What Colleges Look For

Each year, the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) surveys colleges and universities to determine the top factors influencing admission decisions. According to the 2017 Admission Trends Survey, the following factors, in order of importance, were:

  1. Grades in all subjects

  2. Grades in college prep courses

  3. Admission test scores

  4. Strength of curriculum

  5. Essay/writing sample

  6. Counselor recommendation

  7. Student’s Demonstrated interest

  8. Teacher recommendation

  9. Work/Extracurricular activities

  10. Community service

A word about GPA

  • Most colleges/universities look for an upward trend or consistency in GPA.

  • If there’s a dip in GPA it should be explained (usually by college counselor).

  • Course load matters on the transcript. A 3.5 with many honors and AP courses matters more to selective schools than a 3.5 without them. Bottom line: colleges want to see that the student made the most of the curriculum offered at her/his high school.

Test Scores: Must be sent by the student directly from the agencies.

ACT: www.act.org

SAT: www.collegeboard.com.

The College Application Essay:  Admissions officers use the all-important personal statement or college essay to get a closer insight into aspects of the student that does not show up somewhere else in the application. 

Recommendations: The common application usually requires two teacher and one counselor letter of recommendation. For some state and public colleges, to help admissions committees distinguish among similar GPAs in the applicant pool, one letter is recommended.

Recommendations should balance out the application (if the applicant has one from a Science teacher, then one from a Math or English teacher would be beneficial). This shows ability in multiple areas.

Well-rounded: Admissions officers now seek the “well-rounded class” vs. the “well- rounded student.” Students who have focused on one or two passions and followed through with a long-term commitment in them, perhaps attaining leadership status or a level of expertise, will make up a well-rounded class. It is not a good idea to join a multitude of activities to simply “pad the resume.” With these factors in mind, here are ways you can prepare yourself for the application process.

Academics

  1. Seek out courses that challenge you. Colleges would rather see you get a lower grade in a more challenging course than go for the “easy A” although the most selective colleges will expect the best grades in the hardest courses.

  2. Get to know your counselors and teachers. These are the people who will be writing your recommendations!

  3. Establish good study habits. Grades in the academic core areas (English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language) are the best predictors of success in college.

  4. READ! Studies have shown that one of the best preparations for the college admission tests (ACT and SAT I) is to read as much as possible.