College Planning Guide » College Admissions Criteria

College Admissions Criteria

Colleges and universities were surveyed to better understand what criteria is most important when a student’s application is being evaluated.  The items are listed in order of importance:
 
 
Primary Criteria: 
  • Rigor of classes 
  • Student GPA (grade point average) 
  • SAT or ACT scores  
 
 
Other criteria for consideration: 
  • Counselor recommendation 
  • Teacher recommendation 
  • Student application essay(s) 
  • Depth of commitment to an extracurricular activity 
  • Student leadership 
  • Variety of activities 
  • Student employment 
  • Showing demonstrated interest 
  • Source: Journal of College Admission