As an SAT and ACT prep tutor, I often work with students from competitive high schools. One of their major worries is invariably that colleges might not realize how difficult their high school is in comparison to other, smaller, “easier” schools. Do students in smaller, less-competitive districts fare better in the college admissions game? There’s no hard evidence they do.
What’s considered a “hard” high school?
Often private schools, schools in wealthy areas, and so on are filled with students who are more competitive. Perhaps there is a tradition of excellence which students, parents, teachers, and administrators stress on a daily basis.
Some schools don’t give A’s to every student. Others seem to give out way too many.
A large school has just as much potential to be competitive as a small school. At a large school, it’s going to be more difficult to have a “good” class rank or percentile ranking, while a smaller school, such as an elite private school, may have competitive admission to begin with.
Do colleges take “hard” and “easy” schools into account?
Students who attend schools they perceive to be “hard” are worried that despite working hard and getting good grades, they won’t stand out in comparison to other high-achieving students. This worry is compounded when students don’t have the class rank or percentile ranking they desire, which they believe they’d have if they attended an “easier” school.
So do you need a perfect GPA, a perfect class ranking, and a high percentile ranking to get into a good college? And do colleges treat all high schools the same when it comes to assessing students’ performance?
Luckily, most colleges, particularly the best and most selective colleges, are well aware of the “difficult” level of your high school. College admissions officers often receive a profile of your high school in conjunction with your college admissions application. This profile tells admissions officers at a glance the general make-up of your high school, as well as the courses it offers, average grades received, and average test scores. It also includes class size. If your school is a “hard” high school, it’s likely that admissions officers will take note of that fact when considering whether or not to offer you admission to their college.
What college admissions officers are looking for is whether or not you’ve challenged yourself with the most difficult courses your high school offers, and to what degree you succeeded within them.
Remember, college admissions is a holistic process. There isn’t any one factor that’s more important than the others. Certainly, grades matter. And doubtless, class rank and percentile ranking matter, too. Keep in mind, though, that colleges also consider test scores, whether you’re involved in extracurricular activities, in what capacity, and to what to extent, as well as letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, and counselors–not to mention your critically important college admissions essays.
It’s not as if colleges are going to reward you or penalize you simply for attending a “difficult” or “easy” school. It’s their job to be fair. Of course, the process is highly subjective, and at the most competitive colleges, plenty of students with stellar grades, test scores, essays, and extracurricular activities are routinely rejected. Don’t take it personally.
How to bolster your college application
Having discussed the impact on college admissions prospects of attending an “easy” or “difficult” school, I’d like to suggest a few ways to augment your college application and render yourself a more attractive candidate for admission at the college of your choice.
First off, note that you need to appear passionate, authentic, and dedicated to one or more pursuits.
Extracurricular activities are a must. However, don’t simply cast a wide net and assume that you’ll look well-rounded and busy. Quality matters. College admissions officers look to see how committed and deeply involved you are in each of your extracurricular activities. Is the activity in question a passion of yours? If so, you need to demonstrate that fact. If not, college admissions officers will know it!
Let’s not forget how vital college admissions essays are with respect to the college admissions process. You ought to put plenty of time, thought, and effort into crafting personal essays that showcase your individual talent, personality, and identity. It’s very wise to work with a college admissions essay coach–someone who’s studied English and who reads and writes on a daily basis–to help you ensure that your essay doesn’t veer into cliché, adheres to word economy, and is likely to strike the right chord with the admissions committee. The essay, frankly, can make or break your application, since it’s the most subjective document submitted in a most subjective process.
Letters of recommendation, of course, are liable to make a good impression. Importantly, though, it’s not as if teachers are handing out BAD letters of recommendation, so don’t rely on them to do the hard work for you. This may be obvious, but choose teachers who like you and who are capable writers.
And finally, you’re going to want great test scores on the SAT and ACT. Again, this is an area in which it’s wise to seek private tutoring. The simple fact of the matter is that high schools do not prepare students as well as they should for the SAT and ACT. Even they cover some of the content on the SAT and ACT, the tests often TEST that content in tricky, unpredictable ways. Savvy students and parents make it a point to expose themselves to a wide variety of SAT and ACT content before taking the test.
The bottom line? Whether you go to an “easy” school or a “hard” school, your job is the same: do your best, find your passions, be yourself, and convey that to colleges. If you do so, you’ve got nothing to worry about!
* * *
That’s it! For more college advice, as well as help on college admissions essays and SAT and ACT prep, check out the rest of our blog. Need private test prep tutoring or college essay workshopping? That’s why we exist. Don’t be a stranger! Contact us today 🙂