The major difference between university admissions in Kenya and those in the US is the number of factors considered for admission. For Kenyan universities, your grade in the KCSE national exam determines which university and course you’ll be admitted to. In contrast, American universities consider academic and non-academic factors when deciding who to admit.
The list of factors is compiled from the Common Data Set (CDS), a document filled by universities to be used by publishers. ↩
Universities attach different levels of importance to various factors, ranging from “not considered” to “very important”. For convenience, we order the factors below based on the average preferences of the schools listed in 09. Examples of US universities that Kenyans have attended on scholarships .
Rigor of Secondary School Record ¶
Relative to the resources available at your school, did you challenge yourself academically? Colleges use information provided by the school counselor, e.g.,
- How many AP, IB, Honors, and Cambridge courses are offered?
- What is the maximum number of such classes that a student can take in a given year?
A lot of Kenyan high schools do not provide such classes. Not to worry though, you will not be penalized for not taking courses that were not available at your school.
Academic GPA ¶
To calculate your high school GPA, add together your grades on the 4.0 scale after converting them from letter grades, and divide the sum by the number of classes you are taking. ↩ For example:
Recommendation ¶
Your college application also includes recommendations from your high school teachers. They typically include:
- Your academic, extracurricular, and personal characteristics.
- Relevant context for your performance and involvement, e.g., particularities of family situation.
- Observed problematic behaviors that the admissions committee should explore further.
Beyond grades, is there evidence of original work, e.g., writing, poetry, research? Did you participate in competitions and symposia? Did you succeed despite adversity, e.g., poor school resources or personal difficulty? Did you tutor lower classes? ↩
See this page for more information.
Character/Personal Qualities ¶
Some personal qualities like maturity, character, leadership, self-confidence, warmth of personality, sense of humor, energy, and grace under pressure are essential for someone to thrive in an unfamiliar and competitive environment thousands of miles from home. ↩
Your teacher may be asked to describe you on various fronts, e.g., intellectual promise, quality of writing, creative thought, productive discussion, faculty respect, disciplined habits, maturity, motivation, leadership, integrity, reaction to setbacks, concern for others, self-confidence, initiative, etc. ↩
Personal Essay ¶
The personal essay is limited to 650 words, and you can choose one of several prompts. For example, one of the prompts in the 2023-2024 application cycle was: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. ↩
See this page for more information on the college essay. A lot goes into writing a great personal essay.
Class Rank ¶
This is provided by the school counselor in the school report, e.g., are you in the top 5% of your class? How many other students share the same rank? ↩
Extracurricular Activities ¶
Extracurricular activities encompass how you spend your time beyond studying, e.g., athletics, clubs, art, drama, student leadership, significant family/community involvement, part-time jobs, etc. Schools recognize that some schools may not have a full range of extracurricular activities, and evaluate how well students used the resources available to them. Were you significantly committed to an activity? Did you receive recognition for it? Were you in a leadership position? ↩
Talent/Ability ¶
Some colleges give special consideration to students who have demonstrated excellence in areas of interest to the colleges. ↩ More so if there is regional/national recognition. ↩
Standardized Test Scores ¶
Standardized tests include the SAT and the ACT. These are different from the tests that you took in high school. See this page for more information on standardized tests.
Volunteer Work ¶
Some colleges give special consideration to students with activities done on a volunteer basis, e.g., tutoring, hospital care, working with the elderly or disabled, etc. ↩
First Generation Status ¶
Are you the first in your family to finish high school, or to attend university? Are you one of the few in your village to go to high school? Are you the first in your high school to apply abroad? ↩
Work Experience ¶
Some colleges give special consideration given to students who have been employed prior to application, whether for relevance to major, demonstration of employment-related skills, or as explanation of student’s academic and extracurricular record. ↩
Interview ¶
Some universities enlist their alums to interview students who apply to the school. While the interview provides you with the chance to learn more about the school, the alums also write a recommendation to the school after the interview.
Geographical Residence / State Residence ¶
Some colleges give special consideration to students from a particular region, state, or country of residence. ↩
Public universities tend to favor applicants from within the state. Private universities tend to favor applicants from under-represented regions. ↩
Alumni/ae Relation ¶
Some colleges practice legacy admissions, where having a relative who is an alumni is considered a plus factor. However, given recent Supreme Court ruling against considering race, legacy admissions have come under scrutiny and some colleges are dropping the special consideration. ↩
Level of Applicant’s Interest ¶
Some colleges consider demonstrated interest, e.g., joining their mailing list, attending admissions events, applying early action/decision, etc. ↩
Religious Affiliation/Commitment ¶
Some colleges give special consideration to applicants who are affiliated with a certain church/faith/religion. ↩
References ¶
- Common Data Set. commondataset.org . commondataset.org .
- A Guide to Applying to Undergraduate Institutions in USA. Catrin Davies; Isaac Ochieng'; Mary Kiarie; Wanjiku Mungai; Susan Kemboi; Benjamin Munyao; John Kimani; Kenneth Kiambati; Simeon Kamunde; Martha Obasi; Trevor Omangi. drive.google.com .
- How to Convert (Calculate) Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale. bigfuture.collegeboard.org .
- Common App School Report. commonapp.my.salesforce.com .
- Common App Teacher Evaluation. commonapp.my.salesforce.com . commonapp.my.salesforce.com .
- 2023-2024 Common App essay prompts. Meredith Lombardi. www.commonapp.org . Feb 4, 2023.
- Legacy Admissions: What It Is and Why Colleges Are Reconsidering It | Higher Education. Shane LaGesse. www.usnews.com . Jul 21, 2023.
- How Your Hometown Could Affect Your College Admissions Chances. Ilana Kowarski. www.usnews.com . Sep 10, 2018.
- The 99 Demonstrated Interest Colleges: Complete List. Christine Sarikas. blog.prepscholar.com . Oct 18, 2023.
If you want to know a quick view of a college, look up its latest Common Data Set. For example, searching for “Harvard common data set” surfaces https://oira.harvard.edu/common-data-set/ , and from there, you can view the latest CDS.