Q: How do you define a well-rounded student?

A:A well-rounded student is one who is academically prepared and is active outside the classroom. This means a student with a solid cumulative grade point average and good standardized test scores. It's important that the cumulative GPA be computed from required high school core courses -- not driver's education, for example. Leadership positions and extracurricular activities, including community service, are also important qualifications.
-- Cheng Khoo, Director of Admissions and Records, West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV)

A: There are six main areas we consider when evaluating applicants and each of these is weighted equally in our holistic evaluation process. These six areas are grades recalculated on an unweighted 4.0 scale), the curriculum based on what the school offered, SAT or ACT scores, recommendation letters, extracurricular activities (including clubs, leadership, volunteer work, jobs), and the essay.
-- Maggie Lemmel, Admission Counselor, Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX)

A: It's especially important that prospective students demonstrate a consistent history of extracurricular and social involvement through community service. Students who not only participate in, but create groups, clubs, and events often exemplify self-motivation, self-reliance, independent thought, and passion for learning. A rigorous courseload of college preparatory classes should include AP and honors classes, if offered. While we do consider test scores in the context of other application materials, a required expository writing sample is a much better indicator of how a student would fare in Marlboro's writing intensive curriculum.
-- Mark Crowther, Assistant Director of Admissions, Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT)

A: We place the highest priority on courses taken and grades achieved, followed by test scores, which should correspond to grades. A well-rounded student starts with a strong academic background, having taken challenging courses preparing him or her for the rigors of college. We also expect to see a [standardized test] score that corresponds to the level of challenge in courses and the grades earned. Activities and leadership go hand in hand. Selected activities in and/or out of school where a student has a leadership role (as opposed to being in a long list of activities in a marginal way) is also important.
-- Tom Green, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services, Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ)

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