Emory University Guide

Admissions Criteria​:

The most important factor for Emory is academic preparation. This is determined based on GPA and academic rigor of the courses you took in high school. Standardized test scores are also factored into this, but are of slightly less importance overall; weak scores can be overcome if grades are high in the most rigorous program of study. This is not to say that students must only take AP classes, but they should take as challenging a schedule as they are able to thrive in.

Other important factors for admissions are the essays, extracurriculars, recommendations, and character of the student. Emory looks at the student as a whole, and these factors let them determine if the student would be a good fit at their campus. Students who specialized and excelled in an activity they are passionate about are more likely to stand out here.

Other factors which are taken into consideration are legacy status, first-generation status, race/ethnicity, geographic origin, and talent. These factors are not enough on their own to make a decision, but can serve as a tiebreaker between qualified candidates.

What is Emory Looking For?

Emory is above all looking for students who fit with their vision of the school. This means they want intellectually curious and passionate students, and look through applications for signs that students meet these criteria.

For academics, they’re looking for students who have taken challenging courses, and who have scored well on standardized tests. Emory is test mandatory, and is trying to keep its high place in the rankings, which means they will care about test scores. While low scores will not necessarily sink a candidate, they will be taken into consideration.

The essays are one of the most important parts of the application for Emory, as they use these to determine the student’s strengths as a writer, their character, and where their passions lie. As these are all key traits Emory looks for, they place a lot of importance on both the personal statement and their shorter supplemental questions. They are looking for students who desire to learn for the sake of learning alone, and who have clear passions, academic or otherwise, which they want to pursue.

Emory has new research initiatives in both chemistry and biology, and is working on building teams of researchers to pursue these goals. While they are looking for grad students, the College of Arts and Sciences is involved in this push as well, and will be looking for students who share these research interests. The other new funding initiatives on campus are towards the arts, especially an academic push in the visual arts and a desire to increase artistic outreach in the broader Atlanta community. While this initiative is still in the planning stages, they will be looking for more students involved in the arts once it proceeds.

Emory Strategy:

The first thing to ensure for your application is that your GPA, test scores, and course of study has been academically challenging, and show that you are well prepared for college. If your test scores are below the 50th percentile, consider studying more and retesting.

The essay is the aspect of your application most within your control, and as it is so important to Emory’s application, we suggest spending serious time on it, both the personal statement and the supplementals. The essays are, of course, important for every top college, but even among those Emory weighs it more heavily than average.

Emory has a very low yield, and does not consider Demonstrated Interest. Thus, if they engage in yield protection, it will be through their ED and ED II acceptance tracks. If Emory is your first-choice university then, you should apply to it ED, as this doubles your chances of acceptance, and shows the school that you are committed to attending.

Consider the difference between Oxford College and the College of Arts and Sciences as you are applying. They handle admissions separately, although they use the same application. Traits you like about one may not apply to the other; Oxford is smaller, more rural, and has a more insular community, whereas the College of Arts and Sciences is in among the upperclassmen and graduate students on the main campus in urban Atlanta. If you are discussing what you are looking for in a college, make sure to tailor it to whichever of the two you are applying to.