Colleges look for a variety of things when they look at an applicant. Sometimes parts of the applicants scores fall under the colleges average, but they can still be recruited. Colleges look at your test scores, ACT/SAT scores, AP tests, class grades, and any potential red flags that might signal that you are not ready. All of these factors matter and even if you are under their average, there is still a chance that you can be accepted into that school. 

The first thing that colleges will look at will be your ACT/SAT score, most colleges have a minimum number posted that is between 1-36. This is one of the most important things they look at, but don’t worry if you receive a score that you are not happy with because you can retake this test until you find something that satisfies you.

The next thing they look at is your GPA and your transcript. They look at this to see how you perform in your classes and what type of classes you have taken. It is also important to note that AP classes are more influential in getting accepted into college. Colleges would rather prefer that you took a hard class and got a decent grade than take a regular class and take an A.

Colleges look at a lot of the things you did and by knowing this in high school, it can help a lot. Just remember not to stress about and just do your best in high school. Also try to pick the hardest classes because that is more impressive.