What Colleges Want

When it comes down to it, colleges are all looking for the same thing: a student who will succeed at their school and contribute to the campus community. The following factors are what most admissions departments look at when deciding whether or not a student will be a “good fit” at their school. Remember, the importance placed on each component of the application truly depends on the individual institution.

• Academic record
• High school course load
• Difficulty of coursework
• Class rank
• Standardized test scores
• Application essay
• Extracurricular activities
• Teacher and counselor recommendations
• Admissions interview

The Student Profile
Student profiles are a great indicator of what kind of students attend a certain school. Many colleges have a profile of the incoming freshman class available in the admissions section of their website. They are also called Academic Profiles or simply “Profile of the Class of 2013.” The following example from Boston University is available at www.bu.edu/admissions/apply/quick-guide.