WHAT DO COLLEGES CONSIDER FOR ADMISSION?

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS ARE INDICATED BY:

1.    High School courses--substance, diversity, and level of difficulty

2.    High school grades, including senior year

3.    Trends in grades (steady improvement, strong 11th grade record desirable)

4.    Relationship of grades to standardized test scores (high scores and poor grades undesirable)

5.    Rank in class

6.    Standardized test scores

7.    Academic honors and awards

8.    Recommendations from guidance counselor and teachers

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS ARE INDICATED BY:

1.    Extracurricular activities, interests, and hobbies (most important for the very selective colleges)

2.    Long-term commitment and talent in a few activities (e.g. sports, arts, community service, religious activities)

3.    Recommendations from your guidance counselor, one or two teachers

4.    Application essays

5.    Personal interviews