What is the best thing to have on a college application?

A good college application should showcase strong grades, high test scores, volunteer or relevant work experience, compelling letters of recommendation and an honest and thoughtful personal essay. It's also good to show improvement and a willingness to challenge yourself.

How do I stand out on my college application?

College admissions no longer hinge solely on test scores, transcripts, and essays. Admission officers seek students with strong character traits such as integrity, leadership, resilience, and initiative. Such attributes should shine through their essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular involvements.

What matters most on a college application?

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.

What are the 4 key pieces to a good college application?

Strong test scores (relative to what admitted students have) A specific, honest, and well-written personal statement and/or essays. A unique extracurricular interest or passion (a "spike," as we like to call it) Volunteering experience with measurable impact.

What do colleges want to see on applications?

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How do colleges decide who gets in?

Admissions officers look at “hard factors — GPA, grades, and test scores — and soft factors — essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and demonstrated interest — to gain a full picture of applicants.

What's the first thing colleges look at?

Colleges today are looking for students whose strengths and experiences will be an asset to their school. Good grades, a challenging high school curriculum, standardized test scores, extracurriculars, and a strong essay are a few key factors admissions officers assess.

What are the 5 C's in college?

Through our extensive research—quantitative and qualitative, objective and subjective—we've learned that when it comes to making a decision about college, everything matters to someone. So we've identified a set of key triggers that we call the 5 C's: curriculum, campus, community, career, and cost.

What are the 5 C's of college choice?

They comprise five undergraduate colleges (the 5Cs) — Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College (CMC), Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College — and two graduate schools — Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and Keck Graduate Institute (KGI).

What do college essays look for?

Admission essays are very different from the 5-paragraph essays you write in English or history class! Great essays are built around stories, not arguments. They reveal your character, not rehash your achievements. The best essays focus on moments when you changed, learned, or grew as a person.

Do colleges look at every application?

The short answer is that it depends on the school, and a lot depends on the selectivity of the institution. All schools take a look at the application, but the rigor of the institution can dictate the amount of time spent reviewing it.

Do colleges care about NHS?

In many cases, NHS membership also looks good on college applications. It lets colleges know that the student performs admirably when it comes to academics and service. Plus, it gives them insights into a student's leadership capabilities and general character, which can make them look like a stronger applicant.

What grades are colleges looking for?

If you want to attend a top college, exceptional grades can help you get accepted. But the question is: what grades do colleges look at? Simply put, the answer is all of them. Colleges use your unofficial transcript to review your final grades.

What sports look good on a college application?

Sports participation can benefit you in many ways, and it is a great way to demonstrate to universities that you are dedicated and prepared to put in the effort necessary to succeed. Participating in team sports like football or basketball shows universities that you can contribute to a cohesive unit.

Does music look good on college applications?

Continuous enrollment in music is valued by colleges and universities much more highly than extra years of foreign language classes. Students having to choose between music and extra language classes at the Junior High level should ALWAYS choose music, according to admissions officers of several universities.

Can you put hobbies on college application?

Yes, colleges consider hobbies because they're interested in learning what students do in their free time outside academics! Colleges use a holistic approach when making application decisions, so you must demonstrate that you are well-rounded and excel in all your pursuits.

Do colleges accept C's?

Cs in high school is not a major hurdle and lots of colleges will accept you with them. Most of those will be colleges and universities with open-admissions policies, but some higher-tier places will accept C students under the right conditions.

Do colleges look at C's?

That “C” won't ruin your chances of getting into college either. However, how leniently colleges view the “C” will largely depend on what grade you received it in. Generally, a “C” freshman year of high school is attributed to the middle to high school “adjustment.” Thus, colleges are more lenient.

Do colleges care about C's?

In college, C's can also bring down your GPA and impact your opportunities for graduate school or extremely competitive programs like veterinarian school. And in both, a C gives you a little less wiggle room when it comes to your overall GPA.

Can you get into Ivy League with C's?

With all of that being said, it's unfortunately very rare to get into an Ivy League school with C's during your freshman year, or at any time during your high school career. Yes, there are exceptions but it's never a good idea to hinge your hopes on the very small chance that something might happen.

Is C's a good grade?

B+, B, B- indicates good performance. C+, C, C- indicates satisfactory performance. D+, D, D- indicates less than satisfactory performance.

Is 5 classes in college good?

Breaking it down further, most college courses at schools with semesters are worth three credit hours. So on average, you would expect to take five classes a semester. That's above the usual minimum, which is 12 hours, and below the maximum, which is normally 18.

Do colleges look at you?

Many selective colleges practice an admissions process that looks at the applicant as a whole person. This means that they take into account a student's out-of-school activities and commitments, as well as their personal qualities, in addition to their academic achievement.

What type of students is Harvard looking for?

There is no formula for gaining admission to Harvard. Academic accomplishment in high school is important, but the Admissions Committee also considers many other criteria, such as community involvement, leadership and distinction in extracurricular activities, and personal qualities and character.

What age should I start looking at colleges?

It's never too soon for high school students to start searching for a college to attend, according to some education experts, who recommend researching major fields of study and admission requirements as early as ninth grade.