What Colleges Want: How to Become a Strong Applicant

Key Takeaways:

• Becoming the ideal college applicant starts long before you apply. You can start getting involved in high school activities your freshman year.
• To make your application more manageable, start creating a student resume early on in high school.
• Every college application is different. Make sure to read carefully and thoroughly.

Applying is the easy part.

Becoming the kind of student colleges want to admit? That starts long before senior year.

After more than 20 years in college admissions, I’ve seen the qualities that make an applicant stand out, most of which can’t be built during the time it takes to complete an application. They’re developed over time, through the choices you make about how you learn, lead, serve, and grow.

So, what are colleges hoping to see, and what can you do now to become a stronger applicant later?

Become a Strong Applicant

Get deeply involved. What areas of your life have you poured your energy into? You don’t need to join 30 clubs or fill every blank space on your résumé. Colleges would rather see genuine commitment and depth in a few activities that matter to you than minimal involvement in many. Stick with the things you care about, and look for ways to grow in them over time.

Look for ways to lead. Leadership doesn’t always mean being elected president or named team captain. You can lead by teaching Sunday school, training a new employee, helping around the home, or simply being the person who steps up when something needs to get done. Look for opportunities to take initiative and responsibility.

Broaden your experiences. Take an interesting class, attend a summer program, travel, volunteer, meet people whose experiences are different from yours. Colleges are building communities, and they value students who will bring interesting experiences and perspectives with them.

Stay intellectually curious. What do you find yourself wanting to know more about? Follow those interests beyond what’s required for a grade. Read, research, attend events, start a project, or learn something simply because you’re fascinated by it. Colleges love students who genuinely enjoy learning.

Serve others. Find meaningful ways to contribute to your school, church, and or community. You might volunteer regularly, tutor younger students, serve through your church, or support a cause you care about. What matters most isn’t accumulating volunteer hours; it’s cultivating a habit of showing up.

Develop your talents. Whatever you’re good at, keep getting better at it. Practice your instrument. Work on your writing craft. Train for your sport. Make art. Build things. Perform. Code. Cook. Debate. Colleges love students who have humbly invested time and effort in developing their God-given abilities.

Build Your Student Résumé

Start a student résumé during your freshman year, then add to it throughout high school. Keep track of jobs you’ve worked, clubs and organizations you’ve joined, leadership roles you’ve held, volunteer work you’ve done, awards you’ve received, and other meaningful experiences. Include dates and a few details about what you actually did.

Your résumé doesn’t need to look impressive when you start it! The point is to have a place to keep track of your experiences as you go. Don’t wait until senior year and try to reconstruct years of your life from memory. Keeping a running résumé will make college and scholarship applications much easier later, while also helping you see how your interests, involvement, and responsibilities have grown over time.

How to Apply

When senior year arrives, it’s time to put everything together! A college application typically includes the application itself and your high school transcript. It may also require an essay, application fee, test scores, letters of recommendation, or other materials.

The most important thing? Follow the instructions for each school. Requirements, deadlines, and policies vary, so don’t assume that what one college requires will be the same at another. You can typically apply directly through a college’s website or by using the Common App, which lets you complete one main application for multiple colleges.

And don’t wait until senior year to start preparing! The intentional choices you make along the way help shape the applicant you’re becoming. Start now, keep track of what you’re doing along the way, and when senior year arrives, applying really will be the easy part.

BONUS: Thinking about Northwestern?

Good news: applying to Northwestern is straightforward and FREE! You can apply through the UNW website or through the Common App. And if you have questions along the way, that’s what admission counselors are here for. We’d love to help!