<p>I'm a first generation college student, so my parents can't help me with this. I'm pretty unsure of how admissions officers make their decisions. Do they compare you to the other applicants from your high school? Or do they compare you to everyone in the applicant pool, no matter what high school you attended? </p>
<p>I'm so paranoid about college! :(</p>
<p>I don’t really know much, but I’m pretty sure they compare you to the entire applicant pool as well as students from your high school. They may accept all the students from a high school that applied, or they may even accept none. It just depends on what they are looking for.</p>
<p>cloudy: like most answers, it depends on the college. The vast majority of US colleges admit students on metrics only (GPA, test scores). If you meet a minimum, you’re in. </p>
<p>If, however, you’re speaking of more selective colleges, then their individual websites will tell you what a viable applicant looks like.</p>