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What’s the most important thing colleges look for in applications?

SAT Scores, GPA, class rank, extracurriculars, essays? If you were to make a list from the most important aspect to the least, how would it look like? #high-school-classes #classes #collegeapplications #college

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Alexandra’s Answer

I used to work in admissions at my college when I was in undergrad. While your GPA, SAT score, and leadership/extracurricular activities are the first pieces they look at, universities often take other aspects into consideration. For example, if you have any hardships that prevented you from doing as well as you know you could have in high school, mention them! Don't make excuses for yourself, but if you have a justified explanation let the university know. They look at the applicant's whole story. Also, be sure to include any volunteer experience and international travel experiences you might have had.


They also look at the intensity of your classes, so taking an Honors/AP/IB class is often weighted heavier than a non-honors class, even if your grade was not as high. It shows your ambition and willingness to challenge yourself, which is very valuable. However, if your high school does not offer these programs, make sure you include that information in your application too!

Alexandra recommends the following next steps:

Reach out to advisors or student ambassadors, they're there to help you! It also shows you're proactive and really care about your education
Have a family member, friend, teacher, etc. read over your application and edit it if needed.
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Sia’s Answer

Colleges usually review applications holistically, so one is not going to be more important than the other. To be a competitive candidate, you need to show that you have the ability to succeed on campus. So if you have low test scores, other aspects of your application e.g. grades, extracurricular activities need to be strong. You should have an opportunity to address any weaknesses (e.g. low test scores or grades) in your essays, so I recommend spending a lot of time on the essays (do think through what you want to say and outline the essay before writing). Lastly, be sure to ask for recommendation letters from those who are knowledgeable about your abilities. That should help immensely.


P.S. If you're able to, I highly recommend doing an interview with an admission counselor or with one of their alumni. I think it will be much easier to tell your story in person.


Sia recommends the following next steps:

If you don't already have a list of schools that you're interested in, I recommend creating one. You should include things like average GPA, test scores, etc., so that you can compare the schools as well as against your own background. It will give you a better idea of your chances of getting in.
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Ken’s Answer

They are looking for consistency in applying yourself to getting the best grades possible, so they can see that you are goal oriented, which will help to prove to them that you have a chance of succeeding at their school. Having a career focus will also help, as they can see that you are an organized and focused person. Below are some ways in which you can gain some focus:

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Gopi’s Answer

Colleges are looking for well rounded experience - academic rigor, extra curricular (like volunteer, clubs), leadership experience and focus areas that you would like to pursue in college. Make sure you application aligns with what you are applying for and use the summers to add to your resume.
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