What College Admissions Officers Really Know About Your High School
High school profiles provide college admissions officers with essential context about your school’s offerings and environment, ensuring a fair evaluation of your academic achievements.
There are over 23,000 high schools in the United States.
Let’s face it—college admissions officers can’t possibly know the ins-and-outs of all of them (though they might recognize a few very nationally-known names, like Phillips Exeter or Bronx Science).
So, how do they get a sense of your high school and what opportunities you had available?
The high school profile (tada!).
Think of your high school profile as a quick snapshot that travels with your transcript, offering admissions officers key insights into your educational environment. Your college counselor submits this when you apply through the Common App. It’s also available, in many cases, on your school’s website.
The high school profile typically includes:
Course offerings: Does your school have 30 AP classes or none at all? Maybe it offers IB, dual enrollment, or unique arts programs instead.
Grading and rank: How competitive is your school? Are your classes weighted or unweighted?
Graduation and college rates: Does nearly everyone from your school attend college, or is your situation more of an exception? What are typical standardised test score ranges (SAT or ACT) for recent graduating seniors?
Special programs and demographics: Magnet programs, vocational training, or socio-economic diversity.
Admissions at many colleges is holistic, meaning context matters—a lot. Your achievements aren’t just viewed in isolation; they're assessed relative to what's available at your school.
If you attend a high school with limited AP classes and still took the most rigorous courses available, colleges notice and appreciate that effort.
Quick tip: Get familiar with your high school profile by chatting with your school counselor. Understanding your context can help you subtly highlight strengths or explain challenges in your applications.
Colleges don’t penalize you for your environment—they use your high school profile to celebrate your achievements within it.
How to Access Your High School Profile: Simply ask your school counselor—they’re usually happy to share it with students and parents. Also, some high schools make the profile publicly available on their websites under counseling or academics sections.
Here’s an example from Garfield High School in Seattle (near-ish where I live).