When it comes to crafting a strong college application, it’s easy to focus on numbers: GPA, test scores, number of AP courses, etc. And all of those factors can be important! However, what really sets applicants apart often comes down to less measurable, but equally important, qualities. Colleges want students who will have a positive impact on campus and beyond. That means they care about who you are as a person, too. The admissions team is aiming to build communities, not just collect transcripts.
How can you show colleges you're the type of applicant they're looking for? Read this article to learn the top 10 qualities colleges are looking for and how you can show them in your application.
Do Colleges Care About Your Personality?
Colleges absolutely care about the type of person you are! When colleges look at applicants, they're hoping to find students who will succeed in college and beyond. Certainly that means they want to admit students who can keep up academically, but the type of person those students are matters, too. Most universities are looking for students who will excel in their classes but also positively contribute to the on-campus community. This means that schools are looking beyond data like your GPA and test scores and trying to determine what kind of person you are.
How do colleges identify these amazing students? Colleges use your scores (SAT/ACT scores, GPA/transcript, class rank, and other test scores) as well as your extracurriculars, application essays, and letters of recommendation, among other criteria, to judge your readiness to attend their school. They want to know that you'll be a good student, but they also want to ensure you'll add to their college community both now and as an alum. That means you want your application to stand out in a positive, memorable, and unique way.
The degree to which you'll need to stand out from other applicants will depend on how selective the schools you're applying to are. In general, the more selective a college is, the more impressive and unique your application will have to be. So what looks really good on a college application? In the next section, we'll look at the specific qualities you should aim to include in your application so you can raise your chances of getting accepted.
Top 10 Qualities Colleges Look for in Applicants
Which characteristics are most appealing to colleges? Here we dive into the top qualities colleges look for in applicants and how you can make sure they shine through in your own applications.
#1: Academic Curiosity
More than nearly anything else, admissions officers want students who genuinely love learning. This doesn’t just mean high grades (although that matters); it also means intellectual engagement. They want to see evidence that your learning continues outside the classroom. People who are academically curious learn, grow, and contribute much more than students who study just enough to pass a course, then never think about the subject again. Colleges want to know: do you dive into topics outside of class? Attend summer programs? Read, research, or create just because you’re interested in a topic? This kind of curiosity signals that you’ll thrive in a college classroom.
To highlight academic curiosity in your application, you'll want to make sure at least some of your extracurriculars show these interests. Maybe you started a blog about new archaeological discoveries, ran your own experiment studying insects, took coding classes over the summer, etc. Beyond describing these experiences in the extracurricular/activity section of the application, you can also write about them in your personal statement. Be sure to explain why they're important to you and how you plan on continuing to build that knowledge in college and beyond.
#2: Initiative
Colleges love go-getters who don’t wait to be told what to do. Especially for teenagers, it's very common to wait for an adult to give instructions and do nothing until you get that direction. Colleges appreciate people who follow the rules, but they also want students who can think for themselves, make decisions, and follow through. Taking the lead as a high school student will really help you stand out.
Examples of initiative can include starting a club at school, launching a business, developing a community project, and more. It also doesn't need to be something totally new. You may have found a problem or area of improvement in an activity or interest you were already participating in and wanted to improve. For example, you may have doubled the profits of your soccer team's bake sale by improving how it was organized and run. That also shows initiative, leadership, and drive.
#3: Contributing to Community
Colleges like seeing community service work as an extracurricular activity because it shows that you're actively involved in something that will better yourself and the world. The exact type of volunteering you do isn't typically important; it can be with animals, at a hospital, through a religious organization, at a school, etc. What matters more is that you stick with the volunteering and show commitment to it. By volunteering, you show colleges that you have a real interest in making a positive change in your community.
Community service also shows admissions officers that you have a number of the "intangible" qualities that they're looking for in students. For example, if you tutored students in English while maintaining a full high school course load, that showcases your ability to balance multiple activities at once. This is evidence to colleges that you can stay organized and balance different priorities.
Think about the communities you're part of and how you've added value to them. Did you help run a family business? Tutor younger students? Organize a local clean-up or volunteer regularly at a food pantry? Admissions officers want to see students who will enrich their college community the same way.
#4: Leadership
You likely already know this, but colleges love leaders. Why do admissions officers care about leadership? Colleges hope that the applicants they admit will go on to be leaders on campus and beyond. Colleges want their alumni to have a significant and beneficial impact on the world. Admissions officers use your high school extracurricular activities as a way to judge if you have the interest and ability to be a leader. Did you bring people together, guide a team, or help an organization grow? Leadership can show up in big and small ways, from organizing events to mentoring others. Colleges want to know if you’ll be a leader on their campus, too.
What do colleges look for in leadership experience? Simply having a leadership title in one of your extracurriculars is not enough (most high-achieving high school students have a leadership role in an extracurricular). You need to be a leader who makes an impact. In general, your impact should be measurable by a numerical amount (like $1,000 raised or 500 students attending an event) or by meeting a big goal (like getting to the state or national level of competition). You want to be able to say, "Under my leadership, the student council raised $5,000 to make prom free for all students" or "While I was team captain, our math team went from not making the regional competition to winning the state championship."
Make sure to highlight the change your leadership led to. Most high-achieving high school students will have some leadership role on their college applications. Not many students will have made a true impact.
#5: Resilience
Life doesn’t always go smoothly, and colleges want to see how you respond. If you’ve faced setbacks, challenges, or failures, admissions officers want to hear how you handled them. Did you bounce back? Grow stronger? Adapt and keep going? Resilience is a strong predictor of long-term success.
This can also be an excellent way to explain the less-than-perfect parts of your application. Maybe your grades dropped the semester you got mono and missed a ton of school. Maybe your parents lost their childcare and you couldn't participate in extracurriculars the way you wanted to because you had to take care of your younger siblings. Explained the right way, these look like strengths and proof of resilience rather than weaknesses. Use your personal statement or the Additional Information section to share a challenge you overcame. Focus on how it shaped you and what you learned, not just the hardship itself. A strong story of perseverance can be one of the most powerful parts of your application.
#6: Authenticity
Cookie-cutter applications are forgettable. Colleges are drawn to students who are unapologetically themselves. Be honest about your interests, your background, your quirks, etc. When you write your essays or describe your activities, don’t try to guess what admissions teams want. Instead, be confident enough to show them who you really are.
Authenticity can be especially apparent in your personal statement. While it may be tempting to replicate ideas you saw in viral essays, resist the urge! It's much more effective if you let your natural voice shine through in your writing. Avoid clichés and over-polished narratives. Instead, be honest about your passions, struggles, and how you think. Admissions officers are looking for real students they can imagine in a classroom or dorm, not a manufactured version of what you think they want.
#7: Passion
What gets you excited? Colleges love students who care deeply about something, whether it’s art, coding, environmental science, rock climbing, etc. This relates to intellectual curiosity which we mentioned earlier, but passion specifically refers to a deep, sustained interest in one or two areas. Colleges love to see it! Passion fuels learning and makes for students who are excited to learn and contribute. If you’ve gone above and beyond in any area, make sure that enthusiasm comes through in your application.
Use your activities list to highlight your depth of involvement in one or two key areas, not just a wide array of shallow commitments. In your essays, tell the story of how your passion developed and how you’ve pursued it even when no one was watching. Passion is contagious, and admissions officers want students who will bring that energy to campus.
#8: Collaboration
When you think of it, college is a team sport. You interact with other students all day long. Schools want students who play well with others, whether in group projects, sports, clubs, or volunteering. As such, you want to show them that you're respectful, open to ideas, and able to work with a diverse group of people. Collaboration is essential to a thriving campus culture.
Highlight group experiences where your role was crucial, not just as a leader but also as a listener, supporter, or bridge-builder. Did you help organize a group event, work on a team project, or contribute to a club’s success behind the scenes? These experiences show you know how to positively contribute in collaborative environments.
#9: Perspective
What experiences have shaped how you see the world? Colleges want students who bring a unique perspective based on culture, upbringing, personal challenges, or even geographic location. Diversity in thought and experiences strengthens campus communities.
Perspective isn't defined only by your background. Maybe you’re someone who approaches problems differently, sees connections others miss, or has developed empathy through personal hardships. Share what makes your perspective unique. It'll help admissions officers see your mind at work.
In your essays, reflect on how your experiences have changed the way you think. What do you notice that others might not? What questions do you ask that others overlook?
#10: Potential to Grow
You don’t have to be perfect. Colleges aren't looking for perfection. They're looking for students who are ready to learn, grow, and be challenged. They want to know if an applicant will take advantage of their opportunities and rise to meet new expectations.
How can you show potential? Think about how you've already grown. Did you struggle at first in a class but made an effort to improve? Were you super shy when you joined the photography club but are now in charge of welcoming new members? Did you not make the tennis team the first time you tried out and used that as motivation to improve? Share those changes! Colleges love to see students who aren’t afraid to fail, reflect, and come back stronger.
To make your potential shine, be honest about your journey. Use your essays to show where you’ve been and where you’re headed. Ask teachers to write recommendations that speak to your work ethic and upward momentum. Having a growth mindset is one of the clearest signs you’re ready for college.
How Can You Show These Qualities in Your College Applications?
The strongest applications showcase your best qualities in multiple areas like your personal statement, supplemental essays, activities list, letters of recommendation, and even the Additional Information section. Each part of your application is a chance to highlight a different side of who you are.
Start with your personal statement. This is your best opportunity to tell a story that reveals character. Choose a topic that allows you to show growth, resilience, initiative, and/or curiosity. The best essays aren’t laundry lists of accomplishments. Instead, they’re focused, introspective, and emotionally resonant.
In your activities section, emphasize both depth and impact. Don’t just list what you did; add context. What motivated you? What challenges did you face? What outcomes did you achieve? Use those entries wisely to give a fuller picture of your contributions and leadership.
Letters of recommendation should reinforce the traits you’ve highlighted elsewhere. Choose teachers or mentors who know you well and can speak to your work ethic, collaboration skills, or intellectual engagement. Consider giving them a “brag sheet” that reflects your growth and the stories you’d like them to emphasize.
Finally, use the Additional Information section strategically. If there’s a challenge you overcame or important context to your achievements, this is the place to explain it. It’s also where you can expand on unusual activities or personal circumstances. Done well, this section adds context to your application and increases your authenticity.
Summary: Top Qualities Colleges Look For
What qualities do colleges look for? The best college applications don’t just show what you've done, they show who you are as a person and what you hope to achieve in the future. Don’t worry about being everything on this list. Focus on highlighting your strengths, sharing your story honestly, and making it clear how you'll positively contribute to the school. That’s what admissions officers are really looking for.
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