What Colleges Look For

The National Association of College Admissions Counselors surveyed colleges across the country to determine the importance of application factors. Keep in mind that colleges have other priorities that impact student admission, such as geographical and talent mix, athletics, and diversity. Remember, too, that this survey is a compilation of results from large and small, public and private schools whose criteria differ.

Small, competitive schools are often more interested in candidate withspecialized, developed talents, whereas large state universities tend to look primarily at grades and SAT/ACT scores.

Also, state universities may indicate a low SAT/ACT average score, but if you do not live in the state, your child may need very high scores for admission. Pay close attention to ranges as well as averages.

In the list below, the admission factor is listed first, followed by the percentage of colleges that rate that factor as Important/Somewhat Important/Not Very Important.