Key takeaways
- A strong college application includes your academics, extracurriculars, awards, essay, recommendation letters, and careful attention to detail.
- From your essay and extracurriculars to your online presence, focus on highlighting the depth of your experiences to set your application apart.
- Take your time and be intentional with each part of your application so colleges see a genuine interest in why you hope to attend their school.
When applying to college, you’re going to be competing for a spot against other students. However, it’s not just about your academic grades. College applications may feel competitive, but there are steps you can take to boost your college acceptance odds—no matter where you’re applying to. Let’s look at what you can do to make sure your college application stands out from the rest.
What goes into a college application?
There are key pieces that every college looks for when reviewing applications. Here’s what the admissions officers actually pay attention to:
- Academics: Make sure you list your GPA, honors and AP courses, and your ACT/SAT scores, so colleges can see it all at a glance.
- Extracurriculars: Colleges want to see what clubs, sports, volunteer experience, or part-time jobs you’ve been involved in outside of the classroom.
- Application essay: This is a personal statement to share who you are and why you’re a good fit for the school in your own authentic words. This is where colleges can really see your genuine interest in actually attending the school.
- Awards and honors: Highlight academic achievements or awards with the admission officers to help you stand out.
- Letters of recommendation: Colleges want to hear from your teachers, counselors, or mentors who can give insight into your character and work ethic.
- Attention to detail: Is everything filled out correctly? Are there any spelling mistakes? Did you submit everything on time? Yes, colleges absolutely notice.
9 tips to help your application stand out
From the classes you choose to your grades and extracurriculars, there are a number of ways to strengthen your application and boost your college acceptance odds.
1. Highlight academic achievements
Yes, strong academics still matter! Be proud of what you’ve accomplished over the last four years and don’t leave anything out. Your GPA, academic rigor, and achievements all mean something—they show how hard you’ve worked. While academics might not get you in on their own, they still play a big role and show colleges that you are willing to work hard to succeed.
2. Write an application essay that shows who you are and your interests
You are more than a GPA number—and colleges know this. That is why your college essay is so important. This is your moment to share more about who you are. As you brainstorm a topic for your essay, don’t just choose something that feels easiest to write about. Pick something that truly tells the reader about you: an experience that changed you, a challenge that shaped you, or a passion you care about deeply.
Some college applications will give you a specific essay prompt, while others will let you write about whatever you want. Either way, it’s important not to sound generic—schools will pick up on that quickly. Colleges can often tell how interested you are by the effort you put into your application essay. Emphasize what you will bring to the school and what you hope to get from the time spent there.
3. Be intentional with your extracurricular activities
Colleges look for students who show initiative, leadership qualities, and a strong community spirit. Highlighting your extracurricular activities is a great way to show the school that you have what they are looking for. Instead of just making a list of all the activities you’ve participated in, focus on what you have learned from your involvement and how these activities have shaped your leadership qualities or strengthened your community spirit.
And remember, it’s all about quality over quantity when it comes to extracurriculars. Maybe you only participated in drama club and one volunteer organization—but if you did those for four years, that shows long-term commitment and follow-through. It shows that you don’t just bounce around trying to add things to your resume. Colleges can usually tell who is genuinely involved and who is just trying to make their application look good.
4. Work towards getting a strong letter of recommendation
When it comes to a letter of recommendation, you’ll want to ask someone who can speak to your character and work ethic. Your recommendation letters are the only thing in your application that you do not have complete control over, but there are a few things you can do to influence how strong they turn out:
- Choose a teacher who knows you well enough to write a compelling letter recommending you as an asset to any college that accepts you.
- Ask early so your chosen writer has sufficient time to think about what to say.
- Provide helpful details about your grades, achievements, strengths, and goals so they can write a letter that fully reflects all of those qualities.
5. Pay attention to the requirements
When many applicants have similar strengths, it can often be the smallest details that make the biggest difference. Before submitting your application to any college, go through the college website and double-check every requirement:
- Have they asked for one recommendation letter or two?
- Do they require you to submit ACT/SAT scores?
- Does your application meet all of their listed requirements?
- Have you included every form and essay they’ve asked for?
- Is everything filled out correctly?
- Have you fixed all typos, grammatical errors, and common mistakes?
The first thing you can do to boost your acceptance odds is a must: Pay attention to the application requirements. Missing an important paper or document can cause your application to be immediately declined. If the college asks for two letters of recommendation, double-check that both are attached before submitting the documents.
This is also important to note when it comes to essays. If a college requires an essay, make sure you’ve followed the guidelines. This includes the topic and length. You don’t want to go overboard or miss the subject of the essay.
6. Manage your online presence
Wondering if colleges actually check your social media? Your online presence is a reflection of who you are. And yes, some colleges do check your activity. In fact, according to a Kaplan study, 67% of admissions officers believe a student’s online presence is fair game when it comes to reviewing applications. But they aren’t only looking for red flags. Many simply want a sense of how you spend your time and what you care about outside of school.
Because of that, it’s smart to keep your profiles clean or make them private. Take a moment to scroll through your accounts and remove anything that doesn’t represent you well. Instead, highlight the positive things, such as your interests, achievements, or creative work.
7. Use Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) strategically
Considering Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED)? These can actually help boost your acceptance odds. Here’s how:
- Early Action (EA): Early Action is when you apply early to a school, but admission is not binding. This means you can still apply and even choose another school. Applying early can show that you are prepared, organized, and serious about your future.
- Early Decision (ED): Early Decision is when you apply early to a school, and admission is binding. This means if you get accepted, you are agreeing to attend. Early Decision can show a college that they are your top school and you are 100% committed from the jump.
It’s important to note that the number of students accepted during early decision or early action tends to be much higher than the number of students accepted during the regular application process. If you are sure you are applying to your dream school, this could end up being a smart move to improve your acceptance chances.
8. Reach out to the school
Showing interest in a college can actually help strengthen your application, boost your acceptance odds, and give you a sense of whether the school is a good fit for you. This includes visiting schools, introducing yourself to the admission department representative, asking questions, and even meeting some professors. While visiting a school doesn’t guarantee acceptance, it can help you see what the culture is like and make connections.
9. PARTICIPATE ONLINE
Following a college on social media is an easy way to show you’re genuinely interested and potentially help you stand out during admissions. Join student groups, comment on posts, or attend virtual info sessions. This is a small way to stay connected, but sometimes it’s the little things that go a long way.
Stand out with authenticity and strategy
College admissions are highly competitive. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to help boost your admission odds. From writing a strong college essay to paying attention to every last detail, each piece of your application helps colleges see who you are both as a student and a human. Follow these tips, take your time, and best of luck!
Before you start working on those applications, it might help to know which schools are the best fit for you. Use College Raptor’s FREE College Match tool to discover personalized matches, estimated costs, potential financial aid, and your chances of admission.
