How can I be a more competitive applicant to university?

Question

What types of activities and experiences are colleges looking for?

Answer 1

Hello! Great question! As a college admissions officer with over 11 years of experience, I can tell you that standing out as a competitive applicant to universities involves more than just excellent grades and test scores. Here’s how you can position yourself as a strong candidate:

1. Showcase Academic Excellence (Beyond Grades)

1. Challenging Course Load: Admissions officers look for students who have challenged themselves. Taking advanced courses like AP, IB, or honors classes, and performing well in them, shows intellectual curiosity and a strong work ethic.
2. Consistent or Upward Academic Trend: If your grades haven’t always been stellar, an upward trend in performance can be just as important as high grades throughout. Demonstrating that you've worked hard to improve is a sign of resilience and determination.

2. Focus on Quality, Not Quantity, in Extracurriculars

1. Depth Over Breadth: It’s not about how many clubs you join; it’s about how deeply you commit to the activities you choose. Colleges prefer applicants who demonstrate dedication, leadership, and impact in a few key areas rather than minimal involvement in many.
2. Leadership and Initiative: Leadership roles—whether in student government, clubs, sports, or community service—show that you are proactive and capable of taking responsibility. Even if you aren’t in a formal leadership position, taking initiative and starting projects or making tangible impacts can stand out.

3. Create a Compelling Personal Narrative

1. Personal Statement: Your essay is a crucial part of your application. Admissions officers want to see who you are beyond your grades. Tell a story that reveals your character, personal growth, and values. Be authentic, reflective, and specific about how your experiences have shaped you.
2. Address Weaknesses Thoughtfully: If there’s a gap or weakness in your academic record, briefly address it in your application. Show what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown from the challenge, but avoid making excuses. It’s important to show resilience and self-awareness.

4. Leverage Your Letters of Recommendation

1. Select Recommenders Wisely: Choose teachers or mentors who know you well, not just those who gave you the highest grades. The best recommendations come from those who can speak to your character, work ethic, intellectual curiosity, and potential.
2. Provide Context to Recommenders: Help your recommenders by sharing what you’ve been working on recently, your goals, and any particular achievements or qualities you’d like them to highlight. The more specific their letter is, the more impactful it will be.

5. Make an Impact in Your Community

1. Community Engagement: Colleges value students who are engaged with their communities. Whether through volunteering, activism, or part-time work, showing how you’ve made a positive difference in your surroundings will stand out.
2. Sustained Commitment: Demonstrating long-term involvement in causes or activities, rather than one-time efforts, indicates that you care deeply about making an impact and have the endurance to follow through on your commitments.

6. Be Strategic with Your Application

1. Craft a Holistic Application: Every part of your application should build on your narrative. Your activities, essays, recommendations, and even your course selections should support the overall story you want to tell. Think about what you want admissions officers to know about you when they finish reviewing your application.
2. Tailor Applications: Research the universities you're applying to and make sure your application reflects your alignment with their values and programs. Demonstrate why you're a good fit for that specific school.

7. Be Authentic

1. Don’t Overinflate Achievements: Admissions officers can tell when a student is trying to oversell themselves. It’s important to present yourself honestly. Authenticity and passion for what you do are more compelling than trying to fit into a mold you think colleges want to see.
2. Focus on Growth: Colleges understand that high school is a time for personal and academic growth. Be honest about your journey, including the challenges and failures you’ve faced. How you’ve grown and what you’ve learned can often be more telling than constant success.

8. Demonstrate Initiative and Passion

1. Personal Projects or Interests: If you’ve taken the initiative to pursue an independent project, start a business, or delve deeply into a passion—whether it’s music, coding, art, or anything else—make sure to highlight this. Admissions officers are always impressed by students who go beyond their schoolwork to follow their curiosity.
2. Summer Programs or Internships: If you’ve participated in summer programs, internships, or even started your own projects, this shows that you are serious about your academic and personal growth. These experiences can often give you unique insights to write about in your essays.

9. Demonstrate Character and Integrity

1. Ethical and Compassionate Behavior: Universities value students who display strong character, integrity, and a genuine concern for others. How you’ve helped friends, contributed to your community, or overcome personal challenges can provide a window into your values and how you’ll contribute to the campus community.
2. Resilience and Grit: Colleges appreciate students who show they can face adversity, overcome it, and emerge stronger. Sharing how you’ve handled difficult situations and maintained perseverance in the face of setbacks can add depth to your application.

10. Consider Your Timing and School List

1. Apply Early: Applying early decision (ED) or early action (EA) can sometimes give you an edge, especially if you are highly interested in a particular school. Schools often accept a higher percentage of students from the early application pool.
2. Build a Balanced College List: Apply to a range of schools, including some that are reach schools, some that are target schools (where your stats are within the middle 50% range), and some that are safety schools. Having a balanced list ensures you have options, and you may still get into a highly selective school even if it’s a reach.

Ultimately, a competitive application goes beyond numbers and focuses on who you are as a person, student, and community member. By crafting an authentic and well-rounded application, you can stand out to even the most selective universities. I hope this makes sense and you found it to be helpful. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. Take care and good luck!

Dr. Christal-Joy Turner

Answer 2

Colleges are looking for activities and experiences in which you blossom and which demonstrate the unique contributions that you will bring to the university.

Your activities and experiences might highlight your sense of adventure, your sense of humor, your persistence, your leadership, your humanity, your skill in a particular area, your willingness to experiment, your ability to deal with challenges, ...