Key Factors Affecting Your Chances of College Admission
25 February, 2024 By: Admission
Many education experts agree that GPA and course difficulty are the two most important factors in college admissions. A 2019 survey by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) found that 75% of universities consider grades in classes including 'College Prep Courses' to be important.
In the same survey, 62% of colleges said the overall difficulty of a student's high school curriculum was important. As can be seen from the survey results, most universities consider the applicant's grades and the difficulty of the high school curriculum as very important admission criteria.
High grades are very important because they show the student's diligence. This doesn't mean you have to get A's in every subject. Colleges want to understand whether students are consistently challenging themselves to understand difficult course content.
Getting good grades in challenging classes means you are ready to take college-level courses. So, some universities consider getting a B in an AP course the same as getting an A or higher in a regular course.
SAT/ACT test scores
In a NACAC survey, 46% of colleges said they consider scores on standardized college admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT important. Standard test scores for admission to these colleges are generally considered to be as important a factor as GPA or course difficulty.
Universities with stricter admission standards tend to emphasize test scores. Therefore, it is important for students who want to enter these universities to obtain high scores on the SAT and ACT tests.
However, not all colleges consider SAT and ACT scores important. Many liberal arts colleges and highly ranked public universities classify college admissions standardized test scores as optional and do not require you to submit them. In particular, as more students are unable to take standardized college entrance exams following the coronavirus pandemic, more universities have changed their options for submitting test scores.
Personal Statement/Essay
Personal statements and essays are important elements of a college application. Through self-introductions and essays, students can actively explain their personal insights that transcripts and college entrance standardized test scores cannot show.
By writing self-introductions and essays, you can highlight your experiences of overcoming challenges and accomplishments in your personal or school life, thereby differentiating yourself from other students.
Because most applicants' grades and test scores are similar, universities use the self-introduction and essay as a tool to understand what kind of person the student is.
NACAC's survey also found that more than 56% of universities consider the personal statement to be a somewhat or very important admissions criterion. Therefore, if you want to increase your chances of being accepted to college, writing a great essay and personal statement is very important.
Extracurricular Activities/Resume
Most universities require details of extracurricular activities, and some also require submission of resumes. Extracurricular activities include sports outside of school, club activities, volunteer work, and part-time work experience. Extracurricular activities and resumes can reveal a student's interests outside of academics.
What you need to be careful about when writing your resume and extracurricular activity history is to write at least one item in depth rather than describing a variety of contents. If you include information about acquiring specific skills or achieving specific achievements on your resume rather than engaging in various activities, you will stand out more than your competitors.
Colleges want to see a student's passion and dedication through their resume. In the NACAC survey, approximately 49% of colleges ranked a student's extracurricular experience as a somewhat or very important admissions criterion.
