Thecollegeinvestor iconThecollegeinvestorSep 23, 2026 ~1 min source read

What Colleges Look For In 2026-27: Test Scores Are Back And Legacy Is Fading

Colleges have a "type" of student they are looking for when they make admissions decisions, and not all of it shows up on the application checklist. The average acceptance rate at four-year, not-for-profit colleges was 73% in fall 2022, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

What Colleges Look For In 2026-27: Test Scores Are Back And Legacy Is Fading

Share this story

Send the public story page.

Useful takeaways from this story.

Colleges have a "type" of student they are looking for when they make admissions decisions, and not all of it shows up on the application checklist.

The average acceptance rate at four-year, not-for-profit colleges was 73% in fall 2022, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Most Ivy League schools admit in the single digits (see our breakdown of Ivy League acceptance rates and why acceptance rates keep falling).

Building the complete brief

The page is ready to read now. The fuller skim-friendly version will appear here automatically.

The useful part

Colleges have a "type" of student they are looking for when they make admissions decisions, and not all of it shows up on the application checklist. The average acceptance rate at four-year, not-for-profit colleges was 73% in fall 2022, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Most Ivy League schools admit in the single digits (see our breakdown of Ivy League acceptance rates and why acceptance rates keep falling).

How it works

  • Below are the factors colleges weigh most, seven less obvious ones that can tip a decision, and how to check what any school on your college list actually values.
  • Schools talk openly about academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and the personal essay.
  • Other factors get far less airtime, even though most schools disclose them if you know where to look.

Keep reading in the app

Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.

Open in app