Grades Aren’t the Only Way to Get into College

It is a very common misconception that the only way to get into college is to have really high grades and test scores. Extracurricular activities and leadership abilities are becoming increasingly important in the college application process. It’s great if you can show them A’s in your classes or a perfect score on the SAT, but what colleges are focusing on is what makes you a unique student that they want at their school.

Being an active student at school is a great way to get approval from colleges. There are many, many extracurriculars available at every high school: academic teams, art, cheerleading, choir, dance, debate, journalism, sports, theater, yearbook, and more! Colleges want to see longterm membership to show your commitment, leadership positions to show your active participation and passion, and awards to show your achievement.

Colleges want students who will be active in their campus and community. Being involved in service organizations, at and outside of school; charities; churches; and city youth councils will show them you’re willingness to do just that. Colleges want to see longterm membership to show your commitment, leadership positions to show your passion, and time spent with the organization to show your active participation.

If you’re too busy working to be involved in a lot of organizations, that’s okay! Jobs can be just as good as an extracurriculars or volunteer work. Colleges want to see leadership positions to show your advancement and motivation and longterm employment to show your responsibility and commitment.

In your college applications, there will usually be a chart to list all of this information about these activities. You’ll also notice that essay questions are never about your grades. Extracurricular and community activities are almost always something that colleges want you to write about because they say so much about who you are and your interests. Something else important to remember about your application is that you need to submit recommendations. Adults and employers in these activities are fantastic people to have write recommendations because they can give a more personal description of you as a person. So being involved in activities can help you in more than just one section of your application.