On the 29th of November, our brand new College Advisor, Mrs. Competelli, was able to host a meet-up with 3 colleges and their representatives, each with their own standards and locations. The schools were as follows; Bucknell University, University of Alabama, and TCNJ. Despite a few setbacks in terms of audio, the seminar was still very much informative. Overall, each of the three representatives covered talks about standardized testing, student involvement, grades, and being your genuine self. They also explained that the standardized test grades are meant to serve as a booster on top of our overall GPA to emphasize and further bolden our strength as students in their eyes. Furthermore, they want us to express our authentic selves on the application which shows who we are as individuals. They want to see extracurriculars, awards, activities, leadership, and volunteerism that reflect that we are actively making a change and standing out in our communities. Over the years, and mostly in our junior year, they want to see how we have grown not just academically (very important), but as a person too. College applications are very delicate and it is something that we should save enough time for in order to produce our best results. As each of the representatives stressed the phrase “quality over quantity.” As for grades, colleges do not just view them for face value but also consider a school profile (courses they offer), evidence that one has been preparing for college-level work, and a trajectory trending upwards and consistently (of course this will vary). GPAs themselves are calculated based on weight or unweight. More importantly, they are looking for courses that you take and their correlation to your very own interests! All in all, colleges are mostly looking for a student who could reflect the embodiment of hard work, improvement, community, and a sense of individuality.
Please Note- For further information speak to an actual counselor or professional.
