A solid score on the SAT can help a student’s application, but a college’s admissions decisions involve much more than numbers. Colleges and universities are looking for students with unique life experiences and perspectives, students who demonstrate leadership in their communities or are active participants in their communities, and colleges are seeking students from a broad, diverse array of student perspectives.
The applicant’s extracurricular activities and personal essays showcase the student’s impact beyond their engagement within the classroom, as well as insight into their personal character and aspirations. Academics matter, but the combination of experiences strengthens the applicant!
The Role of SAT Scores in Admissions
The SAT has historically been an important factor for college admissions, giving colleges some information about a student’s academic strength in mathematics, reading, and writing. A strong SAT score against a university’s standard could also demonstrably add to a student’s application as an indicator of preparation for college-level coursework.
While most colleges and universities value and recognise the importance of SAT scores in the application process, many had begun to shift the evaluation of applicants to a more holistic view of what applicants may offer as an incoming freshman student before the COVID-19 pandemic; college admissions have evolved from before, to after the pandemic.
Today, with a trend toward test-optional policies, students have been afforded the choice of whether to submit a test score, allowing colleges to reinforce the concept that a student’s academic potential cannot be captured by only a standard test!
The Significance of Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities contribute to a student’s character, interest, and commitment beyond academics; these activities also show colleges whether they will contribute to campus life because colleges are looking for students who will be engaged, and not just through volunteer work or internships.
Extracurricular activities demonstrate a student’s leadership, character, commitment, and passions. The key to what the colleges are looking for is not necessarily the quantity, but the meaningfulness and commitment to the extracurricular activities.
For example, a student who pursued one meaningful activity for a number of years (like leading a volunteer or fund-raising project, or conducting independent research, or competing in an athlete event) is often preferred over a student who was involved in a long list of clubs that each required only a few weeks of membership and now have thin accomplishments to show for it.
In this way, strong extracurriculars can also help students achieve balance in an application since even if their SAT scores were not as good as expected, but the student accomplished something of significance (like a notable impact on the community through a project, or achieving national recognition through an academic competition), then often that student is going to stand out and this does not always come through on a standardized test.
Key Takeaways for Students:
- Make sure to pursue activities based on personal interest, not just what looks good or impressive.
- Focus on leadership experience gained through a single activity or ongoing activities, and a completed activity that is measurable and relevant to your academic and career goals.
- Depth is more important than breadth; committing to a few activities or areas, instead of dabbling or spanning a lot of activities.
Some students will have exceptional accomplishments and understanding of their extracurricular activities as an application context, this can help elevate the application even with average SAT scores.
Beyond Scores: The Impact of a Powerful Personal Essay
If extracurricular activities provide evidence of a student’s actions, personal essays provide evidence of a student’s voice and viewpoint. An applicant’s ACT or SAT scores and strong extracurriculars will generate interest in them as a person; however, essays typically have an influence in a challenging applicant pool. Essays are the only part of the application where students can speak to admissions officers in their own words (and if done well, will demonstrate “voice”).
A bland, all-purpose, cliche essay will quickly fade from memory; however, an engaging, personal story will remain memorable and fresh. Instead of writing about how “Kelly learned the value of hard work” in her summer job, we can use an engaging essay to describe a team “Aha!” moment. For example, the first time Kelly jumped in to help a struggling customer, and established that moment of patience with that person. This also taught Kelly the first fundamentals of empathy.
An effective essay:
- Tells a real story – the essay will read as authentic, not simply a list of everything I accomplished.
- The essay will use specific anecdotes to allow the reader to visualise what happened.
- The essay has demonstrated growth, perseverance or a unique perspective.
- Feels genuine — based on not telling admissions officers what students think they want to hear– in an authentic student’s voice.
For students with lower SAT scores, a strong personal essay can allow the reader to see beyond the performance on tests and see personal strengths in the applicant. An applicant who has overcome adversity, taken risks, or pursued an atypical interest is the candidate who, through a personal perspective, can demonstrate characteristics like perseverance, creative thinking, or problem-solving that are just as applicable in the college setting as test scores are.
Takeaways for students:
- Your essay should tell your story, not tell about a résumé.
- You want the reader’s impression to be real, concrete experiences.
- Don’t worry about it being “perfect”— authenticity is better than perfection to admissions officers.
A strong essay can make up for a “meh” SAT (or ACT) score by showing colleges why you would be a great addition to their campus and engage with your education.
Balancing Academics and Personal Development
Although finding success academically is still important, colleges looking for recruits want to balance academic success with personal development. Demonstrating depth of involvement in a small number of extracurricular areas is often much more powerful than demonstrating shallow levels of involvement in a lot of areas. Admission officers notice passion in activities that demonstrate it and do not usually miss students who are simply padding their resumes.
Likewise, essays are more powerful when the authentic voice of an applicant’s experience and perspective is present, rather than crafted versions to tell students what they think admissions committees want to hear.
The Changing Landscape of College Admissions
For several years now, the pendulum of a shift toward a holistic approach to admissions has been rapidly changing in response to multiple global events, but intensified and accelerated after a worldwide pandemic. The vast majority of universities have reconsidered standardized testing and value opinion, including many holistic options to consider the applicant at a more comprehensive level.
The realization many admissions offices have come to understand is that test scores can be impacted by multiple factors, including socioeconomic status, the ability to access resources that alleviate stress experiences, and/or personal experiences leading to a diminished opportunity for success on test day.
Therefore, involvement in extracurricular activities and/or thoughtful writing samples has taken on even more significance, especially to communicate potential beyond the academic record.
Practical Steps for Applicants
- Participate in Meaningful Extracurricular Activities – Rather than joining every club or organization you can find that you are interested in, join a few. Colleges appreciate depth instead of breadth, so having opportunities, especially having a leadership position or creating your own opportunity, will reflect depth in the eyes of colleges.
2. Write a Personal Essay – Your essay should reflect things about you, not just a laundry list of accomplishments. A more compelling story might be about a challenge you overcame, a lesson you learned, or a passion that you genuinely care about – that’s something an admissions officer will remember.
3. Demonstrate Academic and Personal Growth – Although grades and, therefore, test scores are important, colleges also want to see that students have exhibited intellectual curiosity and tenacity. Obtaining independent opportunities outside of school in which to pursue research or project work, volunteer, etc., demonstrates initiative and how eager a student is to learn.
4. Choose Your Letter Writers Carefully – Letters of recommendation provide authentic insight into your strengths. Pick teachers and professors, mentors, or supervisors who can reasonably represent your character, work ethic, and contributions in a way that is congruent with the remainder of your application.
5. Show Learning Enthusiasm for Education Outside of School – Education institutions prefer learners who search for ways to extend their learning. This could occur in the form of internships, online learning, or self-generated project work. Applying and demonstrating an initiative to be proactive with educational opportunities shows a commitment to growing and utilizing all resources available.
6. Submit a Consistent and Well-Balanced Application – Every part of an application should tell a story, your story, or tell a stable, consistent story. It’s important that your application achieves the intended consistency between academic pursuits, extra-curricular pursuits, your essays, and your references to achieve an overall balanced impression of who you are.
How The Princeton Review Singapore Can Help You Stand Out
While a strong SAT score is a valuable component of the college admission process, Harvard admissions decisions are not solely based on the ability to take a test. Students need a balanced academic record, extracurricular involvement, and impactful essays in their applications. The Princeton Review Singapore will assist students in developing strong applications with the help of their knowledgeable experts.
1. SAT Prep with Proven Results
Success on the SAT requires a smart strategy and the right support. The Princeton Review Singapore provides:
- Expert-led in-person and online courses
- Private tutoring for targeted improvement
- Full-length practice tests that simulate real exam conditions
- Personalized study plans to maximize scores
With a successful track record in helping students with competitive scores, our SAT programs provide a clear advantage to applicants.
2. Expert College Admissions Counseling
In addition to SAT prep programs, The Princeton Review Singapore provides support to help applicants with:
- Guidance on extracurricular activities and impactful leadership opportunities
- Personalised approach to school selection
- Comprehensive essay coaching and statement of purpose development that enhances an authentic voice to stand out from 1000s of similar statements
- Mock interviews to build up confidence before school interviews
The Princeton Review Singapore only has 30 students on intake per calendar year, allowing for maximum impact and personalisation in counselling services.
3. A Holistic Approach to College Admissions
- Long-term planning programs to foster academic and leadership skills
- Application reviews for strong, coherent submissions
- Continuous support of students and parents throughout the application process
For students in Singapore looking to gain admission to elite universities, Princeton Review Singapore has the resources, experience, and support to help develop a competitive application.
Conclusion
In today’s competitive admissions process, while a strong SAT score is worth its weight in gold, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Colleges and universities are interested in well-rounded individuals as they seek passion, leadership, and authenticity. Through a holistic approach and a compelling application, students will become a part of their sought-after institution.