You’re applying to college and you want to make sure that your college applications stand out among all of the rest.

You want to be seen as the colorful bird you are, and avoid being blending in among the flock.

But maybe how exactly you do that feels a little … nebulous.

Because you have so many incredible qualities that make you, well, you. So, what do colleges look for, and how can you get into a good college, a great college, or even the college of your dreams?

This blog post will share fifteen great tips for applying to college. It will include a ton of details, resources, and answers to your biggest questions about what looks good on college applications.

Let’s show those colleges your fanciest feathers, brightest colors, and your greatest skills! Time to channel your inner Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise and pull out all of your finest courtship moves as you attempt to woo your perfect college match.

Without further ado, your guide to what looks good on college applications.

15 Tips for Applying to Colleges

Applying to college tip 1: Get good grades in tougher classes

Understandably, colleges are trying to answer a key question about you: how would you fit into their academic environment? Would you thrive, or merely survive? Your application contains a lot of information that a college can use to evaluate your academic experiences and strengths.

Your school has sent

your transcript, which contains the classes you have taken and your grades earned to date
and a document called a School Profile (more on that below!).

So, how do colleges use this information to weigh the factors that are important to them in admissions decisions?
Every few years, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling surveys colleges creates a report called the State of College Admissions (SOCA), in which they survey colleges about the factors that they weigh in the admissions process, assigning each factor “considerable importance,” “moderate importance,” “limited importance,” or “no importance” in the application process.

Here’s what the survey has reflected:

“Academic performance in high school has been the most important consideration in freshman admission decisions for decades. Seventy-five percent of colleges rated grades in all high school courses as considerably important, and 73 percent rated grades in college prep courses as considerably important. Strength of curriculum was rated considerably important by more than 60 percent of colleges.”

Let’s unpack that.

Which do you think looks better on college applications to selective colleges: earning strong grades in easy classes, or just ok grades in the most challenging classes your high school offers?

Well, the real answer is earning strong grades in the most challenging classes your high school offers! You probably guessed that already…

But really, earning high grades in classes that you breeze your way through does not do anything to show colleges that you are the kind of person who maximizes your opportunities to learn.

In general, colleges are looking for people who take on challenges, work hard, have a growth mindset, and who love to learn.

The same SOCA survey also noted that class rank in high school generally has limited importance, with only 9% of colleges assigning it “considerable importance.” Plus, this number has been going down over the last few years. This means that attempts to game the system will be easily identified.

How? Colleges have access to a document called a School Profile, which lists all of the courses your school offers, as well as other useful information such as where students are accepted to college and school graduation requirements and philosophy. If you haven’t already, check out your school’s college admissions profile as it is sure to be a document of interest! This is how college admission committee members will know things like how many AP courses your high school offers and what requirements and restrictions are placed on students’ access to those classes in various grades.

(Speaking of AP Classes, we have a handy guide to understanding them that walks you through what they are, and ways to think about “easier” AP classes and “harder” AP classes.)

To summarize:

Selective colleges care about the rigor of your coursework in high school. Are you building challenge and adding depth from year to year? Are you taking the most difficult courses available to you? Are you taking all of the courses your school offers that are connected to your possible future major? If your school limits APs, are you taking the maximum (or close to it) number of allowed courses? If your school has scrapped APs in favor of homegrown courses that are collaborative, project-based, and/or experiential, are you choosing to make the most of those opportunities? If your school offers the IB Diploma (or another program externally moderated), selective colleges apply a similar framework to evaluate your choices in those as well.

Now, you might be wondering, how selective are the schools I am applying to, and what makes for a truly diverse list? Let’s get into list-building!

Applying to college tip 2: Build a strong and diverse college list

First things, first: be a savvy consumer of information about colleges. Do not get sucked into the ranking game.

US News rankings are not your friend, and this is not new information to those who support students on your journey to college. You don’t have to take just our word for it—here are eight resources that explain in great detail why you should absolutely not start with rankings when building your college list.

Just as an example, a significant chunk of the ranking is decided by how students at the school itself perceive the school they are attending. Not a super reliable indicator (Unless they have all also attended other schools. Which is doubtful). Other factors involved in the rankings are based on how high school counselors and administrators perceive various colleges. This, my friends, is not a useful game to play if the goal is to determine whether or not a particular student will thrive at a particular college.

Instead, focus on how you and the college will fit together!

What programs, qualities, experiences, and teaching philosophies does the college have that you are interested in? What qualities, experiences, and learning approaches will you bring to the college? Is it in a place where you will enjoy living? Do students have the outcomes after college that you are hoping for? These are the questions to ask yourself as you build a balanced college list.

A great place to start is by reading CEG’s step-by-step guide to choosing the right college.

If possible, visit college campuses! You can start by visiting the college campuses that are the easiest for you to get to. Do you live near a community college or other public or state school? Do you live near a large research university or small liberal arts and sciences college? It’s likely that you’ll have at least one of these options. Sign up for a tour in order to learn more about how information sessions and tours are structured.

Here are a few more resources to get your research humming along so that you can find the places where you fit in and thrive.

Applying to college tip 3: Figure out your answer to the Big (testing) Question

It’s a big question! If you have any test-required schools on your list, such as MIT, Georgetown, and Purdue, then of course you will need to take and submit SAT or ACT scores.

However, if you only have “test optional” or “test blind/free” schools on your list, then you have options.

Preparing well for the SAT and/or ACT typically takes time and effort, and you need to make sure that you can balance everything by having a clear plan.

If you are taking challenging classes, engaging meaningfully with your local and/or school community, and deepening your interests and experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, then you already have a lot of demands for your energy and attention!

For a full overview, watch this webinar with Ethan and Akil as they discuss the full range of thinking and factors that influence whether or not you should take and submit standardized test scores.

For a quick synopsis, at CEG, our recommended approach is to:

Prepare.

If your school offers the PSAT to grade 9 and 10 students, you should take it. If your school does not offer this option, check out our guide on how to self-study for the SAT (which works just as well for the ACT).

Decide: To test, or not to test!

If you are considering colleges that require tests, then you will likely have to take the test (and submit it!). If your preparation is going well, great! If not, that’s also ok. People in both categories will benefit from checking out these articles on preparation:

Decide: To submit, or not to submit!

If a school is test optional or test free/blind, then the decision about whether or not to submit your scores will be based on the typical range of scores for that particular school. Use the school’s Common Data Set to understand the range of scores of typically accepted students. For example, at NYU, 25% of accepted students (as reported on their most recent CDS) scored 1510 or above and 75% scored 1390 or above. If your score is not in those ranges, it will not benefit you to submit them.

Refer back to our handy test optional or test blind/free post to go even deeper into this topic.

Applying to college tip 4: Secure epically good letters of recommendation

If you are a current junior who is curious about what colleges look for in letters of recommendation, the questions below should provide you with some clues!

Ask yourself:

Do my teachers know me well?

Or … not so much?

Do I participate in class discussions?

Or are you as silent as the famed night?

Do I ask my teachers questions about the topics we discuss in class?

Or is it more like “... cricket sounds”

What information am I providing to them that show evidence of my understanding and skills in the class?

None outside of what is required of you?! Oh noooo

If I am interested in studying this subject in college, do my teachers know this information?

They only know it if you tell them!

If I am interested in studying this subject in college, am I asking for information and or opportunities to deepen my knowledge in the subject or field?

Wow, this would be a cool thing for them to be able to talk about!

Do I talk to my teachers and treat them like they are real human beings, with emotions and full, rich lives outside of the classroom?

You really, really, really should if you are not already

You could be talented in a subject and earn brilliant grades, and that could still be all that your teacher has to say about you. And it is absolutely your responsibility to provide your teachers with far more to say about you than simply, “Andy is talented in this subject and earns brilliant grades.”

For more information, read this CEG blog post on how to ask for letters of recommendation for college.

Your final hot tip on this topic: ask as early as possible (spring of grade 11 is a great option).

Applying to college tip 5: Create your focused college application support team

Who are your supporters, guides, and cheerleaders in this process? Your family is likely on your team, but in the case that they aren’t quite able to provide you with what you need, then what can you do to make sure your process of applying to college goes smoothly? You make sure you are making the most of the resources available at your school, such as counselors and teachers.

Another incredible resource is the College Essay Guy’s Family Handbook, which contains timelines, guides for parents, a glossary, and tips for applying using various application systems such as the Common Application, the UCs and CSUs, and so much more.

If you need support beyond the above, consider what other resources you have available to you. Think broadly about all of the communities you’re part of. It’s likely many people have great insight into this process and can help you with various pieces of information that will help you get into a good college.

Hot tip: keep a gratitude list and be sure to thank everyone who helps you along the way.

Applying to college tip 6: Build a super strong personal statement

Now this is where we get truly excited! Helping you to tell your best possible story in a compelling way is why we are all here. Let’s goooooooo!

Check out 35+ essay tips from college admissions experts as well as the ultimate guide on how to write a personal statement, which includes everything you’ll need to brainstorm, outline, and write an outstanding college essay.

Applying to college tip 7: Write supplemental essays that highlight important elements of your story

And speaking of writing, your supplemental essays provide another incredible opportunity to tell your story! This incredible page has links for how to write supplemental essays for dozens of colleges as well as how to approach seven other specific kinds of supplemental essays.

These really can be fun if you want them to be! I have never met an admission officer who said, “I wish I read fewer fun essays this season.” That said, be sure to write what feels authentic to you. Truly and always: authenticity is key in this process.

Applying to college tip 8: Make your activities list sing

If you are a current junior who is feeling spread way too thin, then remember the Golden Activities Rule: quality trumps quantity. You are allowed to let some things go in order to focus on what is truly meaningful to you.

For all of you sophomores: it is still a great time to explore and you will want to start to think about where you can make meaningful impacts in the groups and activities you are a part of. A year to get involved. A year of opportunity!

For all of you freshman: explore, explore, explore. As you move through high school, think about the story that the way you spend your free time is telling. What do you want that narrative arc to look like.

For everyone: remember to use your summers wisely.

When you are writing your descriptions for your list of activities for your application, you should ask yourself, “What is the story of my membership in the group? How has my membership made a positive impact?”

Our step-by-step guide to writing a stellar activities list is an invaluable resource that includes tools for leveling up your descriptions, exercises for brainstorming how to generate powerful content, and ways to evaluate whether or not your values are coming through in your list.

Applying to college tip 9: Have a direction (it can change!)

Maybe you’re the type of person who has long known what they want to study in college. Maybe you used to know what direction you were headed in, and now that direction is totally different. Well, that can also be great, too, if you figure out how to tell your story. If you have no idea what path you might want to take, now is probably a good time to start to think about how you want to shape this element of your story.

The most important thing in this process is to identify a future goal (or goals!) you would like to move toward right now.

Everyone’s lives have twists and turns, and that’s ok. We love a good narrative arc. We also appreciate that life comes with surprises, changes in scenery, and twist endings! What isn’t super great is for your story to stop and feel stalled, right as you apply to college.

If your life experiences have provided you with information and evidence that the direction you thought you should go in is actually not the right direction for you to go in, that is ok. That can actually be great: you’ve learned something about what you want, even if it was through failing or another process of elimination. Figure out a plan for you to share that element of your story with the colleges you apply to.

Some people are consistent. Everyone should be authentic.

And speaking of how to tell an unusual story…

Applying to college tip 10: Use the Additional Information section

Unusual stories with twists and turns are what this section is for! Oddly shaped stories that don’t fit in elsewhere are also what this section is for. You don’t have to use it, but if you do, you could talk about health issues, potential red flags, difficult circumstances, additional or unusual classes or learning opportunities, important activities that aren’t properly highlighted elsewhere, and more things that deserve attention and don’t fit in anywhere else. Learn more about how to use the additional information section to share your story.

Applying to college tip 11: Start early + stay organized

It goes without saying that starting early and staying organized helps avoid mistakes, pitfalls, and other things that will cause you stress and anxiety. Check out the timeline in the family handbook, use organizers to build a balanced college list with the ultimate college list research tracker, and have a strategy for how and when you are going to apply to the colleges on your list.

Speaking of strategy…

Applying to college tip 12: Make sure you understand early action, restrictive early action, early decision, and early decision round II

You likely already know the difference between early decision (binding, can only apply to one) and early action (non-binding, can apply to several), though do you know our friends the acronyms REA and EDII? If not, our guide to how to decide whether to apply early action or early decision is for you.

Many colleges use early decision to strategically shape their incoming classes, and admit larger percentages of students than they do in the regular admission round. Sound intriguing? Do you like details and statistics and wish that someone compiled a list that illuminates much about this process for many schools all in one place? Then do we have the list for you.

Applying to college tip 13: Demonstrate interest

Colleges want to know if their applicants really love them, and many use tons-o-data (that’s a technical term) to track how engaged you are with them as you navigate the application process. This is called demonstrated interest and oooooh boy does it matter! (Unless it doesn’t, as not all colleges use this process! Because why? Keeping you on your feet appears to be the name of this particular game).

To go deep into this topic, read this blog post to learn far more than you probably ever wanted to know about demonstrated interest and why a research paper declared this admissions factor to be “Another Edge for the Wealthy.”

Applying to college tip 14: Follow directions

Yes, it is absolutely true that the college application process can be very very confusing. Baffling, even! We wish it were always full of rainbows, butterflies, and colorful plumage. Sadly it is not.

This is simply a friendly and loving reminder to do your best when it comes to following directions. Ask for help when you need it! And when a college says specifically not to do something, they really do mean it.

Applying to college tip 15: Know yourself

This process provides an incredible opportunity to examine your values, how to develop a voice in your writing, and to celebrate your individual strengths and wonderful accomplishments.

This is a time to be you.

Take all of the challenges as an opportunity to develop new skills, and take any setbacks as an opportunity to develop resiliency. You will make it to the other side of this process.

You are a rare bird and it is time to fly.

Special thanks to Hillary for writing this blog post

Hillary has an MA in Counseling Psychology from New York University, and is a highly skilled college counselor with 15 years of experience advising students as they reach for their college dreams. At the heart of Hillary’s approach is developing a deep understanding of each student’s unique interests, abilities, and values. Her expertise encompasses all aspects of the college search and application process, from helping students to choose the right courses and extracurricular activities to building college lists and writing powerful and meaningful essays. Hillary specializes in both US college admissions and global university admissions. She has visited over 100 college campuses in the United States, Asia, and Europe, speaking with admission committee members about what makes a student truly stand out in an application. Hillary loves to travel, eat, adventure, and explore, and is currently splitting time between New York City and Tokyo, Japan.

Top Values: Curiosity, Humor, Love