Many teens -- and their parents -- believe colleges will overlook less than perfect grades if they were class president, performed in school musicals and volunteered at a soup kitchen.

But I've had several parents tell me their highly involved offspring did not get into the University of Georgia despite an impressive list of extracurriculars.  If they were doing it again, the parents would advise their kids to devote their energies to raising their grades and test scores rather than pursuing multiple after-school activities.

I put the question to David Graves in the second segment of my lengthy interview with him about how students can enhance their chances of getting into UGA. Graves is UGA's senior associate director of admissions and author of the popular UGA admissions blog.

You can look at the first video here. The first installment focuses on the early action decisions coming out Friday and what seniors who are deferred to regular admissions can do to boost their chances of being a Bulldog next fall.

Part three of the interview will appear later this week here on the blog.

Here are some other college related stories by the AJC:

About the Author

Keep Reading

This aerial view captures a large area under construction for a new data center campus on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Developed by QTS, the data center campus near Fayetteville is one of the largest under construction in Georgia. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Ja’Quon Stembridge, shown here in July at the Henry County Republican Party monthly meeting, recently stepped from his position with the Georgia GOP. (Jenni Girtman for the AJC)

Credit: Jenni Girtman