Character/ Personal Qualities

Applying to College
1

<p>When the college considers Character/ Personal Qualities what exactly does it mean?</p>

2

<p>Community Service hours count.</p>

3

<p>The absence of red flags like you’re a jerk, arrogant, bigoted, argumentative — the kind of person with whom you’d kill to avoid getting into a work or a study group. </p>

4

<p>It has to be something more specific. 60% of the schools I am looking at have it as very important </p>

5

<p>Things that come through in your essays and letters of recommendation, perhaps?</p>

6

<p>It might be the essays, since letters of recommendations are listed separately.</p>

7

<p>“It has to be something more specific.” </p>

<p>Why? It’s vague for a reason. It gives them leeway to omit the jerks. How do you quantify that? Sure essays may point to this – but so might warning letters from LoRs or principals or GCs or a poor disciplinary record.</p>

8

<p>I would think that a group applying to the top schools is self-selected in a way. The % of the “jerks” is too small to put it so hight on a list of requirements.</p>

9

<p>@seal16 Then why are you even asking…?</p>

10

<p>And that isn’t true. At all.</p>

11

<p>@noel597‌ please see the original question </p>

12

<p>If it is a question on a reference form, it is to help weed out applicants that would not be considered desirable.
The person filling it out would be vouching that the student is honest, responsible, that kind of thing. If the person filling it out knows that the applicant cheats on exams, shirks off during group assignments and that kind of thing, they would be able to write that kind of information in answer to the character question.</p>

13

<p>

It varies at different colleges. For example, MIT marks Character/ Personal Qualities as the most important category in their CDS – more important than grades, course rigor, test scores, etc. A summary of what they are looking for in this criteria and why it is important for MIT students is at <a href=“What we look for | MIT Admissions”>http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/match&lt;/a&gt; . Among other things they mention cooperative spirit, initiative, risk-taking, creativity, intensity/excitement, curiosity, ability to prioritize, trying to make the world a better place, and inspiring/assisting other students. Many other highly selective, holistic colleges have similar statements about what personal qualities/character criteria they are looking for on their website or in published statements from admissions reps.</p>

14

<p>@Data10‌ thank you. This was exactly what I was looking for. Thank you everyone!</p>