What Stuff Do Universities Want?

Zoe Maseko, Writer • November 28, 2025

Good grades, extra-curricular activities, and leadership roles are things everyone knows universities want, but what else are they looking for? Most know that good grades aren’t enough to get accepted into an amazing university, but what is enough? Where do we find the guaranteed to-do list for an extraordinary university? While these may not be 100% guaranteed, here are a few ways to get into the university of your dreams!

Start Young (or as young as you can)

While not everyone has this option, for those who do, take extreme advantage of it! The thing is, the younger you are, the more time you have. The more time you have, the more stuff you can do, and the more stuff you can do, the more likely you are to get into a good university. Many Pre-IG students might just shrug off university and say, ‘I have time!’, but honestly, this is the time. Once you get to A-levels, school becomes life, and life becomes school. A-level students have to study so much that they might not have much time for other things. So IGCSE, Pre-IG, LS, and other younger students, take up your chance now to spice up your uni resume (though A-level students, I recommend trying these too)!

Grades

I’m not even going to dive too deep into this because it’s so obvious, but good universities want good grades. I’m not talking about ‘doing enough’ or ‘just getting by’, I mean straight A*/As and level 9s. Even if you aren’t in a grade that universities might look at, it’s still important to get used to hard work for smoother A levels and IGCSE year(s).

Extra-curriculars

Now, onto what you can actually do to improve your university resume. First off is extra-curricular activities. You might be thinking that you’re too old to start something new, but in reality it’ll probably look even better on your resume if you still started something even though you’re older. Extracurricular activities show perseverance, determination and good time management. Even if it’s just something as simple as learning piano or starting swimming lessons, extracurricular activities are an amazing way to polish up your resume!

Activity inside the school

Another thing you can do is be active in the school. Universities love someone who enjoys pushing themselves, which you can do through things like leadership! CGA offers things like student leadership and leading a club, as well as many other schools. Signing up to be a leader shows courage, communication, and time management skills.

Activity outside of school

If a person goes out of their way to find things outside of school, it shows they don’t only take what’s handed to them, but they go and search. Something as simple as tutoring kids younger than you, going for a community clean-up or research projects, universities love someone who takes initiative!

I hope these suggestions help you prepare for writing your university resume. These were just a few simple tips, and remember, there’s no time like the present to start on with them!