Remember, you're a package, not a compilation of numbers.

I am sometimes confronted with a challenge that confounds applicants and families, one that reflects how little they sometimes know about the graduate school admissions process. I occasionally meet with students who have very high GPAs and outstanding standardized test scores, and they expect that those two markers alone will earn them admission to top programs.

What these individuals have failed to understand, whether deliberately or because no one told them, is that schools are looking for comprehensive preparation, character, and evidence of communication skills.  Test scores and GPAs are only part of the comprehensive preparation part of the equation.  While the exact form will vary, you must consider demonstrating:

• Mastery of concepts and intellectual leaders in the field

• Evidence of experience in the field you are pursuing, however tangential (volunteer work or employment)

• Sustained engagement with professionals in your field, applied or academic

For academic programs, you will need to show:

• A research agenda

• Mastery of relevant literature

• Evidence of research acumen

Beyond that, you need to show that you're a character of substance who has the right motivations (depending on what resonates in the field).  Having only earned good grades and a high test scores does not demonstrate a well-rounded character.  And then there's the matter of how you convey your skills and talk about yourself (in both written and spoken word).  There are very few fields where you can thrive without strong communication skills, especially if you're interested in upward mobility and a leadership position.

Each of the points made above deserves a post in itself, which I'll get to in time.  But in the meantime, stay focused on being a well-rounded applicant, not a set of numbers!