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Admission officers are interested in many things, but one of the things they're most interested in is making sure the students they admit as freshmen won't flunk out. All colleges want to fill their classes with students who are capable of doing the work. No college wants to traumatize its freshmen by throwing them into a situation they aren't equipped to handle.
The best indication colleges have of how well you'll do in college is how well you've done in high school. High school grades are better predictors of college success than anything else--yes, even better than SAT scores. As a result, US colleges pay a lot of attention to the grades you've earned since ninth grade. The more successful you've been, the better your chances of admission will be.
As your transcript is examined, each year will be seen as more important than the last. Nothing looks better than steadily improving grades--unless of course you've earned straight A's each year.
The GPA calculated by SAS might not be the GPA used by a college when they review your application. Since each high school uses a different set of grade weightings, most colleges recalculate each student's GPA. They may drop the weightings, eliminate PE and art classes, or discount freshman grades completely. Rather than focusing on a GPA, most admission officers review your transcript globally by looking at the overall number of A's, B's and C's while at the same time carefully looking at the courses you've been taking.
All A's are not created equal. Anybody can inflate a grade point average by taking a lot of easy electives that don't require much academic work. You (and your parents) may enjoy seeing the A's on your report card, but don't expect college admission officers to be as easily impressed by your transcript. The names of the courses are printed next to the semester grades you earned.
College admission officers and high school counselors are always asked, "Is a B in a hard course better than an A in an easy course?" Here's what Stanford tells its applicants: "Be careful not to assume that the world is divided between students who take difficult courses and get B's and the students who take easy courses and get A's. Most of our applicants are able to take difficult courses and receive A's." Of course most people can't make all A's. But the general principle still applies.
Senior Grades Count
Although you will apply in the fall of your senior year (before your first semester grades are available), virtually all colleges require an updated seventh semester transcript be sent in the middle of your senior year. If you slack off during the first semester of your senior year or drop your hard courses midyear, you can ruin the chances of being admitted to a selective college. Colleges really do care about your senior grades. There are even cases of students having acceptances withdrawn due to poor senior grades.
Your SAT Scores
The vast majority of universities are definitely interested in your test scores. The more selective the institution, the more interest there seems to be in your scores. At the most selective schools nearly all applicants have top grades; therefore, test scores are used to distinguish you from the rest of the applicants.
An admission officer does not look at SAT scores in isolation. They make up one part of your entire application packet. Since it is easier to make A's at some high schools than it is at others, test scores serve to level the field. Once an admission officer has reviewed a student's courses and grades, test scores serve as a sort of confirmation. If something seems out of line the question becomes, "What's going on?"
Are you Interesting?
A college would be a pretty dull place if only those students who liked to sit in a library and read were admitted. Admission officers are looking for more than just students who are capable of earning good grades. They are looking for students who will bring a spark to a class discussion, who will start a new club, who will sing in an A Capella group, or who will make the dorm a better place to live.
An admission officer once said, "When I'm considering an applicant, I try to decide whether this is the kind of student I would want as my son or daughter's roommate." Obviously being a good roommate is not something that can be determined by looking only at a transcript. Most schools realize a GPA does not make up the total student.
Extracurricular Involvement
To a large extent, a college's opinion of how interesting you are has little to do with what you do in class. It's your extracurricular activities that play a big part in distinguishing you from other applicants. Quality and commitment are much more important than quantity.
Students do not impress colleges with one of everything on their applications-one year of soccer, one year of class officer, one year of social services. They are more impressed if you're deeply involved in just a few activities and you remain committed to them year after year.
Colleges want to see students who rise to leadership positions. The way to impress an admission officer is to demonstrate that you can stick with something long enough to become a big deal in it. This doesn't mean you can't become involved in lots of different activities. To the extent that it's possible, you should try to focus your energies enough to enable you to stand out. Just as it is better to take three years of French than to take one year each of French, Mandarin, and Japanese, it is better to spend three years rising to a position of importance on the student council than it is to join every organization that comes to mind.
Here's a quote from Johns Hopkins University: "A common misconception is that university admission officers are looking for each student to be 'well-rounded,' whereas we are looking for a well-rounded freshman class, depth being valued over breadth. A combination of both is ideal." Your involvement in high school activities tells the admission officer that you won't just hide out in your dorm room during your four years of college.
Diversity
Many colleges are looking for students whose characteristics or accomplishments match their "institutional priorities." For example, being an unusually talented athlete won't guarantee admission anywhere, but can be the "hook" that helps admissions officers distinguish among a number of equally qualified applicants. The accomplished oboist (a necessary but apparently rare member of a college orchestra) is a frequently-cited example of a performing arts "hook."
Even students who are not Olympic swimmers or oboe players still may match a college's admissions priorities. Nearly every college is trying to increase the cultural and ethnic diversity found on campus. In fact, many brag about the number of countries represented in their student body. If you happen to carry a passport from a country that is not already represented in a student body, you have already increased your chances of admission.
But there is no need to despair if you hale from a country like Japan or India from which plenty of other students can already be found on campus. Colleges are still trying to increase their overall percentage of international students. Students like you who have experienced life in another country have something positive to contribute to the life of the college.
Alumni
Graduates of a college who went on to be highly successful (and rich) are important to a college. When it's time to build a new building, it's alumni who receive letters asking for their contributions.
Most schools will ask if you have any relatives who attended the same school. Children of alumni and other "legacies" almost always have an admission advantage. Parents and siblings are the important ones, but when you're completing your application, don't leave anybody out. At some schools like University of Pennsylvania, legacies are given an advantage only during for early decision applicants. Ask your counselor or the admission officer if a school you are interested in gives an advantage to legacies.
Show Interest
Because colleges want to admit students who are likely to enroll, a growing number of admission offices now take account of how well informed and serious a candidate is about the school. When a choice has to be made between two equally qualified applicants, your interest can provide the necessary edge.
How can you show you're interested about a school? Admission officers won't welcome a flood of pointless e-mails, but they might keep track of your thoughtful questions about academics, housing options, extracurriculars, and campus life. They will certainly notice whether you visited the campus or talked with an admission officer who visited SAS.
If an admission officer comes to SAS and you do not make the effort to visit with him or her, you are making a huge mistake. Sending a rejection letter to a stranger is always easier than sending one to a person you've met.
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