Mainly confidence. If you noticed when someon is popular they tend to find them selves to be irresistable, in their looks rather they are or not. Also the way you hold yourself and speak can be very important as well. It is mainly just the way you present yourself.

Confidence and their ability to talk to anyone.

Depends, do you mean movie-popular?
or Popular in general,
Because confidence is key, and people skills (or lack thereof )

Friendly, Funny, Assertive* because they obviously can't let people step on them. *

In my school they are just confident, social, funny, entertaining to everyone, can fit in with any group of people in the school, whether it be the football players, band kids, normal kids and so on, and because of this interloping with different groups they become popular because they gain a reputation among everyone.

people that are outgoing and just fun to be around.

Popular people are just awesome in general. Outgoing, confident, funny, versatile... Some populars are just involved with a lot of groups.

Well, there's two kinds of popularity.
The bad kind,
And the good kind.

To be the good popular, then just be outgoing and funny. Get up and talk to lots of people, invite people to sit next tot you on the bus and lunch etc. and just have confidence in yourself.

However stay away from the popularity where you need to act stupid and arrogant and "too cool for everything".

i agree with the confidence posts

Well you have to have mostly good self- esteem and not mix with the wrong people, and be open and nice to everyone basically. I don't consider myself "popular" as the other "popular" kids do but their popular makes them popular because they party way too much and do stupid shit. I on the other hand will admit I drink occasionally but I'm open to be friends with anyone who respects me and I will respect them, thats what makes me feel like i'm popular inside because I'm evenly nice to everyone who deserves it. Theres no point in being popular if everyone hates the way you are...Being bitchy, an A-Hole etc etc. Also do not get popular by sleeping around and shit thats just dumb. be yourself have confidence and it'll all work out

i hate all the popular kids at my school they guys r a bunch of assis and the girls look like big whores and r assis to so i would never want to be popular but im the cooles one in my friends group

No, all the popular kids back in my high school were bullies and were more good looking and good at sports, yet they weren't even intelligent.

It shouldn't matter if you're 'popular' or not.

fallenAngel thats a stereotypical response IMO. I'm good at sports VERY good at football and decently good looking enough to get a good amount of girls but i'm friends with everyone and i am not a bully so don't think everyones the same based on a few people

EDIT: Oh and i'm very intelligent depending on what it is but I'm not some dumb ass jock head

Personally I don't agree with the confidence thing. Popular means being loved by a lot of people, and you don't need confidence to be loved. Like the most popular girl, in my opinion, doesn't got a lot of confidence and complains about how much she hates her life and that she thinks she is ugly, but everybody loves her, including me! It's more about how you treat other people, how funny, loving and caring you are.

So confident, they seem arrogant. Oh wait, they are arrogant. -_-

I'd go with confidence and charisma. Those are the main two.