Many college admission officers stress the importance of leading a transparent, meticulous, and honest process when selecting students for acceptance.

While most parents and students are correct to believe that universities consider stellar grades in challenging courses as an important factor in the admissions process, many others take into account a variety of elements when weighing a candidate.

In today's article, 7EDU will provide you some insights on what matters most to colleges when they are choosing students in 2021.

Top Factors With Significant Importance

The following components are substantial drivers that most colleges and universities will look at considering you as a potential student candidate for their campus. Bear these in mind for 2021.

As you may have guessed it - yes - your grades in college preparatory classes have a considerable effect. Depending on your 2021 academic performance in introductory college courses, this will reveal to the admissions team whether you have a strong capability to succeed scholastically in college.

Are you worried that your grades are not where you want them? Even if you struggled early on academically, schools will look positively at high school students that have illustrated consistent improvements in the following years.

Besides the academic results of your college preparatory classes, you should also be keeping in mind the intensity level of your courses. Many universities are searching for students that are ready to educationally challenge themselves with what is available to them.

If your high school does not currently provide a lot of introductory college courses, the admission team will also take this into account when evaluating your application.

A good tip we have is to take the lead by researching off-campus/online courses that you can take while in high school. Not only will this demonstrate your strong tenacity for learning but also your self-independence to find the resources that will help you grow.

Another component that matters to colleges when assessing students for acceptance is their entrance exam scores and results. The colleges and universities that require you submit your SAT and/or ACT results will generally consider them heavily.

If you are interested in a particular major that may be difficult to gain admission into at your college, SAT Subject Tests, AP tests, and the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams are crucial additions to your application - particularly for the more competitive and selective schools.

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Going back to grades, your overall academic performance in all other high school classes matters to the admission team when they are evaluating your fit for their campus.

Considering this, your GPA will function as a measure of your scholastic achievement in high school. Your high school transcript may also be reviewed by the college admissions officer so that they can examine your complete list of classes alongside the grade that you received each corresponding course.

Top Factors of Moderate Relevance

Now that we have covered the ground basis of essential factors that matters to universities and colleges, let us take a look at other elements that are supplementary to your application.

Don't be fooled by "moderate relevance," these factors can help drive you to a successful acceptance letter.

Are you a high school student with other extracurricular commitments?

This is one of the components that the college admission team is looking at for applicants. It is more important for them to see that you have been engaged to an extracurricular; including being in leadership roles, the changes and things you have accomplished while actively participating, how much time you have dedicated to your interests.

By being loyal to a few extracurriculars, you can illustrate to the admissions team your off-campus accomplishments and passions that you can bring to their university. Find a club or start your own based on your personal interests and stay committed to growing that enthusiasm - colleges want to see this on your application.

If you have a teacher or high school counselor that has seen your academic growth and success, consider letters of recommendation. Some colleges will require recommendations and these are requested because they want a transparent and professional opinion of your academic aptitudes and character.

Being aware of this factor, high school students should begin early-on to build a strong communication channel with some of their teachers and counselors to ensure that they have professionals that they can request letters of recommendation from in the future. It is also a good habit to form so that you train yourself to ask for clarification and help from your teachers and counselor when needed.

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Another moderate component that colleges look at when deciding students to admit is their overall displayed interest in the university.

If this is your dream school or one of the top universities you would love to enroll in, plan to do a family college visit so that you can see the on-campus environment and community for yourself. Take it a step further with the initiative of contacting the admission officers; all of these are great topics of discussion that you can incorporate into your application or in-person interview.

Universities are trying to seek and find high school applicants that are not only proactive academically, but also in what they are interested in - in this case, their college campus. Not only are you demonstrating energetic enthusiasm for the university, but you are also helping yourself understand fully whether or not this is the right school for you.

Key Takeaways

And of course, please remember that each school and university is different from one another in their own little ways.

Admission standards and requirements will vary from college to college and you should keep this in mind when applying.

Depending on the type of university that you are applying for, you will have differing recommendations on what you should have completed and should be doing prior to submitting an application.

Take into consideration the campus size and the number of students admitted - do they attract hundreds or thousands of remarkable student applicants? The top and most selective universities will usually look more towards the factors of "moderate relevance" to decide a student's fit for their campus.

What are the skills that define an accomplished high school student? Find out here.

And if you really are at a loss and have no clue on what you need to get done, have prepared, or be doing to ensure your greatest admittance results, you can always turn to college preparatory programs and counseling.

Here at 7EDU we specifically tailor consultation, guidance, and programs to your individualistic needs and goals; we take into account the learner's capabilities and push them beyond what they believe is possible.

If this is something you are interested in pursuing your academics - not only in 2021 but now - give us a call for a free 30-minute consultation to see if we are the right fit for you.

7EDU Impact Academy offers many college preparation services including one-on-ones, counseling, and specific courses. Feel free to contact us at (408) 216-9109 or info@7edu.org if you have any questions or comments.