by Emily Driscoll Published November 23, 2010 on FOXBusiness.com (original article here)

According to a study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), for the fourth year in a row, approximately three-quarters of four-year colleges reported an increase in the number of applications from 2009.

College admissions offices get flooded with hopeful students’ applications every year, making it hard to differentiate yourself from the pack.

Here’s a look at what colleges are really looking for on admission applications.

A Solid High School History

According to the experts, colleges look at your transcript as documentation of your overall high school experience.

“The high school record or transcript is easily the single most important thing at any college, for any student,” claims Jon Reider, director of college counseling at San Francisco University High School. “It’s a universal truth.” 

Did You Challenge Yourself?

Admissions experts like to see advanced placement (AP: 26.06 ,-0.22 ,-0.84%), International Baccalaureate (IB), and other more academically-rigorous courses included on your transcript.  

“All colleges like honors courses--they just want to see that you have challenged yourself, that you’ve expressed your passion for learning,” says Reider.

Knowing a prospective student can handle a tougher course load can put an admission officer’s mind at ease.

“They’re going to put [students] in a more competitive environment in the admissions process,” says Phyllis Gill, associate director of college guidance at Providence Day school and a director on the NACAC board of directors. “[By taking challenging classes] students are making a statement to the college admissions officer that I am willing to challenge myself and I am willing to take some academic risks.”

Test Scores…But Not as Much as You Think 

SAT and ACT scores used to be the main decision factor when deciding the fates of hopeful students, but many schools are putting much less weight on standardized-test scores, if any at all, the experts claim.

“There are more and more schools that are going what we refer to as ‘test optional,’ says Lisa Sohmer, director of college counseling at Garden School and a former member of the NACAC board of directors. “[Schools] have elected to take ACTs and SATs out of equation entirely for students who choose not to submit scores.” But be warned, they tend to ask for something else, usually a graded paper, according to Sohmer.

Students can visit Fairtest.org for a list of test-optional schools as well as schools that allow you to submit parts of standardized tests.

But not all school are overlooking standardized test scores. Reider explains that some colleges still look more closely at test scores than GPA due to grade inflation.

“In order to have something to meaningfully distinguish students, the selective colleges look at those tests and ultimately make very fine decisions,” he says. “What most of them say is that they look at the highest scores and put it together with everything in the file.”

Meaningful Extracurricular Activities 

Admissions officers want to see involvement in clubs, sports and community service that go beyond what is required by the high school to graduate.

“They are looking to see that students made quality commitments to things they were really interested in, not just signed up for lots of different things because it would look good  on a resume,” says Gill.

Sohmer explains a student can standout in a pool of applicants if he or she can show leadership roles and activities that invest in a community

 “If a student has shown they are deeply involved in community service or if they’re just a really good team player, colleges see that and they imagine how those activities might transfer on to their campus,” she says.

An Essay from the Heart

The essay portion on a college application is the perfect opportunity to connect with the college on a more personal level.

“This is the chance they have to give information about themselves that doesn’t appear elsewhere or to expand on something that’s really important,” says Sohmer. “It’s not a good place to list their accomplishments.”

When answering a prompt or question for your main essay(s), Reider explains admissions officers are looking to see that you are likable and interesting.

While proper grammar is important, experts advise not to get carried away with your writing style and rely too heavily on thesaurus.

“All a thesaurus does is get students to use words that are not natural to their own communication style,” Sohmer says. “You can almost always pick those words right out of the essay.”

Strong Letters of Recommendation

Experts say that a letter from a counselor or teacher that really knows you and your scholastic capacity can speak volumes to admissions. 

“I think it boils down to a simple question: Why would professors at our college want to teach this student?” says Gill. “They want to know how long you have known this student, in what context did you teach this student.”

Sohmer suggests that you choose a teacher that has witnessed both your academic achievements and also your struggles with more difficult assignments and how you managed to overcome them.

“Anything that is specific and anecdotal is helpful, even if it’s two sentences to give an example of what you mean about a student,” she says.