Standing Out In College Admissions: Authenticity Counts

As we already know, gaining admittance into top-tier colleges is highly competitive. Beyond the obvious accomplishments required, including advanced AP courses, top honors and grades, test scores, sports and community service, colleges want to know if you can brand yourself into an intriguing and authentic person who aligns with their values and who has insight, depth, and maturity. How to stand out when the competition is fierce and the stakes keep rising.

So where does one begin?

The Evolving Role of Community Service (2018-2022)

Looking back to 2018, a trend emerged: completing more than 200 hours of community service was a unique way to stand out on college applications. According to Forbes.com, a survey of college admissions officers and staff shows that “targeted community service may be a shortcut to scoring college admissions or serve as a powerful tie-breaker among competitive applicants.” In fact, 58% of college admissions personnel agreed. The key to volunteering for your favorite cause is to make the experience meaningful.

Colleges want to know that each student has taken the task seriously and has cultivated insights and observations through their experiences.

In 2022, the Harvard School of Education re-emphasized that it wasn't enough to simply accumulate community service hours. The student must select meaningful work that they can reflect on. In short, they want to know that the student selected a service that is in alignment with their brand and mission. According to Harvard, the top three assumptions about those who perform community service are that students who serve others will be active in student social life, contribute to the school's mission, and align with the school's values. In other words, they want to see that students are motivated, responsible, and have the potential to become future leaders. 

Community Service in 2025: Beyond the Hours

In 2025, will community service still serve as an advantage for admissions?

Well, the answer is yes and no. The arching trend is now more in alignment with having an authentic voice and showcasing each student’s personal brand. It is less about the specific activity and more importantly about dedication, insight, and grit. The two hundred hours of community service are worthless without personal insight. You could just as easily spend time working on your uncle’s cattle ranch, as long as you can articulate an insightful story about the experience. It would be even more beneficial if you could pursue a research project on cattle management the following summer. Be creative. Consider innovative approaches to highlight unique experiences and curiosity.

The Resurgence of Standardized Test Scores

Now let’s talk about test scores. Recently, the trend for college admissions has been to dismiss standardized test taking. Despite occasional criticism of standardized tests as potentially discriminatory, it's crucial not to mislead students into believing they hold no significance. Institutions may now be rethinking the need for both the SAT and ACT. In 2022, the College Board published a paper that found that an SAT score over 1188 was a strong indicator that a student would complete a bachelor's degree within four years. The test group size was around 868,000 students across 1700 four-year institutions. This finding may be one of the reasons that MIT, Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown have all reinstituted test-taking. It turns out that the SAT is a useful indicator that students are taking their education seriously with hard work and dedication. It also means that the university can depend on a student’s tuition for the next 4–5 years.

The Importance of Foreign Language and College Courses

What about foreign language and college courses?

Yes, and yes. Top-tier universities require students to study a foreign language for a minimum of three to four years. And it seems the more college courses you can take pre-college, the better. The number of courses should be in the range of six to ten. In addition to these checklist items, colleges want each student to present their experiences as a cohesive brand that reflects a serious and dedicated college student aligned with the interests of the campus. If you want to study agriculture, did you also learn Spanish so you could study a particular type of agriculture native to South America?

The details in your story count. 

Navigating Increased Applications and Acceptance Rates

With an increasing number of applications and a stagnant number of open spots, gaining admission to colleges has become significantly more challenging. The introduction of EasyApply Technology exacerbates this issue by allowing applicants to simultaneously submit a single application to multiple institutions, leading to an influx of generic submissions. This mirrors a trend observed in the job market with large employment search engines. Admissionsite reports that top-tier schools now accept only 3–5% of applicants on average.

Crafting an Authentic and Purposeful Application

The path to a top-tier college acceptance is no longer a simple checklist of test scores, AP courses, and community service hours.

Universities want to see a student who has not only worked diligently on academics throughout their high school career. They also want an applicant who has developed a real sense of purpose, resilience, and self-awareness. This entails making sure that your experiences match up with a clear personal brand, thinking thoroughly about what you've learned, and showing that you're mature enough to do well in a campus community. Your profile should be insightful—whether demonstrated through service, advanced language studies, a rigorous curriculum, or original personal projects. Your ability to blend intellectual depth, grit, and individuality will distinguish you in an environment that admits only a small fraction of applicants.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the college admissions process, remember that Swoon Learning is here to help. We work with a network of experienced college admissions partners who can provide personalized guidance and support to help you craft an application that truly reflects your unique strengths and aspirations.

Don't hesitate to reach out; we'd be happy to connect you with the resources you need to succeed. Visit our contact page to learn more.

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