Mackenzie Bryan

During the Case Studies event, admissions leaders went through mock applications with the Junior class allowing them to gain insight into the different factors that go into the college admissions process.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, juniors participated in the annual Case Studies college counseling event, a program designed to give students a real-time look into how college admissions decisions are made. 

Led by the College Counseling Office, the Case Studies event placed students in small groups and tasked them with reviewing mock college applications for a fictional university. Using institutional priorities provided by the admissions officers, students determined which applicants they would accept, waitlist, or deny before hearing feedback directly from the representatives. 

“This year, the Case Studies are a little different because each of the representatives from the various colleges are from our new Advisory Board,” college counselor Mrs. Maggie Leshin said. “They walked through students through what it actually means to read an applications are looking for beyond grades and test scores,”

Mrs. Leshin emphasized that a major focus of the event was helping students understand the impact of institutional priorities.

“Universities are trying to build a balanced class each year. This activity really helps students see that admissions is about fit, authenticity, and context, not just statistics,” Mrs. Leshin explained. 

According to Mrs. Leshin, the event also served to combat widespread misconceptions surrounding the admissions process. 

“There is so much misinformation out there. I think in general both students and parents are looking for that X factor addition to their application that will get them into a certain school. I think the reps and admissions leaders that we bring in do a great job of trying to flip the script and prompt the students to be their authentic selves,” Mrs. Leshin expressed. 

This year’s event took on added significance, as all participating admissions representatives were members of the school’s newly formed College Counseling Advisory Board. Representatives from Providence College, Florida State University, the University of Maryland, and Northwestern University, were visiting campus as a part of the Board’s first official visit. 

Director of College Counseling Mrs. Wright explained that the advisory board was created to strengthen communication between the school and college admissions offices and to provide more direct insight into how Benjamin students are evaluated. 

“We were intentional about building a board that represents a wide range of institutions. The advisory board includes admissions leaders from state schools, private universities, and highly selective institutions, including Vanderbilt University, the University of Pennsylvania, […]  and a college counselor from Andover, one of the top-performing high schools in Massachusetts,” Wright said. 

Participating juniors found the event to be incredibly helpful and eye opening. 

“What stood out to me the most was how little time admissions officers spend on each application. During the case studies, we had only eight minutes to read through basically four years of work. Seeing how brief the process is was definitely surprising,” Junior McKenzie Bryan explained. 

Bryan also noted the emphasis placed on authenticity. 

“When an essay was more personal and said a lot about who the student was, the admissions officers favored it more. It’s clear that they can tell when something doesn’t fit who you are,” Bryan shared. 

Junior Aidan McCorkle echoed a similar sentiment, as the event reshaped how he views his own application. 

“I was surprised that test scores were not focused on as much and that essays were very important. Seeing the thought process behind their decisions definitely changed how I will approach my application,” McCorkle said. 

For many students, the Case Studies event provided clarity, and reassurance, about a process that often feels intimidating. With its hands-on application review and chance to directly interact with admissions officers, the event offered juniors a more realistic understanding of what colleges value and how decisions are made.