What Do Colleges Look for in Students?

If you want to learn how to stand out to colleges, it’s important to know what colleges look for in students and what qualities to highlight. Depending on if the college is a specialty school, for example, an art school, out of state, or a private facility, criteria may differ. Students need to do their research when investigating college options and understand their requirements.

What Looks Good on College Applications?

1. Applying Early

Applying early looks good on college applications because it shows your commitment to the college you’re applying for. Generally, students only apply early to their top-choice, and this is especially true for early decision applications. In addition to completing applications early, do not postpone registering with FAFSA, NSAA guides students to complete this process in early October. 

Make sure you leave enough time to complete your application, ensuring it follows the guidelines that the university has published. Keep in mins teacher recommendations or others may need 2 weeks to 1 month notice. 

2. Volunteer Work

With so many great applicants applying for colleges and universities, it is important to allow your character, personality, and personal interests to shine through your application.

Volunteering stands out because it not only helps you better understand the world, but it also shows that you are eager to support and help those around you. Many charities run volunteering programs around the country. Sign up for one of those programs. It’s a powerful addition to your application.

3. Course-Related Work Experience

Undertaking work experience in your chosen major shows that you are not only dedicated and eager to learn more about your chosen field, but you also understand what’s involved in studying that subject at the university.

Adding a list of completed work experience and a summary of what you gained from these experiences is an excellent addition to your application. A resume is a great start and NSAA works on fine tuning student resumes for both future employment as well as college admissions. 

4. Good Grades

To increase your chances of standing out in your college application, it’s important to improve your grades. Your grades are one of the first things admissions officers look at on your application and what will ultimately get you through the door. Some schools may only review classes with the focus on their curriculum, many colleges do not look at weighted grades, rather the content. Not all colleges will award credit for community college dual credit courses or technical training programs. 

If you struggle to improve your grades, consider looking at alternative revision techniques or hire a tutor to help coach you through your exams.

5. Standardized Test Scores

Your standardized test scores are also one of the first things admissions officers look at when reviewing your application. It’s essential to take these as soon as possible. Consider which test (ACT or SAT) is better for you. For state colleges they may also consider state testing and award scholarships based on the merit of them.

While many colleges are test-optional, submitting your test scores could be a great addition to your college application, provided your scores are high enough.

6. Extracurricular Activities

In addition to grades and test scores, college admissions officers look at extracurricular activities.

Choose one or two activities and discuss them in-depth. Colleges look for quality over quantity. While many students will detail their time on sports clubs, you can actually include anything you do outside of school hours, such as campaigning for a political candidate, running a marathon, or writing a blog.

Extracurriculars show you can effectively handle your time and can increase your skill set in several areas. It also demonstrates your civic and social engagement to your community.

7. Recommendation Letters

Most colleges will ask for recommendations from those who know you well to get further insight into what you are like as a person.

Carefully consider who you will ask to write these recommendations. Ideally, you want to select someone (a tutor or instructor) who has known you for several years. They can speak about your growth as a person and your achievements over many years. Remember to provide a month notice to those writing a letter. 

8. Polished Social Media Presence

While social media profiles are generally not a part of the application, your college might look at your social media profiles after receiving your submission.

Colleges want to accept the highest standard of applicants, not only academically but also socially. One way that they find out more about you is by searching for your social media accounts.

A study by Inside Higher Ed found that about 36% of admissions officers looked at social media profiles, and this percentage was increasing each year. Additionally, admissions offers have been rescinded due to previously undiscovered content. Check what you are making public!

9. An Error-Free Application

Although this may be an obvious piece of advice, it is no less important. Many mistakes are identified during the second or third review. You must proofread your materials and ask family members or friends to review it.

For example, writing several applications at once makes it easy to write the wrong college name. It is worth your time to have 2 other academia’s to review your application.

10. Supplementary Materials

Many colleges allow you to include supplemental materials in your application, allowing you to further stand out against your competition.

It’s important to check the entrance procedures, you wouldn’t want to submit materials if they are not allowed!

If a university accepts supplemental materials, send several materials related to what you want to study, including musical scores, portfolios, academic papers, or audio recordings. NSAA requires all Visual Artists to participate in the National Portfolio Day for feedback and input from the professionals. The Arizona Diploma Seals offered by NSAA include the Civics Literacy, both Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency Seals and the Personal Finance Seal. These are earned by following the guidelines approved by the Arizona Board of Education and Department of Education and in earning a seal, the students has achieved culminating and comprehensive criteria in the area of focus.

Final Thoughts

There is no magic formula to the perfect college application, but researching your top colleges and determining what they value most will help get you closer to acceptance.

You now know what looks good on college applications, follow these tips and highlight the aspects of your profile that colleges look for. Sometimes, simply taking the time to proofread and double-check your work one more time will make all the difference.