If a student only has time to read one page of admissions research all year, I tell them to read Section C7 of their target schools' Common Data Sets. Nothing else comes close to telling you this much, this directly, in this little time.
What's actually on the page
Section C7 is titled 'Relative Importance of Academic and Nonacademic Factors in Admission Decisions.' It lists roughly 20 factors: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent and ability, character and personal qualities, first-generation status, legacy (alumni relation), state or regional residency, racial or ethnic status, volunteer work, work experience, and level of applicant's interest, which is the technical term for demonstrated interest. Each factor gets one of four ratings: Very Important, Important, Considered, or Not Considered.
How to actually use it, not just read it
This is where most students stop short. Reading C7 once for your dream school is interesting; comparing it across your entire list is strategic. If a school rates essays 'Very Important,' that's your signal to spend disproportionate time on that school's supplements rather than treating them as an afterthought. If demonstrated interest is rated 'Very Important' at a school, prioritize a visit or at least consistent, genuine engagement there. If a school marks test scores 'Not Considered,' meaning it's genuinely test-blind, don't waste anxiety on your scores for that particular application. If class rank is 'Not Considered,' that's one less thing to worry about at that specific school, even if it matters intensely somewhere else on your list.
The gap between marketing and C7 is the whole point
Admissions marketing exists to make a school attractive to the broadest possible pool of applicants, so it tends toward vague, flattering language: 'we value the whole student,' 'essays help us get to know you.' The CDS exists for a completely different audience, data researchers and rankings publications, who need precise, comparable answers. When a school's marketing emphasizes something its C7 rates only 'Considered,' the C7 rating is the more honest signal, because it's the one being cross-checked against U.S. News and similar methodologies rather than written by the communications office.
A comparison that changed a student's strategy
I had a student applying to two schools that looked nearly identical on paper, similar size, similar rankings, similar location type. Pulling both C7 sections showed one rated essays 'Very Important' and demonstrated interest 'Not Considered,' while the other rated demonstrated interest 'Very Important' and essays only 'Important.' She had been planning to write similar supplements for both and hadn't visited either campus. We restructured her time: much stronger, more distinctive supplements for the first school, and a genuine campus visit plus consistent, specific email engagement for the second. Same total hours spent, redirected toward what each school actually said mattered.
How to find Section C7 quickly
Search '[school name] common data set [most recent year]' and look for a PDF, usually hosted on the institutional research or registrar's page. Once you're in the document, search the PDF text for 'C7' or 'Relative Importance' rather than scrolling manually; the section usually runs a page or two.
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