What College Admissions Committees Look For In A Student

By Author: Fabiola Groshan
Total Articles: 2671
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Getting into an Ivy League college is the dream of many students, but with every year that passes, admissions are becoming more and more of a frightening experience, as the challenge gets tougher. This year for instance, a college application to Harvard and Yale faced quite a dare, as the two universities accepted a smaller percent of applicants than last year. High school seniors are waiting breathless for the fat or thin envelopes to see how their fate was sealed. If you yourself are close to this moment and you don't want to leave anything to chance, then you need to prepare well in advance. Mostly, you need to find out what sets an Ivy League student apart from the rest of the bunch. What are college admissions committees looking for when they go through hundreds of student resumes and what is it that impresses them?

Many students and parents seem to still believe that perfect SAT scores and a really good GPA are the key to good universities, but that is far from the truth. While it is undeniable that solid scores in your SATs are needed, good grades do not suffice anymore, if they ever did. And it's not just the ...
... Ivy League that has become so exclusive, but other respectable universities also, such as Stanford, where only 6.6% of the applicants were accepted – as opposed to 7.1% last year – and Northwestern, as well as Duke or Berkeley. So what is it that you can do to count yourself among the few lucky ones who get the fat envelope? Well, first of all, you need to plan. Carefully research colleges and decide where you would like to apply and where you think you have more chances to get in, based on an accurate analysis of your academic background. Then, you need to start working on your resume. This is probably the most important part in your college application and the members of a committee will thoroughly analyze it. Extracurricular activities should occupy a prime spot, but you must not over do it. College admissions committees see right through resumes that display too numerous and various activities that don't seem to connect. It's nothing impressive in the fact that you did a million things you didn't like for four years with the sole purpose of helping you way into a college.

At the opposite end, college admissions committees are impressed by inspirational stories and experiences, things you've learned during extracurricular activities or volunteer work. The stories should not only reveal facts or schedules, they should emphasize the uniqueness of your venture, your personal experience. Give your extracurricular work a large context, turn it into a statement of your attributes and your passions. The members of admissions committees tend to give more credit to applicants who only specialize in two or maximum three extracurricular activities, but who are completely dedicated to these domains and are able to prove their commitment. So, rather than being wide and shallow, try being narrow and deep.

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