The short answer: Grades win hands down.
Colleges and universities are schools, and they’re looking for students who excel in school. Your high school transcript is the single most important element of your college application. However, at the most selective colleges where every applicant has stellar academics, extracurricular activities become the critical factor that distinguishes you from equally qualified candidates. So, you’d need to base your strategy on both.
The grades vs extracurriculars balance is essential for families targeting the Ivy League and the top 20 colleges in the US. Here at Great College Advice, we advise that there are nuances. So, read further.
Which is more important for highly selective colleges: grades or extracurricular activities?
The narrative is that grades are unquestionably more important than extracurricular activities for college admissions; this includes Ivy League and top 20 schools. The logic behind the statement is:
Colleges are academic institutions, and they want students who demonstrate academic success. Grades are often considered the measurable aspect of demonstrated success.
As veteran college admissions expert Jamie Berger explains: “To get into a top 20 school, you have to have started being as accelerated as you can as early as possible and getting all A’s and taking as many APs (Advanced Placement classes) as possible.”
However, here’s where it gets nuanced for families targeting elite institutions. At the most selective colleges, virtually every applicant has excellent grades. In this context, extracurriculars become the deciding factor.
Berger, reflecting on a recent MIT early decision admit, puts it this way: “MIT gets the pick of the litter of kids with the highest achievements, grades, and scores. The only way they distinguish them from each other is extracurricular activities.“
Grades are your baseline requirement, or put in other words, ‘the price of admission to even be considered’. Extracurriculars are what differentiate you once you’ve cleared that academic bar.
The application process is far more complex than comparing grades and extracurriculars. Need a comprehensive overview? See our guide to top-tier college application tips to maximize your chances.
How do college admissions officers evaluate transcripts and GPA?
Your high school transcript carries more weight than any other element of your application. Admissions officers scrutinize it carefully. But not in the way many families expect.
The admissions committee focuses primarily on the five core academic subjects:
- Math
- English
- Science
- Social studies
- World languages.
Unless the candidate pursues an education in liberal arts, grades in courses like music, theater, art, and sports conditioning receive significantly less attention. These “extracurricular” courses may reflect dedication, but they don’t demonstrate academic readiness for college-level work.
Admissions officers might recalculate your GPA. Many strip away the weighted “bumps” that high schools award for honors or AP courses.
According to the Great College Advice Family Handbook: “The fact you got a B in that AP US History course but got a ‘bump’ in your GPA to make it ‘equal’ an A does not wipe away the incontrovertible fact that you did not get an A in AP US History.”
And finally, there’s another point of view: the class rank. The most selective universities think in percentiles rather than specific numbers. They’re asking: Is this student in the top 5%? Top 10%? Top 25%? Most elite schools hope to fill their classes primarily with students from the top 10% of their graduating class.
Is it better to take hard courses with lower grades or easier courses with high grades?
The honest answer:
As much as families might hope for a simple formula, oh well, “it depends.”
The ideal path is to take challenging courses AND earn high grades. The Great College Advice Family Handbook states it directly: “The higher the challenge and the higher the grade, the more seriously the most selective colleges will consider the applicant.”
But strategic course calibration matters. Jamie describes a common scenario: “If a student eked out an A-minus in AP Calculus AB and they hate math, should they take Calculus BC just because everyone else is? If they’re not applying in a STEM field, there’s no one answer. It depends on what they’re applying to.”
The principle: course rigor should align with your intended major and demonstrated strengths.
- A student planning to study English literature doesn’t need to torture themselves with AP Physics.
- But a student targeting engineering programs absolutely needs to demonstrate they can handle advanced math and science.
Each student is different. Sometimes it makes perfect sense for even a highly capable student to calibrate their course load based on specific goals, stress levels, and other commitments.
What role do extracurricular activities play in Ivy League admissions?
For the most selective colleges, extracurricular activities serve as a differentiator among the sea of academically qualified candidates.
The old model of the “well-rounded” student is outdated. Today’s elite colleges seek “well-lopsided” students. If you hear it for the first time, let’s explain that briefly:
Well-lopsided students have superior talents in one or two areas. Admissions officers at the most highly selective colleges like to see students who have well-defined interests in which they excel and exhibit leadership. They do not like to see students who flit from one activity to the next without really committing to any.
Your student’s activities should align with their intended major.
Jamie shares an example: “A student had all the great grades, all the great scores, but couldn’t get into Stanford’s aeronautics program because his activities didn’t match that major. The kids who get into aeronautics programs at the top schools have been little astronauts since middle school.”
The Common App provides space for ten activities, but quality trumps quantity. What matters is the depth of commitment and genuine achievement in each activity you list.
Can exceptional extracurricular achievements compensate for weaker grades?
In most cases, no. This is a hard truth that many families don’t want to hear.
The Great College Advice Family Handbook is unambiguous: “Grades and test scores usually trump extracurricular involvements in the application process. Only in rare instances will extracurricular achievement outweigh academic weaknesses.”
Think about it from the college’s perspective: they’re admitting you to an academic institution. They need confidence that you can handle the coursework. Admissions officers won’t skip over poor academic performance just because you’re a talented athlete or debater. They may admire your creativity and dedication, but if your grades suggest you’ll struggle with college-level academics, they’ll pass.
The exceptions are narrow: recruited athletes filling specific roster needs, students with truly extraordinary talents in priority areas for the institution, or those with compelling circumstances that explain academic inconsistencies. These represent a small minority of applicants.
For the vast majority of students, strong grades remain non-negotiable.
What makes an extracurricular activity stand out to admissions officers at elite colleges?
Depth of commitment and genuine achievement matter far more than the activity itself or how many activities you list.
Jamie illustrates it perfectly:
“I helped a kid get into very selective schools whose main activity was working at McDonald’s. He became a manager and went to national conferences. He went to the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He didn’t have the illustrious academic camps. But his experience led him to what he wants to do for a living. And he did it. The colleges recognized this is someone who knows what they want, who’s done it, who stuck with it and excelled at it.”
The lesson: authenticity and achievement trump prestige. Whether you’re working at a fast-food restaurant or conducting research at a university lab, what matters is demonstrating genuine passion, sustained commitment, and measurable impact.
Jamie’s recent MIT admission illustrates the conventional path to distinction: “My student’s activities were in the very standard math and computer science areas. But his achievements were at a national finalist level, a national winner level. Invited to Stanford, invited to MIT, invited to the most selective programs.”
The common thread: whether traditional or unconventional, successful applicants show authentic engagement and genuine achievement. That’s far from a resume padded with superficial involvement in many activities.
The Great College Advice Family Handbook reinforces this: “Is there a certain number of activities that look good on the application? No. The number of activities is less important than the depth of the commitment.”
How do standardized test scores factor into the grades vs. extracurriculars equation?
Test scores occupy the second position in the academic hierarchy. The priority order at selective colleges typically follows this pattern:
Transcript (grades and course rigor) → Test scores → Teacher recommendations → Extracurricular activities
While many colleges adopted test-optional policies in 2020, elite institutions including MIT, Dartmouth, Harvard, Brown, and Cornell have returned to requiring standardized tests. Even at test-optional schools, strong scores provide another data point demonstrating fundamental math and English communication skills.
Remember that testing is merely one piece of information that admissions officers consider, and colleges know that test scores do not tell the student’s entire academic story. Test scores can also unlock merit scholarship opportunities at institutions that offer them. Though notably, many of the most selective colleges do not offer merit-based financial aid.
What should parents do to help their student be successful?
If you’re targeting the top 20 colleges, understand this hierarchy:
- Academic excellence is the foundation.
- Your high school transcript is the most important element of your application.
- Test scores provide supporting evidence.
- Letters of recommendation offer third-party validation of your academic abilities.
- Extracurricular activities become your differentiator.
Or in a nutshell, depth beats breadth. “Well-lopsided” beats “well-rounded.” Authentic achievement beats resume padding.
As Jamie summarizes: “Every year I have several great kids who just lived their lives as kids. To get into a top 20 school, you have to have started being as accelerated as you can as early as possible.”
The families who succeed at elite admissions don’t choose between grades or extracurriculars; they strategically excel at both. Their dedicated college counselor has helped them understand how each element functions in the overall application, and they calibrated their approach accordingly.
Need help with the college admissions process?
The expert admissions counselors at Great College Advice can help with high school course selection to balance rigor with GPA. We also provide assistance in developing your extracurricular activities along with researching colleges, essay support and overseeing the college application process.
Contact us today for your complimentary consultation.
Since 2007, the expert team of college admissions consultants at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive guidance to thousands of students from across the United States and over 45 countries across the world. Great College Advice has offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Chicago, North Carolina and Massachusetts.
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