College Admissions Sorting Game

WHAT MATTERS IN ADMISSIONS: GPA AND MORE

Audience
9th – 12th grade students and their parents

Time
30 – 40 minutes

Materials needed
 Instructions & discussion tips (p. 1-5)
 Qualifications for admission (p. 6-7)
 GPA cards (p. 8-25) print double sided

Purpose
Encourages students to explore a variety of factors that are weighed by an admissions
committee when making decisions to admit, waitlist or deny a student admission,
especially to a four-year college or university. This mock admissions simulation is one way
to initiate a conversation about the steps students can take during high school to show
they are ready for college.

Instructions
Before starting the simulation, lead a brief discussion on the factors students think
might be important to an admissions committee. There is no need to go into great
detail at this point—that will come as the activity moves along. Ask just a few
questions:
1) What do you think is the most important thing that colleges look for when they
decide who will be admitted?
2) What are some other things that might matter to colleges?
3) Do you think there any things a student might do during high school that would
prevent a college from ever admitting them?
Choose 9 volunteers to be admission candidates and 1 volunteer to be
the Director of Admission.
 Randomly hand out one GPA card to each of the admission candidates and ask them
line up at the front of the room, in order of GPA (lowest to highest). Ask them to hold
the card so the group can see the large GPA number, and the volunteer can see the
qualities.
 Give the list of qualities to the Director of Admission; this person will be responsible
for reading the qualities to the group.

The premise

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

The rest of the group is the Admission Committee from “Best University.” The
committee has reached the end of the admissions season and has 9 amazing
applicants left. There is room to admit only 3. The final candidates are standing in
front of them, in GPA order. Remind the committee that all are excellent
candidates, but that if they were to make the decision on GPA alone, those with
the top three GPAs would be admitted. However, Best University believes that
grades aren’t the only factor that determines whether a student is prepared to
succeed, so the committee will be making the admissions decisions based on
personal qualities and other academic and extracurricular qualifications.

The play
1) The Director of Admissions reads each quality/qualification out loud, and the
candidates exchange places as per the director’s instructions. (Note: if more
than one person is moving up at the same time, the highest candidate should
move first; if more than one is moving down at the same time, the lowest
candidate should move down first.)
2) After each quality and move, stop to discuss why each quality benefitted or
hindered a candidate.
3) After all the qualities have been read and candidates have been sorted, note
the new order of the candidates. Remind them the top three will be admitted;
the middle three will be waitlisted, and the bottom three will be denied.
4) Provide an opportunity for Q&A, with special attention paid to the qualities and
qualifications that students can control.
5) Ask students to consider how this new information will factor into their four-year
plan.

Discussion tips
As the game progresses, you’ll want to lead a discussion about why each of the
characteristics helps or hinders an applicant. Consider the following:
1) You have taken as many challenging classes as your high school
offers.
A more rigorous high school curriculum better prepares students for the rigors
of a college classroom. Taking challenging courses indicates a student is willing
to do what’s necessary to succeed. Colleges pay attention to what’s available
to students, so they aren’t penalized for attending a school that doesn’t offer
as many options as another might.
2) You play the oboe and you're good at it.
Sometimes the conductor really does need to fill a critical spot in the orchestra.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 Colleges need to be sure their orchestras, teams, theater departments, etc.
can perform to the best of their ability, so they recruit and admit students who
can help with that.
3) You chose to take math and science classes during your senior year.
This is about rigor—and about ensuring that students don’t give up on
important core courses, even if they aren’t strictly required for high school
graduation.
4) You clearly stated that this college is your first choice by applying
Early Decision (which is a binding agreement that says you'll attend if
admitted).
Colleges want students who they know will attend, and Early Decision
programs are one way to determine which students will.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

Discussion tips (continued)
5) (and 6.) You plan to major in psychology or in Pre-Med.
In some schools, the most popular majors (psychology and Pre-Med are often
among these) have too many students. This can make it difficult for colleges to
have enough course sections or to ensure that students have academic
advisors in their field of study. Sometimes, colleges need to reduce the number
of students in a particular major and they do this making it harder for those
students to be admitted.
6) You plan to major in a STEM field like chemistry, computer science,
engineering, or mathematics.
Everywhere you turn, people are talking about the need for more STEM majors.
Colleges (and their admissions committees) are paying attention, too!
7) You had trouble finding someone to write your college
recommendation letters because you don't know your teachers well.
Recommendation letters help the admissions committee learn more about a
student. When teachers know their students well, they can better advocate for
them.
8) When you submitted your college applications, you forgot to change
the names of the colleges to which you were applying.
Sometimes the small things make a big difference! Proof-reading college
applications is an important part of the process.
9) Your brother is a sophomore at this college.
Many colleges appreciate and respect their history and traditions. Being a
legacy (having a close relative—usually a parent, grandparent, or sibling who
attends the college) shows that there is a tradition of attending that college in
the family, and some colleges consider that when making admissions
decisions.
10)You thought they meant it when they said the optional essay was
optional, so you didn’t write it.
If a college gives applicants an opportunity to share more about themselves by
writing an “optional” essay, a student should always take them up on it. Here’s
a good motto: nothing is optional!
11)Your college essay about sports focused on your coach instead of on
your own athletic growth.
College essays should always give the admissions committee more information
about the applicant, so students should focus on something they did, learned,
or discovered about themselves, rather than about another person.
12) You wrote the best essay of the year - it was passed around the

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 admission office because it was so good.
The essay is never the thing that gets a student in (or keeps them out), but a
well-written essay can make a big difference in the committee remembering an
applicant and advocating for them.

Discussion tips (continued)

13)You plagiarized your AP US History paper and got caught.
Plagiarism and cheating are unacceptable in high school and in college.
14)You will be the first person in your family to attend college.
Colleges care about building diverse student bodies because it helps ensure
more interesting class discussions and a better learning environment for
everyone. Students who are the first in their family to go to college are just one
group of students that colleges seek to enroll.
15)(and 17.) You participated in an enriching summer program between
your junior and senior years; You have not participated in any
extracurricular activities, don't have an afterschool job, and don't
have responsibilities to care for younger siblings.
Being active and engaged as a high school student is an indication that a
student will be active and engaged as a college student. All colleges want
active and engaged students.
16)Your afterschool activities include 4-H leadership and caring for your
younger siblings.
Colleges need student leaders on their campuses, so they are interested in
students who show leadership qualities in high school. Remember that there
are many different ways to show this.
17)You are an Eagle Scout or Gold Award winner.
College is a lot of work and requires persistence and willingness to tough it out
through challenging times. Students who have earned major awards have
shown they can persist and accomplish their goals.
18)You are a varsity athlete; if you are a varsity athlete who took second
at the regional competition in your sport.
Especially for students who plan to participate in college sports, being a strong
athlete matters in the admissions process. But even for those who don’t plan to
play in college, athletic participation shows a level of commitment and
perseverance that colleges want to see.
19)You got a "D" in an academic course at the end of your junior year.
Grades do matter. And colleges prefer to see students improve over time,
rather than have their grades decline. It doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker,

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 though! Students who share the circumstances of their misstep (and what they
did to make up for it) are more likely to be considered for admissions than
someone who doesn’t say anything at all.
20) You emailed the admission representative to ask questions and tell
them about your interest in their school (and for the student who got
a “D,” you explained why you got that grade).
More and more, admissions committees are paying attention to “expressed
interest” from applicants. Most students apply to more than one college, so
they want to know that a student who applies is actually interested in
attending their school (in other words, they want to know the student isn’t just
applying to lots of schools without putting much thought into it). One of the
ways they determine that a student is interested is by monitoring how much
contact a student has with the admissions staff. Email is one way to do that, so
is visiting a college or meeting with a representative at a college fair.

Discussion tips (continued)

21)You are a legal resident of North Dakota.
Remember that colleges want diverse student bodies. That includes having
geographical representation, too! (North Dakota is one of the smallest states,
and one that sends very few students to college out-of-state, so North
Dakotans are relatively rare on college campuses—this can give them an
advantage in admissions.)
22)You never gave your counselor or teacher personal information to use
when writing your college recommendation letter.
Recommendation letters matter! The more someone knows, the better the
letter they can write.
23)Your last name is Knight - the name on the library is Knight - and it's
not a coincidence.
Yes, as in Phil Knight. Some people give a lot of money to colleges to help them
improve academic programs, build new buildings, or simply to pay for the cost
of running the school. Donations matter—and fair or not, sometimes they help
to ensure a spot in the class for a son or daughter of the donor.

SOURCES & MORE INFORMATION

[Link]
which-students-to-admit
[Link]
g_b_5111360.html

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

This activity is updated and adapted from Mary Lee Hoganson’s “The Great Sorting
Game,” which was published by the National Association for College Admission
Counseling (NACAC) in 2003.
Special thanks to Erica Johnson, former Director of Admissions at Lewis & Clark
College, for her assistance in updating the activity.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

Qualifications for admission
The Director of Admissions reads the following qualities in order, and volunteers
move up or down the row accordingly.
1. You have taken as many challenging classes as your high school offers, move up
2 spaces.
2. You play the oboe and you're good at it, move up 1 space.
3. You chose to take math and science classes during your senior year, move up 1
space.
4. You clearly stated that this college is your first choice by applying Early Decision
(which is a binding agreement that says you'll attend if admitted), move up 2
spaces.
5. You plan to major in psychology, move down 1 space.
6. You plan to major in Pre-Med, move down 1 space.
7. You plan to major in a STEM field like chemistry, computer science, engineering,
or mathematics, move up 2 spaces.
8. You had trouble finding someone to write your college recommendation letters
because you don't know your teachers well, move down 2 spaces.
9. When you submitted your college applications, you forgot to change the names
of the colleges to which you were applying, move down 4 spaces.
10. Your brother is a sophomore at this college, move up 2 spaces.
11. You thought they meant it when they said the optional essay was optional, so
you didn't write it, move down 1 space.
12. Your college essay about sports focused on your coach instead of on your own
athletic growth, move down 1 space.
13. You wrote the best essay of the year - it was passed around the admission
office because it was so good, move up 3 spaces.
14. You plagiarized your AP US History paper and got caught, move all the way to
the end of the line and stay there for the remainder of the game.
15. You will be the first person in your family to attend college, move up 2 spaces.
16. You participated in an enriching summer program between your junior and
senior years, move up 2 spaces.
17. You have not participated in any extracurricular activities, don't have an
afterschool job, and don't have responsibilities to care for younger siblings,

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 move down 3 spaces.
18. Your afterschool activities include 4-H leadership and caring for your younger
siblings, move up 1 space.
19. You are an Eagle Scout or Gold Award winner, move up 2 spaces.
20. You are a varsity athlete, move up 2 spaces. If you are a varsity athlete who
took second at the regional competition in your sport, move up 1 more space.
21. You got a "D" in an academic course at the end of your junior year, move down
3 spaces.
22. You emailed the admission representative to ask questions and tell them about
your interest in their school (and in the case of the student who got a “D,” you
offered an explanation of that grade), move up 1 space.
23. You are a legal resident of North Dakota, move up 3 spaces.
24. You never gave your counselor or teacher personal information to use when
writing your college recommendation letter, move down 1 space.
25. Your last name is Knight - the name on the library is Knight - and it's not a
coincidence, move all the way to the front of the line and stay there.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

4.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

4.0
You thought they meant it when they said the
optional
essay was optional so you didn't write it.

You have not participated in any extracurricular

activities,
don't have an afterschool job, and don't have
responsibilities to care for younger sibling.

You are a legal resident of North Dakota.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.9
You plan to major in Pre-Med.

Your college essay about sports focused on your

coach
instead of on your own athletic growth.

You participated in an enriching summer

program
between your junior and senior years.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.8
You have taken as many challenging
classes as your high school offers.

You plan to major in psychology.

When you submitted your college applications,

you forgot to change the names of the
colleges to
which you were applying.

You plagiarized your AP US History paper and

got caught.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.7
You chose to take math and science classes
during your senior year.

You had trouble finding someone to write your

college recommendation letters because
you don't know your teachers well.

You thought they meant it when they said the

optional essay was optional so you didn't write
it.

You never gave your counselor or teacher

personal information to use when writing your
college
recommendation letter.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.6
You clearly stated that this college is your first
choice by applying Early Decision (which is a
binding agreement that says you'll attend if
admitted).

Your college essay about sports focused on

your coach
instead of on your own athletic growth.

Your afterschool activities include 4-H

leadership and
caring for your younger siblings.

You emailed the admission representative to

ask

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.5
You play the oboe and you're good at it.

You plan to major in a STEM field like chemistry,

computer science, engineering, or
mathematics.

Your brother is a sophomore at this college.

You participated in an enriching summer

program
between your junior and senior years.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.4
You have taken as many challenging classes as
your high school offers.

You will be the first person in your family to

attend college.

Your afterschool activities include 4-H

leadership and
caring for your younger siblings.

You are a varsity athlete.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.3
You wrote the best essay of the year - it was
passed around the admission office because it
was so good.

You are a varsity athlete and took second at the

regional competition in your sport.

You got a "D" in an academic course at the

end of your junior year.

You emailed the admission representative to

ask questions and tell them about your
interest in their school (and offered an
explanation of your "D" grade).

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]

 GPA Card

3.
© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]
 GPA Card

3.2
Your brother is a sophomore at this college.

You are an Eagle Scout or Gold Award winner.

Your last name is Knight - the name on the

library is Knight - and it's not a coincidence.

© 2016 Oregon GEAR UP, updated 6/2024 [Link]