That’s a stupid question. I know. But I really am not familiar with all this. I’d appreciate a list of what I need to apply in the best cases, say, Harvard (This includes all the optional material that would be a good boost to my application.), as well as the worst case (as a separate list). Thank you.
You will find all the information you need on the university website under Admissions—undergraduate. You need to develop your research skiils.
I certainly did (I was considering Oxford and Waterloo so I know what I need for those) - but I’d like to know from more knowledgeable people what I need in the best cases and worst cases. I also said at first “I’m not familiar with all this,” because, I’m still a junior and I obviously did not apply anywhere yet, so I’m not sure what’s lenient and what’s harsh.
There are basic things a college will ask for : an application (usually with any number of essays), a fee, teacher recommendations, test scores (SAT, ACT possibly SAT Subject) financial aid forms etc. But each school will have different criteria. You need to visit the sites of the schools you are looking at to determine what you need.
I have no idea what you mean by “worst case” or “best case”.
I think you need to do a little research and then come back with specific questions or clarifications.
What do you mean by “lenient” and “harsh”? Do you mean easy to get into schools versus highly selective schools.
@ClaremontMom thank you 
@TomSrOfBoston exactly. I’m sorry I couldn’t verbalize my thoughts better.
While many people dislike the USNews rankings they can give a beginner an idea of the selective/non-selective colleges. The further down the rankings you go, the less selective the school. Acceptance rates are included for each school as well as the 25th and 75th percentile SAT/ACT scores of enrolled freshmen. It can be a starting point.
Thank you so much; I’ll definitely be using that!
Also, just because you are ‘only’ a junior, you are not too early to be thinking a lot about this stuff. If you haven’t already, you should put together a strategy to get your SAT and/or ACTs taken, as a lot of kids take them multiple times. Many kids have already taken one or more tests by this time junior year. Look into getting those scheduled…and doing some prep work starting now.
So if you define “lenient” or “best case” as not much to do to apply and “harsh” or “worst case” as tons of hoops to jump through then here is my answer:
Best case: Simple application (easy or even no essay question), little to no fee, 1 or 2 teacher recommendations, probably test scores (SAT or ACT), FAFSA for financial aid
Normal case: Application , Essay, teacher recs, some fee (~$50), test scores, FAFSA
Worst case: Application, several essays (or short answers), teacher recs, higher fee (~$70), test scores (including 1 or 2 SAT subject tests), FAFSA and CSS Profile, Interview
I think all will also require : counselor recommendation, school report, and of course a transcript.
@2muchquan Thanks for your advice! But I want to clarify:
I am saying that as a junior, I do not know much about what makes apps to strict colleges different as opposed to those of schools easy to get in, not that I am totally ignorant of what I need. I do not have experience with college applications as I said previously so I am asking those who do for help.
I started working on the SAT since my sophomore year and already got 2210 on the SAT. (I don’t want to do the new SAT!) I know it’s an essential part of my application. I’m still working on the standardized tests part at the moment (SAT II), though.
@ClaremontMom that answers my question - thanks a lot!
You’re welcome! But do remember to check for each school and keep track of deadlines and requirements. My answer is just a general guideline of what’s expected. Every school will have their own specific requirements. (Oh and on the teacher recs, the more “strict” schools may also have a specific requirement of who the letters are from. For example one from a STEM teacher and one from a Humanities.)
Thank you once again @ClaremontMom! My parents went to schools in my country (I’m not from the US) so the process and requirements were so different (they didn’t have to do the SAT, for example) but it’s likely I’d study in the US or Canada. I highly appreciate your tips.
Strict colleges: have plenty of applicants, need a way to differentiate the 30,000+ of whom 20,000+ are qualified when they only have 2000 or 3000 spots. Typically require more essays, as a barrier to “Ah, **** it, why not apply and see what happens?” applicants, and because it’s one way to pick between those 20,000 students. Higher standards with regards to test scores, grades, extracurriculars, quality of essays, etc.
“Easy” schools: If you have above-average stats, you’ll probably get in. GPA and test scores are king, although godlike or nonexistent extracurriculars could swing the balance for a few students.
Some will have an essay to discourage applicants who are just hoping for a miracle. A few (e.g. GWU) will require multiple essays, each rather length, to deter applicants choosing the school as a safety. The ones that desperately need applicants will require no essays, so as to avoid deterring prospective students, and may accept anyone with decent grades, a pulse, and a healthy bank account. These schools generally have lower standards in terms of GPA, test scores, etc.
Oh if you are an international student you won’t be filling out a FAFSA (that’s for US Citizens), and you may have other specific requirements. (I’m not at all familiar with international requirements, but they will also be on the sites).
Thanks a lot @NotVerySmart
I was also wondering about the impact of extracurriculars - what would a bad and a good list of those look like?
(sorry again, those are not asked for where I live and my school gives zero emphasis on those)
Good extracurriculars: genuine interest, commitment over a period of time, taking initiative to do more or learn more than would typically be offered at your school. Some kind of recognition (awards, accomplishments featured in a major publication) and/or a leadership position (varsity captain, president of your school’s debate club, treasurer of the manga club, etc) never hurts. It doesn’t really matter what the activity is, as long as you have the above.*
One example (completely made up):
A student who is suffering/knows someone who’s suffering from a rare disorder (let’s call it Super Ebola HIV, or SEHIV for short) becomes interested in the condition, as they see SEHIV sufferers become outcasts despite the disease’s non-communicable nature due to their horrible ulcers and occasional seizures it causes. They read up on Super Ebola HIV, and find a group of friends willing to take action.
This student may seek to educate his/her peers about SEHIV, creating a brief factbook - or even a best practices guide for SEHIV patients - on dealing with common misconceptions. During one summer, he/she does some work at a lab where a team of researchers is either a) trying to find a cure for SEHIV (likely course for a biomed major) or b) studying social attitudes towards SEHIV patients (for a humanities major).
The student’s organization eventually achieves enough at their school - and perhaps others in the area, state, or even country - that it gains mentions in the news media, or the student is awarded a special honor of some sort. When applying, he/she includes the most prominent outlet’s article (the Las Vegas Sun trumps the West Podunk Gazette) in an application.
*(or you could be a recruited quarterback, in which case you’ll get into most colleges provided you can read at a 5th-grade level)
Bad extracurriculars: Did a lot of things for 1-2 years and then quit, showed up to meetings of 5 different clubs but didn’t commit a lot of time to any given one, stuck to what the school spoon-feeds every participant in an activity, started a legally registered nonprofit to help LGBT jewish gypsies facing discrimination by former child soldiers and New York Yankees fans.
That’s awesome. I won in national art competitions twice in elementary school and middle school (I had to design a carpet and horse saddle - and as one of the 60 winners, I had to remake them on actual 3D models and carpets) and then upgraded my art to become an animator and graphic desginer during the 8th grade, then I soon took over the animation and design department of a game last year (which I hope to make a success after I finish my SATs). I had art classes during the summer in elementary school too. I am also currently the head of our school senior and junior magazine design team. I designed event cards for my school as well. I think those are very good - but are these good enough for colleges at the US? I see people here with super long lists of extracurriculars! I also want to work on animation projects and take my skills to a whole new level (cartoonism) once I’m free again on Jan 23rd. My last SAT trial is on Jan 23rd so it is my number one priority at the moment because if I don’t get the score I want, I never will after Jan 23rd.
So I think this part of the application really depends on how much you love something and how much effort you are willing to devote to it (art/physics in my case) and the stronger you show interest, the better!
I hope I’ll end up with a better list for art/physics by the time I graduate. Junior year, so far, is really distracting me from committing to art (but not physics - because it was obligatory 
)
Thank you!!
Well, you should be aware that competitions in elementary and middle school are rarely considered - colleges care about who you are now, not who you were 5 or 10 years ago - but if you can carry on that interest, with the animation and design work to boot, I can see it leading you to some very interesting places. It’s certainly an unusual EC, which is almost invariably a good thing - you won’t be like the thousands of applicants to the Wharton Business School who’ve been involved with FBLA, to take one example.