S5E8: Inside the Minds of Elite Admissions Officers: How AOs Are Trained To Review Your Application (Interview with Former Duke AO)

To speak with an advisor and map out your student's next steps, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply. In this episode of the Admittedly Podcast, Thomas sits down with Admittedly's Interim Director of College Counseling and former Senior Admissions Officer at Duke University, Sonam, for a candid look inside how highly selective admissions offices actually evaluate applications. Sonam reviewed more than 10,000 applications during her time in admissions. She holds degrees from Duke and an MBA from Rice, and she has worked across nearly every side of the process — inside a top university admissions office, in high schools, and in community-based organizations. In short: she understands both how decisions are made and how students should prepare. Together, Thomas and Sonam pull back the curtain on how admissions officers are trained, how institutional priorities shape decisions, and why the process is far more nuanced than most families realize. They discuss the return of standardized testing, what transcripts really signal, how committee rooms actually function, and why trying to "reverse engineer" a school's priorities is often a mistake. The conversation also dives deep into extracurricular strategy — what meaningful involvement looks like, how admissions officers spot inconsistencies, and why students don't need ten perfectly aligned activities to be compelling. From late bloomers to school list strategy to regional admissions nuances, this episode gives families a rare insider perspective grounded in real experience. This is especially valuable for parents and students aiming at highly selective colleges who want clarity about how decisions are made — and how to position themselves with intention rather than guesswork. Key Takeaways: • Admissions officers are trained — extensively — to evaluate applications within institutional priorities. • The supplemental essays often reveal more about what a school values than the personal statement. • Standardized testing is returning as a tool to combat grade inflation and assess academic readiness. • Admissions decisions are not pure meritocracies — they are shaped by institutional needs and shifting applicant pools. • Extracurriculars should demonstrate action and authenticity, not just alignment with a proposed major. • Changing direction mid-high school is acceptable — if it's explained thoughtfully and reflects genuine growth. • Students should build school lists based on fit, not assumptions about what a college "wants." Listeners can continue the conversation by following @admittedlyco on Instagram and TikTok, where Thomas and the Admittedly team answer real admissions questions weekly. Free resources, guides, and webinars are available at admittedly.co. If your family is ready for strategic, experience-driven guidance, book a Complimentary Strategy Call at admittedly.co/apply.