Who Would a College Choose?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

Between two students, which student would a college be more attracted to having at their university, (more curious about Stanford, UCLA, Caltech, etc)? I believe Student B would be, what do you think?

Student A
-Caucasian/Asian mixed
-Female
-A and B student, mostly A’s
-IB Program
-Math Club
-Leadership Club
-Future Problem Solvers
-Varsity Golf
-Comes from non-traditional family
-Wants to major in Neuroscience

Student B
-Caucasian
-Male
-A student, usually 100% in all classes
-IB Program
-Math Club
-Key Club
-Future Problem Solvers
-Hockey, not for school (at least for now)
-Traditional family setup
-Wants to major in medical, however unsure of specifics

2

Admissions is so unpredictable. It’s hard to say what a college would prefer - there are components to it that we don’t think about or know about.

3

I think both have an equal shot because what student A lacks in grades she makes up for in having a decided major and in being a female that wants to pursue a STEM field. It would go down to who’s applying for financial aid, test scores, legacies, first generation, and essays

4

Student A may have an easier time due to being a female. Student B may have an easier time due to traditional family unlike student A. You didn’t mention anything about test scores.

5

Gender shouldn’t make a difference, except in the case of Caltech. (People have this idea that women are universally favored by all colleges, but many colleges [favor men](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/03/13/want-an-edge-in-college-admissions-see-the-schools-where-women-and-men-have-an-advantage/) because they have a disproportionately high number of women applying.)

I don’t think either of these students has done anything extraordinary enough to get into these three schools, which are some of the most competitive schools in the country. Student B has a better chance because he has higher grades, but that’s not saying much.

6

Depends on the school they go to, too. If student A goes to a far more difficult school, she’s more likely to get in. I second @halcyonheather’s statement, though. No leadership positions, no activities relating to their prospective majors, no defined “passions”. Although both students are intelligent, neither are shoo-ins for any of those schools.

Also, note that essays and teacher recs are a big deal. They could be the tipping point for two such students.

7

No way to tell- admissions committees take many things into account.

The essays would be important factors though, especially at very selective colleges.

8

Gender signifies at more than just Caltech. As heather mentioned, a number of schools have a distinct gender imbalance in favor of girls (Brandeis, Vassar, I’m looking at you). Male applicants have just a slight edge in those situations, while females may at Colorado Mines, or Caltech. The key is to do your research into your school list, and take those male:female ratios into account for more than just your social life.