Perceptions of College Across Grades Levels

As students transition to high school, their worries change from having to navigate the halls of RHS between classes to grades and building that resume. As soon as freshmen step through those doors, it is only a matter of months before they begin to think about planning for college. In fact, most students at RHS begin thinking about which college they will attend early in their high school careers, which causes them to worry about what they need to do in highschool because what they do and how they do it will  profoundly impact college acceptances.  They fret about their GPA, SAT and ACT scores, the number of AP and honors classes they take, the extracurricular activities that they should do among other things that might boost their chances of getting into that college. I know this because I am a freshman at Ridgewood High School and have spent a good portion of the year thinking about college. Luckily, for those who worry just like me and millions of other high school students, two juniors and a senior have advice and some reassuring news.

Most students will generally wonder: what is the most important factor for getting into college? Juniors of Ridgewood High School, Jaden Lee and Ryan Shintani, along with senior Johnny Jackson responded to this question in multiple ways with no clear or common answer. 

Ryan explains how it “depends on which path” a student wants to take in college. You can focus on the academic or sports path.

 “I think for academics, it’s definitely grades. I think that before  your college looks at your extracurriculars, they will look at your grades, and if your grades aren’t there, they are not gonna really even look at anything else . . . Obviously, if you are trying to get into a school for sports, that’s gonna be your sport, but other than that, grades would  probably be the top priority in my opinion…before anything else,” Ryan stated.   

Ryan believes that the most important factor for getting into college mostly relies on the career a student wants to pursue. They should prioritize grades if they desire a highly competitive school,  such as most Ivy League schools. On the other hand, athletes who want to continue their sports career should focus more on sports in order to get recruited to colleges. They should train everyday to improve. However, as Ryan reveals at the end, students should mainly prioritize grades because even if a student possesses a lot of talent in a sport, some colleges may not accept them if they have poor grades.

Johnny agrees with Ryan’s academic point, “Obviously your grades, how smart you are, and what you get on the SAT all matter.” However, he puts more emphasis on extracurriculars: “But I feel like there are so many other things that colleges and people just look for in life besides your actual grades. Whatever activity is, being involved in clubs, being on the basketball team or being a captain all matter.” Johnny conveys an important message that extracurriculars matter too. They unveil the true character of some teenagers and make them stand out. 

Similarly to Ryan and Johnny, Jaden explains, “there should be a certain standard as to what your GPA should be if you’re trying to get into a decent college,” but he also adds, “what’s really going to help  you are your extracurriculars,  and how focused they are towards a certain pursuit that you’re looking to go into in college.” 

All three students convey the importance of both grades and extracurricular activities. Good grades and extracurriculars help display the talents and abilities of highschoolers. Jaden, however, also highlights that on top of a high GPA and quality extracurriculars, a specific passion towards a subject or major can distinguish a student from their peers and influence admissions. 

For SAT and ACT scores, Jaden explains, “I think most top tier colleges would probably want you to have pretty solid ACT and SAT scores.” By solid, Jaden means higher scores than the average for SAT and ACT scores. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (Admissions College Test) both help determine how strong a student is academically. Students should generally work towards a minimum of 1300 on the SAT and  24 on the ACT to be competitive; however, checking the average acceptance scores of the colleges to which you want to apply is the best indicator of the score you need to achieve.  

Ryan advises that high schoolers should also maximize the number of AP and honors classes they take. He says, “Prestigious colleges want to see you take the hardest courses possible.” AP courses most accurately display how well a student will do in college. Colleges admire students who excel in AP courses and even in honors more than those who succeed in CP classes. 

Jaden and Ryan also express their opinions on sports and clubs. Ryan mentions “sports aren’t going to do much unless you’re winning on national, state, maybe even county levels.” He explains how colleges won’t recruit students who are just on a varsity team and haven’t gained any major accolades. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean a student should avoid putting sports on their application. Johnny, as previously mentioned, says “being involved in clubs, being on the basketball team or being a captain all matter.” Both sports and clubs can demonstrate a student’s communication and teamwork skills. Additionally, being a captain on a sports team or a club can also illustrate leadership, not to mention both sports and clubs will grant students an enjoyable high school experience.                                

Jaden also believes students should try to prioritize the quality of their clubs over the quantity. He explains, “colleges prefer applicants who have quality assets over people that may have a lot of assets even if they are very good at them.” Jaden emphasizes an important point for all factors in a college application: students should focus on a specific area they are passionate and successful at:  “A niche direction helps make an application stand out,” says Jaden.

Ryan and Jaden also believe recommendation letters hold importance to applications. Colleges can learn more about a student’s character, such as whether they participate often. They also believe personal stories are another great way for applicants to differentiate themselves from others who may hold a comparable GPA and partake in similar extracurriculars.

Finally, Ryan, Jaden, and Johnny all give one last piece of advice to highschoolers who will experience this college application process:

Johnny says, “Try to expand your palette as much as you can and just try to put yourself in a variety of situations to show who you are.” Jaden advises, “honestly don’t worry too much . . . it doesn’t matter where you go since you’re gonna find a pretty similar experience across all colleges . . . it should be something nice to look forward to, a place where the next step of your life is.” Ryan explains, “don’t procrastinate and whatever happens happens, maybe you don’t go to your dream college but it’s not the end of your life if you don’t get in. You’ll be happy wherever you go.” 

The highschoolers believe that students should only look forward to college, not dread it. As long as they tried their best during their highschool career, they shouldn’t stress about where they end up for college. A different college may give a student the same experience they desired from their dream college. College is just the next big step in a student’s life.