just as well as we can, but we’re constantly asked for clarity when it comes to what makes an applicant “memorable.”

The truth is that simple things stand out. Being a good human matters. So, we figured we’d peel back the curtain and take you behind the scenes of our reader comments. Below are a few themes that resonate and the actual written comments our admission officers noted about students who were successful in the process and made their contribution to the ensemble come through clearly:

1. Community Impact & Contribution

We’re looking for students who make a difference, take initiative, and add value to their communities as both leaders and members. What we had to say:

• Good evidence of impact. They seem driven and determined.
• Strong commitment shown in the Richmond Question to making an impact on our campus from day one.
• Really nice experience in local youth government; advocacy work is evident. This student really took the initiative.
• I see a student who could be a changemaker here; they would be an asset to UR and have a ton to offer our community.

2. Character, Empathy & Relationships

On a residential campus, we’re looking for good friends and roommates along with strong academics. Students with standout personal qualities come across as caring, collaborative, or trusted members of their community.

• Evident desire to connect with people and be a member of our community.
• Compassionate member of his school and community.
• Essays showed a great amount of empathy.
• Comes across as a genuine "bridge-builder."
• A truly grounded, likeable, thoughtful person.
• Counselor says she is the glue of her school community.
• An awesome kid! I think this student will be an excellent roommate—seems so considerate!

3. Intellectual Curiosity & Perspective

College is a time for shaping perspectives, building upon ideas, and soaking up new experiences. We love to see students who demonstrate openness, curiosity, and thoughtful engagement in their areas of interest.

• Curious and critical thinker who is open to changing their perspective.
• Global citizen and curious/intellectual STEM-oriented student.
• Balanced, respectful, and deep-thinking student athlete.

4. Voice, Authenticity & Presence

The softer elements of the application like essays and letters of recommendation can be a great opportunity to showcase your values. Students whose applications convey a compelling and authentic sense of self can rise above the rest in our review:

• Strong writing! Good storytelling.
• The more I read this app, the more I liked this student.
• Essays painted this student as a real social justice advocate.
• An impressive student with a clear voice.

So, here's how you can strengthen your application:

Spend some serious time in silence. Think and reflect on the following questions: Who are you and what do you value? How would your friends and family describe you? Do these character traits align with how you would describe yourself?

As you consider your answers, try to translate these words into your activity descriptions, essays, and even your choice of recommenders. Rest assured that there’s not one single instrument that makes or breaks the orchestra. We aren’t searching for a class full of identical players. We’re looking for students who know what they bring and can make their contribution heard. The clearer your voice comes through in the pages, the easier it is for us to imagine you here at Richmond.