What exactly are admissions officers looking for in a college applicant? Is it simply a matter of grades, test scores, and a promptly filed application?

Admissions officers from several colleges provided a peak into what will-and won’t-help students increase their odds of receiving “the big envelope” come spring.

The “Dos”

Admissions officers definitely gave the highest weighting to-SAT/ACT scores, GPA, and courses taken in high school. Extracurricular involvement also counts-but the trick is to stand out from the crowd. They are looking for students who demonstrate a love of learning and who have chosen a challenging course load based on their abilities. In addition, colleges take notice of students with strong leadership experience.

According to Admission Dean Henry Braoddus of the College of William and Mary, they also focus on students who show their own undeniable “voice” in the admissions essay. A gripping story makes students memorable, especially in a sea of other essays.

In some cases your student should be submitting relevant attachments to an application (but make sure you determine if this is allowed - some colleges will just shred any additional information outside of the application.) If you are applying as an art major, for example, you could submit a portfolio of your artwork; or if you are an accomplished writer you may be able to submit a story or poem that was published. Though admissions officers are sketchy as to whether these attachments help or not, they can sometimes give colleges an glimpse at how a student might fit into their program.

The “Don’t”

Whatever you do, don’t resort to gimmicks, or worse, go too outside the box. Admissions officers interviewed in the Daily Press article have received (and NOT enjoyed) items such as essays written in crayon, and even an old cast attached to applications. Ploys like these are more likely to annoy college admissions than to help students plead their case. The bottom line: colleges most want to see that students have partaken in a variety of independent exploration of ideas - inside and outside of the classroom.

All the best,
Deborah Fox

photo: Collegiate 2 by lonniehb