As an admissions officer at X College, your primary goal is to build a class of students who can thrive academically and personally while contributing to campus life. In making these decisions, you rely on several key indicators to determine whether an applicant is a good fit:

1. Transcript/Grades- The student’s high school transcript provides four years of academic performance, offering the most comprehensive view of long-term achievement.
2. Teacher Recommendations- These insights illustrate how the student engages in the classroom and interacts with peers and instructors, complementing the transcript by adding valuable context.
3. Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) While these tests capture performance in a single setting, they serve as a standardized benchmark to help confirm or refine academic assessments.

In practice, you might review transcripts first, then consult teacher recommendations, and finally use standardized test scores to verify or adjust your initial evaluations. Although academics remain the foundation, a diverse, dynamic campus also depends on extracurricular activities that showcase the student’s passions and willingness to contribute to the community.

Every institution weighs these factors differently, which you can often see in the Common Data Set (CDS). For instance, Stanford’s CDS section C7 outlines how the university evaluates these criteria, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the admissions process.