What Matters Most to Colleges
Copied From https://www.collegedata.com
How do colleges select students? It's not one of the great mysteries of life, even though it sometimes looks that way. While there is no precise formula for how a student gets admitted to a college, admissions departments typically provide their admissions criteria. On CollegeData's College Profile pages (in the College Match section) you can find lists of these factors. Most colleges then rank their factors as Very Important, Important, Considered or Not Considered.
Which Factors Rank as the Most Important to a College?
While every college is different, some factors consistently rank as either Important or Very Important:
College prep course grades (AP, IB, and honors) — Most high schools use a weighted GPA system, so that grades in college prep courses count more than those of regular courses. Even if your high school does not do this, most college admissions officers consider your completion of such courses one of the strongest signs of your commitment to do well in college.
Standardized test scores — These include the results of the SAT I, the ACT, the SAT II, Advanced Placement (AP) tests and the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Colleges will let you know which of these tests you will need to submit scores for. The SAT I and the ACT scores are the two most requested. The SAT II Subject Tests, AP tests, and IB exams are more often part of supplemental application materials. The SAT I is designed to predict how well a student will do as a college freshman, and the ACT is designed to show what a student learned in high school.
Overall high school grades — Your transcript will display every class that you have taken in high school and the corresponding grade you received in that class. Colleges will be looking to see whether you took challenging courses or whether you opted for the easier route.
Class rank — Class rank shows which percentage of your high school senior class you are in, or where you place numerically, based on your GPA. The higher your GPA the better chance you have of being in a higher rank, depending on the GPAs of your classmates and how the ranks are divided. Colleges that use this factor (not all do) want to see how much competition you had to face to achieve your rank. Ranking number one or in the top ten percent in a class of 300 is more impressive than ranking in the same position in a class of 12. However, fewer than half of high schools track class rank, and most of those are public high schools.
Letters of recommendation — These are forms which ask certain teachers, your high school counselor and possibly your principal to complete and submit to colleges as a testimony of your achievements and capabilities. They are supposed to be letters of praise, so look for faculty with whom you've had a good history, who know you well and who can vouch for your likelihood of academic success. Colleges want an honest, professional opinion of your abilities and personality. These endorsements can make a difference when your application is compared to others that are similar to yours, especially at private colleges.
The admissions essay — Almost every application will ask you to submit an essay or personal statement, based on a question the college provides. You may usually choose from several questions. Your essay is a way for colleges to find out more about you as an individual, what means the most to you, what experiences have affected you the most or what you have to say about your world. Your essay is your opportunity to put a "personality" behind the application. Like letters of recommendation, a good essay can tip a decision in your favor, especially at private colleges.
Extracurricular activities — These are the things you do outside of high school. What you do in your spare time says a lot about you, so make sure your activities give the message you intend. Maybe you're on a sports team, take ballet classes, play an instrument, are vice president of the chess club, work or volunteer. The thing that counts most to a college is quality over quantity. How long you have been involved, how much time you alot to an activity each week, and whether or not you have taken a role of leadership in your activity are the things that will matter most to a college, especially private colleges.
How do colleges select students? It's not one of the great mysteries of life, even though it sometimes looks that way. While there is no precise formula for how a student gets admitted to a college, admissions departments typically provide their admissions criteria. On CollegeData's College Profile pages (in the College Match section) you can find lists of these factors. Most colleges then rank their factors as Very Important, Important, Considered or Not Considered.
Which Factors Rank as the Most Important to a College?
While every college is different, some factors consistently rank as either Important or Very Important:
College prep course grades (AP, IB, and honors) — Most high schools use a weighted GPA system, so that grades in college prep courses count more than those of regular courses. Even if your high school does not do this, most college admissions officers consider your completion of such courses one of the strongest signs of your commitment to do well in college.
Standardized test scores — These include the results of the SAT I, the ACT, the SAT II, Advanced Placement (AP) tests and the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Colleges will let you know which of these tests you will need to submit scores for. The SAT I and the ACT scores are the two most requested. The SAT II Subject Tests, AP tests, and IB exams are more often part of supplemental application materials. The SAT I is designed to predict how well a student will do as a college freshman, and the ACT is designed to show what a student learned in high school.
Overall high school grades — Your transcript will display every class that you have taken in high school and the corresponding grade you received in that class. Colleges will be looking to see whether you took challenging courses or whether you opted for the easier route.
Class rank — Class rank shows which percentage of your high school senior class you are in, or where you place numerically, based on your GPA. The higher your GPA the better chance you have of being in a higher rank, depending on the GPAs of your classmates and how the ranks are divided. Colleges that use this factor (not all do) want to see how much competition you had to face to achieve your rank. Ranking number one or in the top ten percent in a class of 300 is more impressive than ranking in the same position in a class of 12. However, fewer than half of high schools track class rank, and most of those are public high schools.
Letters of recommendation — These are forms which ask certain teachers, your high school counselor and possibly your principal to complete and submit to colleges as a testimony of your achievements and capabilities. They are supposed to be letters of praise, so look for faculty with whom you've had a good history, who know you well and who can vouch for your likelihood of academic success. Colleges want an honest, professional opinion of your abilities and personality. These endorsements can make a difference when your application is compared to others that are similar to yours, especially at private colleges.
The admissions essay — Almost every application will ask you to submit an essay or personal statement, based on a question the college provides. You may usually choose from several questions. Your essay is a way for colleges to find out more about you as an individual, what means the most to you, what experiences have affected you the most or what you have to say about your world. Your essay is your opportunity to put a "personality" behind the application. Like letters of recommendation, a good essay can tip a decision in your favor, especially at private colleges.
Extracurricular activities — These are the things you do outside of high school. What you do in your spare time says a lot about you, so make sure your activities give the message you intend. Maybe you're on a sports team, take ballet classes, play an instrument, are vice president of the chess club, work or volunteer. The thing that counts most to a college is quality over quantity. How long you have been involved, how much time you alot to an activity each week, and whether or not you have taken a role of leadership in your activity are the things that will matter most to a college, especially private colleges.
A special talent — This is a skill that makes you stand out. Whether it's your piano playing or your creativity in painting, a special talent that is valued by a college could give you a leg up on other candidates, not to mention access to scholarships that list your talent as one eligibility criterion. If a college wants a talent you possess, there is no telling what they'll offer.
While all of these factors are important, it is up to the college that you are applying to to tell you which are the most important to them. You can see that colleges want more than just test scores and GPAs. They want a whole student. Start investigating which factors matter most to the college of your dreams.
posted by justnicely @ 4:01 PM
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