Why do colleges care about soft skills if they already have my grades and test scores?

Great question. Think of it this way: your grades show what you know. Your soft skills show who you are. Admissions officers want students who can handle the academic load and function as mature, thoughtful humans. Can you lead? Can you listen? Can you bounce back after failing a quiz or a tryout? Those are the traits that predict long-term success—and they can’t be measured by a Scantron. Colleges care because professors don’t want students who just pass tests—they want students who engage, collaborate, and contribute to a thriving community. So yes, soft skills might be the X-factor that gets your “yes.”