Typically, one of the core criteria for getting into a private university is a student's academic performance to date, evidenced in standardized test scores, grades, academic honors and high school course load. The importance of academic performance varies widely among individual universities. Often, a school will expect most of its applicants to have an academic background that meets a certain standard in order to be considered. However, in the most competitive of schools, the university admissions department may receive interest from more applicants meeting this academic baseline than they could possibly admit to a single class. As a result, factors other than academic performance come to the forefront of the admissions process.
For many selective private universities, admissions officers look at a student's overall profile, not just at academic scores and grades. This may be motivated by the school's interest in bolstering its own non-academic programs. For example, a school with an active orchestra program may be interested in supporting its symphony with incoming musicians of high caliber. A student with diverse extracurricular activities may also stand out from a large number of students who have identical test scores. According to an interview in The Daily Beast, "Dirty Secrets of College Admission," admissions officers are sometimes swayed by their perception of a student's likable or well-rounded personality. Pursuing your passions outside of the classroom may tip the scales in your favor.
Typically, students must write personal essays to round out their college application, showing the admissions officer an additional dimension of their character and personality. According to College Admissions Partners, only 13 percent of public colleges view the essay as a considerable factor toward admission, whereas over 31 percent of private colleges take it to be of considerable importance.
Most private universities also ask that prospective students submit recommendations from their high school teachers, counselors or extracurricular coaches. Compared with public schools, private universities place considerable weight on these recommendations. According to College Admissions Partners, just over 6 percent of public university admissions consider recommendations important, compared with 21 percent of private universities.