Academic Factors
Across the board, for most colleges--the most important determining factors for admission are a student's academic record and performance. Here are the academic factors that are part of one's admissions profile:
Rigor of Secondary School Record/High School Record = Roughly translates to the # of APs/Honors you've taken (within the context of your school offerings). This consideration is about how challenging was your course load over your high school years (mostly centered on Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year).
Academic GPA (look at our blurb "All About GPA")
Standardized Tests = ACT/SAT Scores, SAT II Scores, and to a smaller degree, AP Scores
Class Rank = mathematical summary of a student's academic record comparing them to other students in the class, typically taking into account the overall GPA and the total number of Honors/AP classes taken.
Letters of Recommendation = A teacher/supervisor's good word is often considered an academic factor, since they are commenting upon their experience of you as a student or intern/employee
Essay = while this isn't tied to test scores, GPA, and transcript, the essay is still a reflection of your demonstration of who you are--both as a person and as a student
These factors are often considered FIRST before non-academic factors are considered.