Capstone College and Career Advising

What are colleges looking for in prospective freshmen?

There’s no magic formula for getting accepted into the college of your choice.

Believe me, I wish there were. It would make my job easier, and it would make the students I work with much less stressed. Nobody likes rejection, and everybody wants to get into their first-choice school.

The fact is, every school makes decisions a little differently. Some put more weight on grades; some care more about test scores; a few are especially swayed by strong essays or a really unusual community service achievement. And yes, each school can change criteria slightly from year to year.

So I like to encourage students to excel where they can, but also to be well-rounded.

The Independent Educational Consultants Association, of which I am a member, has developed a list of the top qualities colleges look for when evaluating applicants. Looking at some of the key items on this list is a great way to start identifying your own strengths – and to pinpoint areas where you might apply more effort in the months and years before applications are due:

• Rigorous curriculum: Advanced courses and AP courses impress most admissions officers – as long as you can maintain good grades.
• Solid GPA, holding steady or going up throughout the high school career: Lower grades in a more rigorous program, however, will usually look better than an A average that includes a lot of “cake” classes.
• Good test scores: Perfect scores aren’t necessary, but a high GPA coupled with low-to-mid SAT scores might raise questions.
• Meaningful activities: Getting deeply involved in a few activities and taking on a leadership role or getting elected to an office is preferable to being a member of every club on campus.
• Demonstration of intellectual curiosity: Admissions officers may evaluate a student’s course schedule, reading list, activities, and essays in order to develop an overall picture of how the student views studying and learning.
• Special talents, to help build a diverse, lively student body: You’re a ventriloquist, you taught yourself how to rebuild a motorcycle engine, you teach yoga, and you speak three languages? Many colleges will be impressed.
• Excitement and interest in attending the college to which you’re applying: Colleges look favorably upon students who show enthusiasm about their particular campus by scheduling a campus visit or arranging an interview with a recruiter or an alum who lives in their hometown.

If this list looks daunting – relax. Nobody is perfect on every single aspect. Your mission is to do your personal best – and make sure you don’t underestimate your talents and skills – so that you present your best side to the admissions office.