<p>What do colleges look for in a high school student heavier than anything else? Can you give me a list of things, in order of importance, that colleges look for. Do they look more at class rank and GPA, than SAT scores and extracurricular activities? I was just wondering if they look more at one thing than another. If so, what?</p>
<ol>
<li>GPA (rank)</li>
<li>SAT</li>
<li>depends on the college, usually E.C.'s and essays</li>
</ol>
<p>States schools look at numbers (aka GPA and test scores) mostly.</p>
<p>In general:</p>
<p>Transcript (courseload, grades, rank)
Standardized exams (SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests, AP's)
Activities (EC's, jobs, volunteerwork, sports)</p>
<p>Recommendations, essays, and interviews vary from school to school. Also, they look at how well your application looks as a whole after evaluating each part separately.</p>
<p>So, they count GPA and class rank over SAT scores? I have a 4.027 weighted GPA as of last semester. BTW, i am in my sophomore year. If my calculations are correct and I do what I intend to, which is complete 2-3 AP courses over the summer, my GPA should be somewhere around 4.2-4.4, weighted. I took the PSAT, before completing Geometry this year and did very badly. I got a 140. But that should improve a ton because I completed an SAT Prep course and am now complete with Geometry. I am a little unsure about my activities and EC's. A lot of other students look like they try to have a ton of EC's rather than having quality for one - they go for quantity rather than quality. Is this what you need to be doing? I am only involved with a few clubs, but have good positions on both. I am the Secretary of Key Club, and I should be the Editor of the Yearbook staff for both my Junior and Senior years. I intend on joining FBLA next year. I also work on a daily basis at a local business. I am not involved in any sports. Do you think what I have stated above is okay, or do I need to become more involved in sports and other EC's?</p>
<p>Every college admissions guide in the world says the same thing. The number one thing is to take the most challenging curriculum available at your high school. Next they care about gpa/rank. They will use the gpa and rank in combination. Some high schools grade easier or harder than others. If the high school doesn't rank, then they will use the high school profile to estimate the rank for the given gpa. Next they care about standardized test scores. SAT and ACT are obviously most important, and then SAT II's. AP scores are less important. After you qualify on academic measures, then they look at EC's, essays, and recs. Colleges want well rounded freshman classes but not well rounded students. They want applicants with strong, long-term interests and who show "passion" in one or two EC's. An strong EC isn't a high school club, but rather an interest that you have really pursued. At the super-elite colleges, they will still have 4 or 5 super-qualified applicants for each slot and they will have to pick only one of them.</p>
<p>Large public universities are more numbers driven.</p>
<p>Specialty schools such as art, music or engineering will care more about things related to that field. In engineering, the SAT I Math and SAT II Math IIc and SAT II Science scores are very important.</p>
<p>There are 3400 four-year colleges in the US. Only at the top 15 or so is admissions totally insane. (This is because of the brand-name consciousness. - IMO)</p>