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Do colleges prefer students that don't have a 4.0 gpa, take vigorous courses and don't have a job or a student with a 4.0, volunteers monthly, and has a job and is also involved with sports?

A friend of mine is in this situation and wonders what she shall do her senior year to make her college application stand-out from the others. #college #college-admissions #college-applications

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nancy’s Answer

I think rather than those qualifications you should focus on your personal statement and how you can describe your situation in the best way that will maximize your worth and what you will bring to their university.
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Elizabeth’s Answer

Short answer: Higher GPA is better if you're applying to highly selective schools.

Long answer: It's not a dichotomy--one choice isn't necessarily better than the other for every college. Of course, colleges would like to see a student who can do it all: 4.0 GPA, rigorous classes, multiple volunteering/job experiences, sports, arts, student government, etc. However, colleges do look first and foremost at your transcript when considering an application. Having a solid GPA is crucial when applying to competitive schools. They need to know that the student has the necessary skills to handle a college-level course load.

That being said, colleges do consider the rigor of the courses when looking at a student's GPA. A student taking all AP/IB/Honors classes with a 3.5 GPA might even be preferred to a student taking no advanced classes with a 4.0 (there's a reason AP classes are given extra weight when calculating weighted GPA).

I'd recommend a compromise between the two: a couple rigorous courses, but not too many that would drastically lower GPA or detract from time that should also be spent working or playing sports (i.e aim for a 3.8 with several extracurriculars).
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A. Michelle’s Answer

Selecting students to matriculate at a college/university is not a science, but an art. All want demonstrated academic success (GPA and difficulty of coursework), leadership, service to community (with quality of engagement over quantity). They also factor in personal statements from the student and recommendations from teachers. Individual school might have other traits or experiences that they prioritize
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