Contrary to what highly competitive academic culture might insist, GPA and test scores do not make or break your college dreams.

High school is not easy (it never has been, even for the 4.0 student) and B (and yes C) grades will still grant a student access to upper-crust higher education; maybe not the Ivy League, but the goal is education, not prestige.

Recent mandatory reporting of graduate outcomes demonstrated that an Ivy League education does not automatically result in better opportunities or more full life. 

Outcome data tells us that we get out of education what we put into it, regardless of how recognizable the university name. In fact, when graduates of elite schools were asked "Were the academics worth the price of admission?" 40 percent said no.

Surprise! It turns out that Effort matters in every aspect of life! 

College admissions will favor the student who achieves a B in a general level course one year, and reaches for the challenge of an AP class the next year. A transcript with progression, evidences that the candidate wishes to challenge themselves academically. 

At the sametime, a student who earns Cs and maintains a job at the family store, evidences a breadth of responsibilities, ability to manage competing priorities and motivation.

These are examples of the holistic admissions process. Attempting to run algorithms to determine a student’s admissions potential can make a college counselor chuckle. Instead, step back from the candidate and create the person’s story behind the grades, scores, activities. 

Do not underestimate the importance of traditional aptitude markers, but note that admissions is very aware that there is much more to a student than numbers.