What Kinds of Students Do Colleges Want?

by Jim Molee

Where should a student focus his or her energy before applying to college, and what are the admission officers looking for in a candidate? Most colleges are looking at a student's performance in high school as the number one deciding factor. So, if a student is thinking of slacking off during his or her senior year in high school, he or she might want to think again.

Most colleges view a student's high school curriculum and grades to determine how he or she will perform in college. Standardized test scores and class rank are the next two important factors for admission (especially at large schools). When a college is faced with applicants that are equal in terms of grade point average, standardized test scores and class rank, the admission committee then turns to the personal statement or essay, work and extracurricular activities, and recommendations to determine who to accept.

The larger the university, the less weight is placed on an interview, basically because of the number of applicants and the ability to interview everyone effectively. However, if a student is applying to a small private university (5,000 or less students) then a strong interview can prove to be favorable for admission.

The Personal Statement or Essay
The essay portion of the college application is an opportunity for the student to reveal to the college admissions committee a glimpse of what makes him or her "tick." Standardized test scores and transcripts are an important piece of the application process, but do not provide the college admissions committee with insight into the applicant's personality. Colleges require an essay to evaluate a student's skill as a writer, to get a sense of the strengths and contributions that student might bring to the college community, and to gauge what interest the student has in the school.

The essay is an opportunity for a student to sell himself or herself to the admissions committee; a time to flaunt his or her accomplishments, display his or her writing style, and to make the reader want to know him or her. The essay should tell a story and speak directly to the college admissions committee, so they can get a sense of who the student is, what is important about him or her and what makes that student unique. The essay should not be viewed as an obstacle but rather as an opportunity. An essay will be judged on a combination of a student's communication skills, writing style, values, opinions, imagination, creativity, wit and insights.

It is imperative that the essay is the student's own work; however, a student should consult with parents, teachers and a college counselor regarding their topic, organization and effectiveness.

Extracurricular Activities
Which activities outside the classroom should a student participate in? Many high school students make the common mistake of choosing extracurricular activities based solely on what the student believes colleges want to see on the application. A student should not choose to play a rare musical instrument or join the chess club, when what he would rather be doing is playing golf on the high school team or working an afternoon job. Colleges are looking for a strong, lengthy time commitment and true individual talents displayed in an extracurricular activity or at an after school job. The acceptance committees are actually more impressed by quality than quantity.

The time to explore various activities is during their freshmen or sophomore year–or even younger. The idea to be involved while in high school is good, but what colleges are looking for is the student who has made an impact, taken a leadership role and/or displayed a special talent. A good rule to remember is that as a student rises in high school the number of activities that he or she is involved in should decrease.

College-bound students often ask, "What do I have to do outside the classroom to be accepted by XYZ University?" The answer is not "what to pick," but the passion that a student brings to an activity, the time commitment he or she lends to that activity and the impact that student has made on his or her community. Colleges do not have a secret list of extracurricular activities that they want students to perform. They are looking to fill their campuses with a diverse student population in order to make the college community as well-rounded as possible. They desire students who will succeed academically in addition to those who will contribute to the college community significantly.

The students run the college community and the success of that college to attract competitive students is based on the current student population. This is not to imply that everyone must be captain of a team or class president (although that is good), but colleges are looking for a student to take a leadership role in whatever activity that student has a passion for, whether it is to be on the debate team or the ski club. The true benefit of being involved in extracurricular activities or a job is to learn crucial time-management skills, prioritize activities, earn money for college and gain more options for possible recommendations.