<p>I feel lucky that I have found this site. I'm a sophomore in High School and just started this whole College searching thing and the preparation of the SAT. So I'm wondering when applying for a College/University, which of the followings do colleges think is the most important (rank them if you can)?</p>
<p>SAT scores
ECs
Average GPA
AP classes or other honor/advanced courses
or any others you would like to point out.</p>
<p>I'm taking pretty advanced classes as a sophomore I think. In 3 APs right now, doing pretty good in them, not the best partly because I just transferred, but I'm weak on the ECs (gonna do those in Junior year). Although I kind of screwed up my freshman year.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot</p>
<p>Finding your passion…(almost forgot to say that, but it’s #1)
GPA
SAT or ACT
rigor of HS workload (APs if you have them)…but after 8 or so, it’s perceived as overdoing it
EC (leadership positions)</p>
<p>Thanks lima (never knew that after you reach certain number of APs can be perceived as overdoing !)</p>
<p>Well, that may be my bias to be honest. I heard (from a very well-informed college admissions rep) that colleges just want to see you’ve done a minimum (5). Beyond that may be too much, only because you also have to give up stuff like an elective you’d enjoy or the arts or some ECs. That’s why I put “finding your passion” as #1. That’s what makes you stand out, not the number of APs you’ve taken.</p>
<p>Another question, say I get a good (by good I guess I mean higher than 2200) SAT score, around 8 AP courses taken up until junior year, 1 sport, math team, chess team & some volunteering work, and I’m not sure about my GPA, I kind of screwed up my freshman year as I said before, (I had around 3 As, 1 C, and the rest are Bs), and I’m having 5 As and 3 Bs so far in my sophomore year, though the courses are highly advanced, and assuming a straight A in junior year, what’s the best college I have a good chance to get in?</p>
<p>Transcript (this is both GPA and rigor of courses)
SAT/ACT
“Outside activities” (ECs)</p>
<p>Check princetonreview to assess any idiosyncracies for the specific colleges you want to attend, but this is the general consensus.</p>
<p>My recommendation is to get started on ECs, whether that be community service or whatever, this summer. We can’t tell you specifically what schools you’ll get into with such limited information (and the fact that most of us are high school parents or kids).</p>