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Admission Decisions

Help your students understand what really matters to colleges

There's no magic formula when it comes to college admission decisions. So how do you advise students on admission factors when they vary so widely from one college to the next?

A college's statistics should never be taken as rules for admission, though. Students should know that many factors influence admission decisions, including:

  • Courses taken
  • Grades received
  • Class rank
  • Standardized test scores
  • Personal statements and essays
  • Recommendations
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Interviews
     

Courses and grades

A student's grades in college-preparatory classes remain the most significant factor in college admission decisions.

Highly selective colleges look for students who:

  • Complete core academic requirements.
  • Take more challenging classes, even though they may have slightly lower grades than they'd achieve in lower-level courses.
  • Enroll in several college-prep or college-level courses (such as AP) and perform well.
  • Take four years of a world language, showing evidence of academic discipline and challenge.

Class rank: Although still reviewed by many colleges, class rank has declined in significance as many private and religious schools have eliminated student ranking.

Test scores

Standardized test scores remain important at many colleges. Examinations such as the SAT and SAT Subject Tests™, or the ACT, allow colleges to compare students from across the country.

Essays

Personal statements and essays are both a measure of writing ability and a window into each student's background. Admission officers want to hear an original voice in the student's own words. For a successful essay, encourage students to get to the point quickly and personalize their writing through specific examples.

Recommendations from counselors and teachers

At selective colleges, strong school support in the form of recommendations from counselors and faculty members has become more important than ever. These recommendations should be highly specific, describing not just each student's love of learning, but the ways in which the students have demonstrated that they can

  • Add to the classroom experience.
  • Challenge themselves.
  • Attempt original projects.
     

Extracurricular activities

Evidence of extracurricular activities is important to the admission process, and depth of involvement is more impressive than breadth. Students can achieve this if they

  • Focus on a limited number of interests.
  • Document long-term involvement with organizations.
  • Highlight activities related to a major or career goal.
  • Show leadership skills and ability.

Source: Collegeboard.org