Character Counts: The Qualities the Admissions Board Wants to See

You can have a beautiful transcript, fantastic test scores and great letters of recommendation — but in today’s tough academic environment, college admissions boards are increasingly saying that what isn’t easily ascertained from your academic record is what may matter the most.

They’re talking about character. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Character and Why Does It Matter to a University?

It’s been said that your character is who you are and what you do when nobody else is around. It’s also the inherent qualities that you bring with you to the campus once you become part of a university community.

Early in 2020, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) released research that talked about this very issue and addressed the trends they are seeing in college admissions. The study indicates that a student’s non-academic character-related attributes have gained increasing importance when it comes to gaining a spot in a freshman class at a top school.

Why? Because there are tons of students with great academics out there competing for slots at the top schools. That means admissions boards are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate students with similar backgrounds and academic records through non-traditional means.

Universities — particularly those with excellent reputations — also want to know that the students they admit are capable of embodying the “school spirit” when it comes to integrity, honor and their contributions to both the campus atmosphere and society in general.

What Character Traits Do Admission Boards Want to See?

No one person can embody every positive character trait that admissions officers hope to see, but it does help to have a list in mind. Today, the top schools want to see applicants with:

• Creativity: Adobe released a study called “The Deciding Factor” that surveyed numerous high schools students, placement counselors and admissions boards about the way that the college admissions process is evolving. Creativity was cited by 95% of admissions officers as one of the top three character traits they look for in a student’s application.
• Social consciousness: Social responsibility has become a pressing concern in many different settings — especially, perhaps, among academics. People who demonstrate that they care about the world and other people are an asset to any campus community.
• Open-mindedness: It’s an increasingly global world, and the capacity to engage with others from different cultures and backgrounds than one’s own is important both in a student’s academic life and future career.
• Resilience: Call it a stubborn streak, grit or persistence, a student who is willing to take on challenges and strive for their goals despite setbacks and obstacles without becoming bitter or losing their passion is attractive to many schools. This also demonstrates that a student is willing to explore and take risks instead of sticking to “safe” classes and goals.
• Leadership: This shows that a student isn’t afraid to take charge of a situation, that they know how to both inspire others and work well with a team to achieve common goals. That feeds right back into the loop that tells an admissions board that a particular applicant will benefit the campus community.

The odds are high that you do possess many of these valuable character traits. They may even have helped you get where you are today. Just make sure that you keep them in mind both as you’re cultivating your high school experience and drafting your applications for the university of your dreams.