What Do Colleges Look For? The Data, Plus What STEM Applicants Need

Last updated: October 28, 2026

What do colleges look for? Grades in college-prep courses first, then the strength of your curriculum, then your character, essays, recommendations and activities. That order comes from NACAC's most recent survey of 185 four-year colleges for students entering in fall 2023, and grades and curriculum have stayed at the top for more than a decade. The big change is test scores, which fell from near the top of the list to near the bottom. Selective colleges, especially for science and engineering, also look for evidence of what you do with your interests outside class. This guide walks through the data factor by factor, then explains what changes when you apply as a STEM student.

Want evidence of what you can do in science outside the classroom? See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

What colleges look for most: the survey data

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) asks colleges how much each factor matters in their admission decisions. These are the shares of colleges that gave each factor "considerable importance" for students entering in fall 2023:

Grades in college-prep courses: 76.8%
Total high school grades: 74.1%
Strength of curriculum: 63.8%
Positive character attributes: 28.3%
Essay or writing sample: 18.9%
Student's interest in attending: 15.7%
Counselor recommendation: 11.9%
Teacher recommendation: 10.8%
Extracurricular activities: 6.5% (another 44.3% gave them "moderate importance")
Class rank: 5.5%
Test scores (SAT, ACT): 4.9%
Portfolio: 4.9%
Interview: 4.3%

Two things stand out. First, grades and course rigor dominate at almost every college. Second, test scores collapsed: in 2018, 46% of colleges gave them considerable importance. NACAC links the drop to the spread of test-optional and test-free policies after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This survey covers all kinds of four-year colleges, and many of them admit most applicants. At selective colleges, nearly every applicant has strong grades, so the other factors decide more of the outcome.

Grades and course rigor

The College Board puts it simply: grades in college-preparatory classes "remain the most significant factor in college admission decisions." It adds that the most selective colleges look for students who take more challenging classes, "even though they may have slightly lower grades than they'd achieve in lower-level courses."

For STEM applicants, rigor means the math and science sequence in particular. Admissions readers look at whether you took the most advanced math and science your school offers, and how you did in them. Colleges also look at what your school offers. MIT, for example, accepts a school profile alongside your transcript and counselor materials.

Test scores

Test scores now matter much less across all colleges, but not everywhere. Some selective colleges require them. MIT, for example, requires the SAT or ACT and rates test scores as "important" in its Common Data Set. Many BS/MD programs also require scores even when the college does not. See how to get into MIT and our BS/MD programs guide for specifics.

If your scores are strong for a college, send them. If the college is test-optional and your scores are below its typical range, your grades and the rest of your application will carry more weight.

Character and personal qualities

"Positive character attributes" was the fourth most important factor in the NACAC survey, and at selective colleges it often matters more. MIT's Common Data Set rates character and personal qualities as "very important," its highest rating, above grades and test scores, which it rates "important."

Colleges do not measure character with a checklist. They read it in your essays, your recommendations, your interview and the choices you made in your activities. Initiative, curiosity, persistence after failure and how you treat other people all count.

Essays

The essay is where a college hears from you directly. A good essay shows something about how you think that the rest of the application does not. Specific beats impressive: a story about one experiment that failed and what you changed will tell a reader more than a general statement about loving science. MIT's essays, for example, ask what problems you want to tackle and how you handled a challenge you did not expect.

A research project gives you a real problem to write about. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

Recommendations

Teacher and counselor recommendations show how you act when you are not trying to impress anyone. The College Board says the best recommendations are highly specific, describing the ways students "add to the classroom experience," "challenge themselves" and "attempt original projects."

STEM applicants should ask at least one math or science teacher. MIT, for example, recommends one letter from a math or science teacher and one from a humanities, social science or language teacher. If you did research, a letter from your research mentor can add something your teachers cannot. MIT's Research Supplement includes a mentor recommendation for this reason.

Extracurricular activities

Extracurriculars had "considerable importance" at only 6.5% of colleges in the NACAC survey, but "moderate importance" at another 44.3%, and at selective colleges they often separate applicants with similar grades.

What colleges want is depth, not a long list. The College Board says "depth of involvement is more impressive than breadth" and advises students to focus on a limited number of interests, show long-term involvement, highlight activities related to a major or career goal, and show leadership. MIT's application leaves room for only four activities, and MIT's admissions office asks applicants to "choose quality over quantity."

For STEM applicants, the strongest activities show that you have done the work of your intended major, not just joined a club about it: a research project, an engineering build, a coding project with real users, a science competition or an internship. Our list of passion project ideas for high school students has 50 ideas.

How to list activities on the Common App

The Common App gives you room for up to 10 activities. For each one, you have:

Position or leadership description: 50 characters
Organization name: 100 characters
Description of what you did: 150 characters
Hours per week and weeks per year, reported separately

The Common App's own advice is to focus on what your activities show about you, not on how many you report. If you need more room for one activity, use the Additional Information question in the Writing section.

Write each description with facts: what you did, how much and what happened. "Built a Python model of local flood risk using 20 years of USGS data; presented to city council" tells a reader more than "Environmental club member; passionate about climate."

What colleges look for in STEM applicants

Admissions readers ask a simple question about STEM applicants: has this student already done some real science, math or engineering, beyond what class required? Strong evidence includes:

The hardest math and science you could take, done well.
A sustained project in your field. Research, a build, a coding project or a long-term competition. Colleges want to see that you can work on an open question where the answer is not in the back of the book. See does research help college admissions.
A teacher or mentor who can describe your work. Specific stories in a letter beat general praise.
A clear, honest reason for your intended major. It should connect to things you have actually done.
Evidence that you care about people as well as problems. Tutoring, teaching or building something for your community counts.

MIT puts it in one line: "you shouldn't just enjoy thinking about problems, you should be excited about doing something to help solve them."

Students in our program finish with a research paper and a written evaluation from their PhD mentor. Learn how the program works →

Demonstrated interest

"Student's interest in attending" had considerable importance at 15.7% of colleges in the NACAC survey. Policies vary a lot: some colleges track campus visits, info sessions and emails, while others ignore them completely. MIT, for example, lists "level of applicant's interest" as "not considered." Check each college's Common Data Set (section C7) to see how it rates interest and every other factor.

What colleges look for, grade by grade

9th grade: Build strong grades from the start. Your transcript begins now. Try a few activities.
10th grade: Choose the most rigorous course path you can handle. Narrow your activities to the two or three you care about most.
11th grade: This is the most important year for grades and rigor. Start a serious project in your intended field. Get to know the teachers who will write your recommendations. Take the SAT or ACT if your colleges want it.
Summer before 12th grade: Finish your project and write it up. Draft your essays and your activities list.
12th grade: Keep your grades up, because colleges see your senior year. Apply on time and send recommendations early.

If you are thinking about research, these guides will help: research topics for high school students, how to find a research mentor in high school and summer research programs for high schoolers.

Research in 10th or 11th grade gives you something specific to show colleges. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

Frequently asked questions

What do colleges look for the most? Grades in college-prep courses. In NACAC's survey, 76.8% of colleges gave them considerable importance, more than any other factor. Strength of curriculum was third, at 63.8%.

Do colleges care about an A+ versus an A? Usually not much. The difference between course levels matters more than the difference between an A and an A+. The College Board says selective colleges look for students who take harder classes even if their grades are slightly lower.

How do I stand out to colleges? Do something real and sustained in the area you want to study, and make sure someone who saw you do it can write about it. Depth in a few activities beats a long list of many.

Do colleges look at test scores anymore? Some do. Only 4.9% of colleges gave test scores considerable importance in NACAC's fall 2023 survey, down from 46% in 2018, but some colleges, including MIT, require them.

What do colleges look for in extracurricular activities? Depth, long-term involvement, leadership and a connection to your intended major or career goal, according to the College Board.

Where can I see what a specific college looks for? In its Common Data Set, section C7, which rates each factor as very important, important, considered or not considered. Many colleges post it on their institutional research website.

Sources

About the STEM Research Program

We look for students who are curious, self-motivated and ready for independent work. Prior research experience is not required. Each admitted student works one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a top-20 university, online, for 12 weeks, and sets a research question with their mentor by week four. Students finish with a completed research paper, a written evaluation from their mentor and a one-on-one college counseling session.

Start your application to the STEM Research Program → · Questions about eligibility? Contact us →