What Looks Good on a College Application? The Big 4

Many students applying to college don’t stop to think about what schools are actually looking for. They are too caught up in what they are looking for. And that is a huge mistake. Knowing what looks good in a college application can make or break your acceptance into your dream schools.

Understanding your audience (the admissions team) and their desires is critical. You want to apply to schools that align with your interests, values, and capabilities. But you must also market yourself and prove your value.

Admissions teams consider the “whole picture” of a student. Here are some of the key things they are looking at in your college application.

1. Your Academic Potential

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Ask a college admissions counselor what looks good in a college application, and they will mention high school GPA in their response. Because colleges want to know if you can handle the academic rigor of their programs.

According to several studies, a student’s high school GPA is a more accurate portrayal of their college readiness than their standardized test scores (like the SAT).

Researchers Allensworth and Clark from the University of Chicago published a detailed summary of results in 2020. Their study measured college readiness through ACT scores versus high school GPAs.

They found that an individual’s standardized test score is more of a reflection of the quality of that student’s high school instead of the individual student’s ability. This is important to note. It means colleges consider (at least to a small degree) a high school’s average test scores when determining the readiness of a prospective student.

But this also means that many colleges likely place more importance on a prospective student’s high school GPA. This is why some colleges and universities have retired the use of SAT and ACT scores altogether.

For those of you who have busted your butt to maintain straight A’s and B’s in high school, this is great news.

Standardized Test Scores

Despite the controversy of standardized tests, SAT and ACT scores often still make the cut for what looks good in a college application. Many post-secondary schools will want you to have a strong GPA. Yet, there are definitely some schools out there (especially highly selective schools) who will still value SAT/ACT scores.

Applicants come from high schools with varying levels of expectation and achievement standards. From the point of view of an admissions team, these standardized test scores level the playing field across applicants.

To put this in perspective, consider these 2 scenarios:

Applicant A:

• Jasmine attended a tiny private high school with a graduation class size of 150 in Brooklyn, NY and earned a GPA of 3.5.
• Her courses were very challenging.
• Her teachers were harsh when it came to grading. They had so much time to devote to each student in their classes of 10 – 12 students. It is difficult for students to earn A’s.

Applicant B:

• Julia attended a large public high school with a graduating class size of 600 in Deptford, NJ and earned a GPA of 4.1.
• Class sizes at Julia’s high school were 35 – 40 students,
• Teachers at this school are burnt out, so most students don’t earn below an A-.

If these same students swapped high schools, would they achieve the same GPAs?

The point is that comparing similar GPAs from one school to the next is not always straightforward. Comparing the college readiness of one applicant to the next is tricky. That’s not to say your GPA isn’t important; in fact, quite the opposite!

This just means that some universities still value seeing these standardized scores. These scores give insight that you can’t always get from academic records like a GPA.

2. Depth of Commitment in Activities

Here is another major component of you schools want to know. How committed were you to clubs, organizations, and teams within your community?

Admissions teams like students who have a track record of dedication to their passions.

What looks good in a college application is depth rather than breadth. In other words, a student who is deeply committed to one or two activities is more desirable than a student who dabbles casually in a lot of activities.

That doesn’t mean universities don’t appreciate well-rounded applicants. But a person can be well-rounded and also highly devoted to developing a particular skill or interest.

To illustrate this, let’s consider these hypothetical students:

Applicant A:

• Malika is a talented singer.
• She has been involved in her school’s chorus program and All County Chorus during all four years of high school.
• She played a lead role in her school’s musical productions during her sophomore, junior, and senior years.
• She volunteers at the middle school twice a week to help younger students work on their vocals.
• She takes part in little else with school because she also works part time at the local grocery store 15 – 20 hours a week and doesn’t have the time.
• She is applying to colleges to major in music therapy.

Applicant B:

• Shaina has tried a ton of clubs and activities while in high school.
• She was on the basketball team for two years (her freshman and sophomore year).
• She played volleyball during the fall of her senior year.
• She is in rock climbing club, newspaper club, horticulture club, Student Council, and band.
• She is in so many extracurriculars that she finds it difficult to be an active member in them.
• She rotates which club meetings she goes to each week.
• She is applying to colleges with an undecided major.

Now, there is nothing right or wrong about either applicant’s situation. But college admissions teams like to know that their prospective students are dedicated to what they decide to give their energy to.

Put yourself in the seat of a college admissions counselor. At a quick glance, which student do you think seems more ready to make a contribution to your school?

Probably Malika. She knows what she likes and she dedicates a lot of time to that passion. Based on past experience, it’s a safe bet that she will continue to be involved in these areas at the college level.

What this means for the prospective student is that you want to highlight the depth of your involvement in your top one to two interests.

3. Community Contributions

Another area that interests college admissions teams is community contributions. There are only so many hours in a day, but how you spend that time says a lot about your character and your passions.

Colleges want to know that the students they are accepting will have a positive impact on their school community in some way. They want to accept applicants who have demonstrated a commitment beyond themselves.

When determining what looks good for a college application, the quality of your volunteering matters.

Here are some examples of what “quality community involvement” might look like:

• Volunteering at a local food pantry twice a month
• Consistently spending time with an older man at the local senior living center
• Assisting once a week at the local Boys and Girl’s Club
• Tutoring someone in your native language
• Taking care of yard work for the elderly woman down the street from you
• Participating in community clean-up days
• Planning or helping to carry out a charity walk-a-thon
• Really anything that has a clear, positive impact on those around you!

Community contributions can also be reflected in your responsibilities within your family. Maybe you have two working parents and you are in charge of getting your younger siblings fed and put to bed each night. Maybe you work 30+ hours a week outside of the school day to help your family pay the bills.

These duties are important. They show your dedication to a unit beyond yourself. And this is something that college admissions teams want to know about you!

4. Alignment with Values

Colleges and universities have their own mission and values. Some schools may focus on their institution’s leading research methods, while other schools may focus more on diversity.

Whatever the case may be, you will want to be aware of what your prospective schools value and determine how you and your experiences measure up.

Final Thoughts on What Looks Good in a College Application

Applying to college is a big undertaking. Knowing what looks good in a college application is a great starting point for giving yourself the best chance of acceptance into the schools of your choice. It is also important to keep this information in mind when you are writing your admission essay.