2 answers
Kensley
Student
Parksville, SC
9
Questions
Asked
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What qualities and experiences are colleges looking for in an applicant #fall25?
While applying for colleges, I would love to know what exactly colleges are looking for to better prepare my application. #fall25
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2 answers
C Venkat
16
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
C’s Answer
Hi Kensley,
Great question!
While there is no perfect formula for what colleges look for, in general, most colleges look for well rounded students who have utilized the resources available to them in their high school and are involved in their community.
These are some things that colleges are typically looking for:
1. Academic strength - thsi doesn't necessarily mean you are at the top of your class right from the 1st day in high school, but they like to see steady progress / improvement in grades as you reach Senior year.
2. Clubs/Extracurriculars/Sports etc.: Here quality matters over quantity. You may only be doing 1-2 activities outside schoolwork, but try to be the best at it. Having a lot of extracurriculars without any that make you stand out may not be a plus.
3. Community Service: What is your impact in your community? Do you volunteer at school, at your local Church or in other organizations?
4. Any jobs/internships you have done during high school or during summer breaks.
5. Are you taking care of younger siblings or have any other responsibility at home? Please be sure to highlight that in your application, as this shows that you are responsible, but also that it is occupying your time after school.
6. Reach out to college admissions and speak to them to get clarifications and when possible, visit colleges that you are interested in. Often, the location, the vibe and your impression may be very different in person than looking at them through a brochure or website.
To make your application strong, please remember the following:
1. Be truthful & genuine. No one is perfect nor are the colleges expecting you to be. While you should focus your application on showcasing your strengths & what you are good at, if the opportunity presents itself, speak about a time or incident that impacted you & changed you. Or when something didn't go right & how you handled the situation and what you learned from it. Colleges want to see that you are able to adapt and learn from such challenges, because that will help you thrive in college.
2. Get recommendations from your teachers, your coach, community leaders and/or your supervisors (if you were an intern or held jobs) - a variety of sources will show various aspects of you and give a rounded picture of who you are.
3. Be sure to write your essays & college application prompts when you have a clear focus time. Review and edit it for grammar & flow. If you have a trusted adult, please have them review it for spelling and overall content and give their feedback.
4. Give yourself plenty of time for each application and write a response that addresses the prompt. It's typically not a good idea to copy & paste a response from one college application to another - colleges can see through these things easily.
Remember - do not get carried away with what your peers are doing; this is the time to think for yourself & what makes sense for you and your family circumstances.
Good luck with your college applications! I am sure you will do great!
Great question!
While there is no perfect formula for what colleges look for, in general, most colleges look for well rounded students who have utilized the resources available to them in their high school and are involved in their community.
These are some things that colleges are typically looking for:
1. Academic strength - thsi doesn't necessarily mean you are at the top of your class right from the 1st day in high school, but they like to see steady progress / improvement in grades as you reach Senior year.
2. Clubs/Extracurriculars/Sports etc.: Here quality matters over quantity. You may only be doing 1-2 activities outside schoolwork, but try to be the best at it. Having a lot of extracurriculars without any that make you stand out may not be a plus.
3. Community Service: What is your impact in your community? Do you volunteer at school, at your local Church or in other organizations?
4. Any jobs/internships you have done during high school or during summer breaks.
5. Are you taking care of younger siblings or have any other responsibility at home? Please be sure to highlight that in your application, as this shows that you are responsible, but also that it is occupying your time after school.
6. Reach out to college admissions and speak to them to get clarifications and when possible, visit colleges that you are interested in. Often, the location, the vibe and your impression may be very different in person than looking at them through a brochure or website.
To make your application strong, please remember the following:
1. Be truthful & genuine. No one is perfect nor are the colleges expecting you to be. While you should focus your application on showcasing your strengths & what you are good at, if the opportunity presents itself, speak about a time or incident that impacted you & changed you. Or when something didn't go right & how you handled the situation and what you learned from it. Colleges want to see that you are able to adapt and learn from such challenges, because that will help you thrive in college.
2. Get recommendations from your teachers, your coach, community leaders and/or your supervisors (if you were an intern or held jobs) - a variety of sources will show various aspects of you and give a rounded picture of who you are.
3. Be sure to write your essays & college application prompts when you have a clear focus time. Review and edit it for grammar & flow. If you have a trusted adult, please have them review it for spelling and overall content and give their feedback.
4. Give yourself plenty of time for each application and write a response that addresses the prompt. It's typically not a good idea to copy & paste a response from one college application to another - colleges can see through these things easily.
Remember - do not get carried away with what your peers are doing; this is the time to think for yourself & what makes sense for you and your family circumstances.
Good luck with your college applications! I am sure you will do great!
C Venkat
16
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
C’s Answer
Hi Kensley,
Great question!
While there is no perfect formula for what colleges look for, in general, most colleges look for well rounded students who have utilized the resources available to them in their high school and are involved in their community.
These are some things that colleges are typically looking for:
1. Academic strength - thsi doesn't necessarily mean you are at the top of your class right from the 1st day in high school, but they like to see steady progress / improvement in grades as you reach Senior year.
2. Clubs/Extracurriculars/Sports etc.: Here quality matters over quantity. You may only be doing 1-2 activities outside schoolwork, but try to be the best at it. Having a lot of extracurriculars without any that make you stand out may not be a plus.
3. Community Service: What is you impact in your community? Do you volunteer at school, at your local Church or in other organizations?
4. Any jobs/internships you have done during high school or during summer breaks.
5. Are you taking care of younger siblings or have any other responsibility at home? Please be sure to highlight that in your application, as this shows that you are responsible, but also that it is occupying your time after school.
6. Reach out to college admissions and speak to them to get clarifications and when possible, visit colleges that you are interested in. Often, the location, the vibe and your impression may be very different in person that looking at them through a brochure or website.
To make your application strong, please remember the following:
1. Be truthful & genuine. No one is perfect nor are the colleges expecting you to be. While you should focus your application on showcasing your strengths & what you are good at, if the opportunity presents itself, speak about a time or incident that impacted you & changed you. Or when something didn't go right & how you handled the situation and what you learned from it. Colleges want to see that you are able to adapt and learn from such challenges, because that will help you thrive in college.
2. Get recommendations from your teachers, your coach, community leaders and/or your supervisors (if you were an intern or held jobs) - a variety of sources will show various aspects of you and give a rounded picture of who you are.
3. Be sure to write your essays & college application prompts when you have a clear focus time. Review and edit it for grammar & flow. If you have a trusted adult, please have them review it for spelling and overall content.
4. Give yourself plenty of time for each application and write a response that addresses the prompt. It's typically not a good idea to copy & paste a response from one college application to another - colleges can see through these things easily.
Remember - do not get carried away with what your peers are doing; this is the time to think for yourself & what makes sense for you and your family circumstances.
Good luck with your college applications! I am sure you will do great!
Great question!
While there is no perfect formula for what colleges look for, in general, most colleges look for well rounded students who have utilized the resources available to them in their high school and are involved in their community.
These are some things that colleges are typically looking for:
1. Academic strength - thsi doesn't necessarily mean you are at the top of your class right from the 1st day in high school, but they like to see steady progress / improvement in grades as you reach Senior year.
2. Clubs/Extracurriculars/Sports etc.: Here quality matters over quantity. You may only be doing 1-2 activities outside schoolwork, but try to be the best at it. Having a lot of extracurriculars without any that make you stand out may not be a plus.
3. Community Service: What is you impact in your community? Do you volunteer at school, at your local Church or in other organizations?
4. Any jobs/internships you have done during high school or during summer breaks.
5. Are you taking care of younger siblings or have any other responsibility at home? Please be sure to highlight that in your application, as this shows that you are responsible, but also that it is occupying your time after school.
6. Reach out to college admissions and speak to them to get clarifications and when possible, visit colleges that you are interested in. Often, the location, the vibe and your impression may be very different in person that looking at them through a brochure or website.
To make your application strong, please remember the following:
1. Be truthful & genuine. No one is perfect nor are the colleges expecting you to be. While you should focus your application on showcasing your strengths & what you are good at, if the opportunity presents itself, speak about a time or incident that impacted you & changed you. Or when something didn't go right & how you handled the situation and what you learned from it. Colleges want to see that you are able to adapt and learn from such challenges, because that will help you thrive in college.
2. Get recommendations from your teachers, your coach, community leaders and/or your supervisors (if you were an intern or held jobs) - a variety of sources will show various aspects of you and give a rounded picture of who you are.
3. Be sure to write your essays & college application prompts when you have a clear focus time. Review and edit it for grammar & flow. If you have a trusted adult, please have them review it for spelling and overall content.
4. Give yourself plenty of time for each application and write a response that addresses the prompt. It's typically not a good idea to copy & paste a response from one college application to another - colleges can see through these things easily.
Remember - do not get carried away with what your peers are doing; this is the time to think for yourself & what makes sense for you and your family circumstances.
Good luck with your college applications! I am sure you will do great!