What are Colleges Admissions Looking for?
Admissions officers I speak with emphasize that the process is not personal. With an overwhelming number of applicants, even small factors can determine a student’s acceptance. Below is an overview of what colleges prioritize. As development coaches, our primary focus is the student’s well-being and mental health. We provide information and guidance, but ultimately, students and families make their own decisions.
Academics
Academics are the single most important factor in admissions decisions and the foundation of a competitive application. This is why we strongly encourage academic tutoring and test prep. Colleges look for rigor, grades, and test scores—particularly in subjects related to a student’s intended major. Colleges look at:
Grades
Class rigor: Typically better to take a higher level and get a lower grade
Courses selected: ideally four years of science, math (calculus by senior year), English, history, and foreign language
Test scores: not only SAT or ACT, but AP and/or preliminary IB
At highly competitive schools, strong academics won’t guarantee admission, but without them, a student won’t be in the running.
Activities
Passion, commitment, and impact matter more than the activity itself. Consistency should also be prioritized, when possible.
Athletics: The level of play doesn’t matter unless a student is being actively recruited.
Clubs: Simply joining—or even starting—a club isn’t enough. The student should be pursuing an initiative and getting something done that is quantifiable.
Leadership roles: These are valuable in any setting.
Jobs: Colleges respect all types of work experience, from washing dishes to being a camp counselor.
Selective programs: Participation in highly competitive, merit-based programs (especially free ones) stand out. Pay-to-play programs of genuine interest to the student can build the story.
Community engagement: Genuine, sustained involvement in service and/or local initiatives is meaningful.
Recommendation Letters
Strong recommendation from teachers and counselors who truly know the student can make a difference, especially in close decisions. A glowing letter cannot compensate for weak academics, but it can tip the scale in a competitive pool. It’s essential that students get to know their letter-writers and to provide them with clear written examples that can be used in the letters — unless specifically requested not to. Students (and parents if they are asked for input) should always spend considerable thought and time on responding to recommendation forms/junior questionnaires.
Essays
The personal essay and supplemental essays should provide insight into a student’s personality, interests, and goals. The strongest essays:
Contribute to the cohesive, authentic story being told in the rest of the application.
Demonstrate genuine interest in and understanding of the school.
Show what the student will bring to the campus community.
Are free of grammar mistakes—colleges expect students to get help with editing.
X-Factors
Many factors beyond a student’s control influence admissions decisions, including:
Competition: The number of applications and applicants.
Institutional priorities: What a college is looking for in that particular class.
Region: Students from a geographic area are compared against each other. Additionally, expectations of test scores might be lower for students from certain zipcodes.
The Regional Admissions Officer: The biases and personality of the person assigned to a particular geographic area influences how they read an application.
State: Colleges might lower expectations on students from less represented states in order to achieve geographic diversity.
Relationship: An established, positive relationship between a student’s high school and the college is an asset.
Mood: A distracted, hungry, or tired admissions officer is going to read an application differently than one who is focused, fueled, and alert.
Money: Some colleges might prioritize full-pay students while others (particularly those that take pride in being need-blind) might be disinclined to admit students who seem unaware of their privilege.
Parental Education: Admissions officers have higher expectations for students from well-educated families.
The High School Profile: Every high school sends colleges a summary of their course offerings, specialized programs, grading system, grade scale, grade distribution, average test scores, graduation requirements, demographics, and the school’s culture/values.
