College Prep

From the moment students start high school they begin preparing for college. But what is it that colleges look for in a student? What are the essentials to make a student stand out? Some of the major things that colleges look for are grades, student involvement in school, test scores, and recommendations.
Colleges look at students’ grade point averages to see if they meet the specific college standards. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the 2011-2012 average GPA for Indiana is 3.5. The average high school GPA accepted to Ball State is 3.33 and the average GPA for Butler is 3.78. Colleges have different standards when it comes to GPA.
Guidance counselor Jenna Henriott says “One major thing that colleges look for is involvement in school.” Being involved in school is something that colleges do look into.  It shows some of the ways that a student would be an asset to that college; it shows interest in school activities.
Test scores are another way colleges evaluate a student’s academics. In fact, standardized test scores are one of the most important things evaluated by colleges.  The National Center for Education Statistics reports that Indiana’s averages for the math SAT scores range from 500 to 640. The average score for writing range from 480 to 600. The average ACT scores for math and English range from 20-27. The average SAT scores accepted by Ball Sate ranges from 480 to 580 in the math portion, the average SAT scores accepted by Butler range from 540 to 640. The Average ACT scores for math accepted by Ball State ranges from 19-24 and the average scores accepted by Butler range from 25 to 30.
Another important item to have is good recommendations. These recommendations are a major asset when applying for college. A recommendation letter shows a student’s characteristics that would not show up in the applications. It is important to know the person writing the recommendation letter well.
There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for college, whether it is being involved in school activities or getting good grades. These are all crucial elements in order for getting into a dream college.

Posted in: The Owl