<p>This may be a dumb question, but what exactly affects your admissions other than stats (SAT/GPA/EC’s/essay/rec)? As in, do the following have any affect when colleges decide whether or not to accept you?</p>
<li>Prestige of your high school</li>
<li>Your major/career/field</li>
<li>Public vs. Private</li>
<li>Religion</li>
<li>Family background</li>
<li>Instruments you play (not common instruments they might want to have for their orchestra, like harp or something)</li>
</ol>
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<li>I don’t think prestige of high school matters so much as whether or not your high school has a reputation for being really hard or really easy, which could make an impact on how they view your GPA.<br></li>
<li>I doubt major/career/field has much of an impact, simply because so many people don’t know what they want, and change it often - though if you’re looking for a specialized major that the school is looking to build up, it may help, though I wouldn’t bet on it.</li>
<li>Again, I think this depends on the relative education that I mentioned in 1, since some public schools are better than private and vice versa</li>
<li>I think this is called discrimination, unless you’re applying to a totally Catholic school or something which requires you to be Catholic</li>
<li> Depends on the circumstances, but is usually used more as a ‘hook’ in the essay</li>
<li> Again, can be an essay/EC ‘hook’</li>
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<ol>
<li><p>It kind of affects your admission. If you have a 3.3 GPA from a prestigious, very difficult private high school, you have more of a shot than a 3.3 GPA from a not as prestigious high school. </p></li>
<li><p>Your major rarely, if ever, affects your admission to a school. If you wanted to go into engineering as opposed to English, it would be more difficult, but if you wanted to be a political science major as opposed to an English major, then there’s no difference. It’s usually between different schools within a university. (There are some rare exceptions. If you put down Undecided Engineering at some universities, your chances also drop.) </p></li>
<li><p>If the college/uni is public or private rarely matters unless you’re out of state for a public university (i.e. the UC schools, UNC). </p></li>
<li><p>It will NEVER affect your admission to a school unless you’re applying to some very random religious school. Even Brigham Young has Muslims. </p></li>
<li><p>It helps, but doesn’t hurt. If you’re the first in your family to go to college or a legacy, then it helps. But colleges won’t look down at you for not being either. </p></li>
<li><p>Uhhh. That’s an EC?</p></li>
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<p>" It will NEVER affect your admission to a school unless you’re applying to some very random religious school. Even Brigham Young has Muslims. "</p>
<p>Not true. Being an active member of an unusual religion could help your application at some colleges that wish to attract a diverse group of students. Some religiously-affiliated colleges also may favor students who practice the faith that is connected with the college.</p>
<p>Yes, filling a need the college has can help at a particular school. Some situations such as being a first-generation college student can help. Be sure to make good use of your time through ECs. It is good you’re thinking of what you need to do to accomplish the goals you’ve set out for yourself.</p>
<p>But I think sometimes kids overlook the importance of who they are as a person and as a student. Be the kind of student that teachers will actually volunteer to write letters for. This goes beyond GPA. It means being the kind of student who brings fresh perspectives to discussions, who shows a true love of learning. It means being a person who shows character. Character does come through loud and clear in what they write about you. Reveal your personality in your essays. Write essays that show what you care about, who you are.</p>
<p>It’s more than what you do, how you score. It’s who you are as a student and a person. There will be many kids with good scores. Be the one who comes alive as a person when ad officers read through your file.</p>
<p>Hmm. It’s possible. I just don’t think it comes to play as much as other factors. I’ve never heard of an “affirmative action” for religion. After all, for all non-religious schools, there’s no place to put your religion. It’s up to you to inform the college of your religion.</p>
<p>Many religiously-affiliated colleges try to attract students of their faith by automatically offering scholarships to students who are members of a church in the denomination affiliated with the college. One example is Earlham, which offers scholarships to Quakers.</p>