Which colleges want Well-Rounded Students

College Search & Lists
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Hello everyone! My name is MK and I’m a rising senior trying to finalize my college list. Recently I’ve been hearing a lot about the idea that colleges are seeking out students with a “spike” in one particular field as opposed to traditionally “well- rounded” students. Unfortunately, I consider myself pretty much the epitome of a well-rounded student. (I’ve included all my high school accomplishments below.) I’m not looking to be in the Ivy League per-say, but I am looking at many of the more competitive state schools. Can anyone recommend universities, private or public, that are seeking well-rounded students?

Academics:
GPA : 3.83 UW/4.55 W
PSAT : 1320
SAT : 1370 (retaking with hopes for 1400+)
CR+W SAT : 740
Math SAT : 630
APs : AP US Gov (10th grade-3), AP Lang (11th grade-4), AP World History (11th grade-4), AP Psychology (11th grade-5), AP AB Calculus (to be taken this year), AP Comparitive Government (to be taken this year), AP Literature (to be taken this year)
Other:

  • Member of Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a five course program which gives students the opportunity to earn college engineering credits
  • Nearly all of my classes have the honors distinction

Extracurriculars :
Varsity Cross Country
Varsity Indoor Track - State qualifier in the high jump for 2 years
Varsity Outdoor Track
(Captain of jumps team for both seasons of track)
President of Debate Team
Lawyer for Mock Trial
Championship level Irish Step Dancer (since age 5; 12 years and counting)
Member of 5 honor societies (National English Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, National Latin Honor Society, Rho Kappa, National Honor Society)

Volunteer/Internships :
Over 100 hours of community service
Head Counselor at a Safety and Leadership Training Sleep-away Camp for local youth; run by my county’s police department (this is my 4th year volunteering for the program)
Accepted into a competitive observership program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in summer of 2018 - and will be participating in a month long clinical observership under an anesthesiologist this August at the same hospital. (this requires a federal base access and HIPPA certification)
Was invited to attend the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s ‘Week at the NRC’ program in which I attended seminars on the nuclear industry, and represented the youth and future of the NRC to upper management.

As you can see, I’m very invested in activities ranging from dance and public speaking all the way through engineering and medicine. Another thing I’m worried about is that my Reading & Writing SAT score is significantly higher than my math. However at the moment I’m looking to go into a more technical or scientific field (most likely to do with medicine). I didn’t go into high school with the intent of being ‘well-rounded’. During my high school journey I’ve fallen into so many incredible opportunities that I truly enjoy and am passionate about. If anyone has suggestions on which universities may be looking for students like me I’d greatly appreciate any help!

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All colleges want well rounded students.

I’ve heard a number of admissions officer say that they want to create a well rounded class. This class will include a number of well rounded students as well as a number of students with different talents/interests (or “spikes” as you call them).

IMO the best thing to do is to be yourself and pursue the things that interest you. When it is time to prepare your college application focus on presenting yourself and your accomplishments in a positive light.

FWIW my D was what you would call well-rounded and had no problems in the college admission process.

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Students with “spikes” still need to have well rounded bases, at least for more selective colleges.

4

Some schools are so ridiculously selective (the Ivies, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Chigago etc …) that, beside having top notch academic stats, unhooked kids need some unique thing or things that set them apart in order to have a decent shot at admission - the so called “spike.” In other words, the “well rounded” EC’s like being the captain of the soccer team, VP of National Honor society, co-editor of the yearbook, and volunteering at the local nursing home are not enough. However, this is only true for the most elite schools. Once you get beyond that level, well rounded EC’s are all that is expected. Finally, your Math SAT score could be an issue if you are aiming for selective STEM programs. Lack of AP Chem/Physics/Bio could also be an issue.

5

It’s a touchy subject on CC.
“Spikey” is not a tip for a lot of very top college looking for kids with depth and breadth. They want to see you go past your own predefined interests. If OP is looking at the right colleges for his or her stats and interests, I think this is fine. He or she is activated, engaged with peers, and has some outside things going on.

Key is finding the colleges for you. The right ones start with where your stats fall in range, about the 70th+ percentile or higher on gpa and scores.

Do you have a Fiske Guide to Colleges and have you started finding schools that are affordable? If your parents are together and not self employed, run the NPC (Net Price Calculator) for each target.

Adding: well rounded isn’t about titles. It’s about the activities and the willingness.

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The fact of the matter is that very few college applicants have “spikes” in ECs and achievements that get them accepted by selective colleges. These are rare birds indeed. The “hooks” that often place applicants in more favorable pools for admissions at such schools are not things that are under anyone’s control. Being s legacy or child of development parents or celebrities are due to luck. You don’t choose your parents. URM status, you’re born with that. Recruited athletes are years in the making. As a teenager what kind of big “spike” can you get? It’s rare.

1 Like
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Any reason why you would not want to attend your state flagship college? It’s more than likely a financial safety and, if so, very likely an academic safety as well.