Getting into an elite college does not necessarily equal a great GPA and SAT score. You are not simply a score, you are a person with skills and something important to contribute. You aren’t the only one to see it. In fact, it is exactly what determines your chances of getting into your dream college.

What is more important than just grades in high school?

A consistent drive for success.

Some students test well. Other students are very smart. Then, there are students who don’t simply rise to occasion now and then, but consistently work to better themselves and the world around them.

You are bursting with dreams and the ability to make those dreams come to life. That drive makes the people reading applications in colleges sit up and say, “We want that person.” In high school, you demonstrate this drive in three ways, your grades, extracurricular activities, and community service.

Your Grades

Your grades in high school say more than he/she passed a test or completed their work. Between the lines of your high school record, you want people to see a well-rounded student with a passion for one particular subject. So, you load up on advanced courses for the field you are passionate about. It is important that you show you are both focused on and knowledgeable in your chosen field. While you are doing this, you want to strategically plan your other courses so that you are getting a wide scope of information, but without bogging yourself down in so many courses or in courses that are so difficult that you can’t do well.

Extracurricular Activities

You want to have joined and excelled in extracurricular activities that are relevant to your dream. As soon as your freshman year, begin joining a bunch of groups to get a feel for them. When you find the ones that really click with you, start looking for ways to gain a higher position in the group. Keep in mind that it looks much better on a college application to say you are the President, Vice President, or the treasurer, and the higher the position, the better it looks. It also works well in your favor if you start a thriving club because it displays initiative and creativity.

Community Service

Community service shows colleges that you want to apply your hard work to a good cause, so join local community service projects and consider starting your own. These projects provide excellent opportunities to display your ingenuity and your commitment.

You want projects you join and the accomplishments that come with them to do one thing and that is to show that you set specific goals and you reach them. The nature of the goals and the unique ways that you bring them about add an eye-catching and personalized touch to your school record that tells the reader of your college application what you, specifically, have to offer their college.