Thousands of students around the world dream of being admitted to an Ivy League college or some similar elite institution that many regard as the pinnacle of college education. Achieving this has become increasingly difficult due to the rapidly growing pool of applicants, but you can definitely increase your chances of entering one. Here's a path that will improve your chances with Ivy League colleges, and if nothing else helps, make the most of your high school years and prepare for a great college education elsewhere.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Succeed in High School
Step 1. Challenge yourself
Look for the most demanding and rigorous opportunities in your school, especially in the academic field. It is often preferable to be successful in a demanding program than to be exceptional in an average one. If your school offers advanced courses, especially those that offer college credit, an Ivy League college will expect you to take these courses.
- Universities do not usually consider teachers difficult in their decision. They can only take into account your transcript. Look for classes that are recognized as difficult, but preferably without grades with undue difficulty.
- It is more helpful to take difficult classes and work hard on subjects that you hope to continue pursuing in college, as it will be easier to keep getting good grades.
Step 2. Start early
Aspire to be a complete achiever. A lazy student who decides to start late to get good grades in high school will probably not be admitted. You must have a consistent record of high school achievement.
Sometimes there are exceptions, as colleges also like to see improvement. If your problems were due to circumstances beyond your control, you can attach a supplement to your request about what they were and how you succeeded despite them
Step 3. Have an excellent grade point average (GPA)
Having a GPA in the top 10% of your class is critical, and being ranked among the top students dramatically improves your chances. Keep in mind that you are applying to institutions where many of the other candidates graduated with the best grades at their school.
Step 4. Get excellent standardized test results
This is a critical part of your overall application, as it is the only area where you are on an equal footing with everyone else. Aim for at least 700 points (out of a maximum of 800) on each section of the SAT (and individual SAT II tests), or a final score of 30 on the ACT for a reasonable chance of admission. Bringing these scores up to more than 750 on each SAT section, or a final score of 33 on the ACT, will give you solid scores that don't need to be improved.
- Do not repeat the test more than three times. According to Chuck Hughes, a former senior employee at Harvard's admissions office, the admissions panel will pick up on this, and your repeated attempts to score high can make you look like an overly results-focused person. Improve before passing the test.
- Take a test prep class or get a couple of books and practice. Speed and accuracy on these tests are unique skills that need to be learned. Start preparing early and diligently persevere until you can solve problems without much thought.
Step 5. Get involved in extracurricular activities
The Ivy League wants to see a well-rounded applicant who doesn't lock himself up for four years to get good grades. Join a sports team (even if it's just an intramural team), join a club or two, and get involved in the theater department.
Step 6. Volunteer
Think on a national or international scale; Don't just limit yourself to opportunities in your hometown. Spending a summer helping raise money to build a school in Peru will mean more to them than raising money for your local church.
Step 7. Lead in areas where you excel
Look for opportunities to take on additional recognition and responsibility as a leader. This can range from becoming a class president, to being a cheerleader captain, or even an officer of a club in which you participate. Take your job as a leader seriously because the lessons learned in this role can be the experiences that set you apart from the crowd when writing your essay or being interviewed.
Method 2 of 3: Mastering the application process
Step 1. Research about colleges
Not all Ivy League colleges offer the same experience. Find out if research opportunities, location, social life, students, faculty, environment, college dorms, and food services are things you would enjoy for four years.
Step 2. Visit the campus
Talk to current teachers and students. Get an idea of what your life would be like there. Also, try to see if you can spend a weekend there. Several universities offer that option.
Step 3. Research financial aid opportunities
Ivy League colleges are very expensive and do not offer any athletic, merit, or regional scholarships. You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive aid.
Step 4. Receive recommendations from teachers
Look for teachers who know you well, who have a favorable opinion of you (hopefully everyone will!), And who seem willing to write a good recommendation on your behalf. Some will appreciate if you can make their job easier with a discussion or some starting point notes on what to say about yourself.
Step 5. Polish your application
Many applicants do not realize that high grades and test results do not guarantee admission. They simply "lead" you to the first round of rejections. After that, the university will examine what kind of person you are. This is done through one or more essays, teacher and counselor recommendations, an interview, and sometimes a peer recommendation.
Begin the application process early so that you have enough time to review anything, if necessary. Ask adults familiar with the culture of prestigious universities (for example, your school counselor) for advice on what kinds of things you can write from your experience and how best to present them to the university. This can also help you with interviews
Step 6. Prepare for your interview
Interviews can be conducted with someone from the college admissions office or a former student, and range from relatively quiet tests to interrogative tests. Dress respectfully, expect questions your interviewer can ask, but most of all, be yourself, or a subtly more mature version!
Find someone to give you practice interviews. Even if they are unfamiliar with the process, they will help you stay relaxed and express yourself well. If your interview doesn't go well, don't worry. Interviews are seldom an indication of whether or not you will be accepted
Step 7. Sit down and wait for the results
Most Ivy League decisions come in early April, or can be verified online on the first of the month. Some colleges will send "probability letters" to their most desirable prospects 1 to 2 months in advance to informally notify them of acceptance.
Method 3 of 3: What to do after being accepted or rejected?
Step 1. Don't let your grades drop significantly
Colleges can turn students away because of a drastic drop in grades. Any type of detention during this period will often result in removal of acceptance as well.
Step 2. Consider other options for a waiting list decision
If you've been on the waiting list, your chances of being accepted off the waiting list are pretty slim. Go to the next option.
Step 3. Try to transfer to an ivy
If you do exceptional work at a second-tier college, you can try transferring to an ivy after a year or two. You probably won't receive graduation credit for work done at the other college. You can probably skip repeat introductory courses, but you may still have four years of courses to take, which means taking more advanced courses or with courses that interest you outside of your major. Your degree is from the college where you finished, not where you started.
Some state universities guarantee transfer of admission to college students who meet the qualification requirements. This can save you a lot of money and even allow you to enter a prestigious university in the state, not like Ivy, but close, which could refuse to admit you directly
Step 4. Look at Ivy's graduate school programs
By doing exceptional work in an undergraduate program and doing very well on the corresponding entrance exam (eg GRE, LSAT) you could be admitted to an Ivy League graduate program. In addition to offering excellent scholarship opportunities, many of these programs offer opportunities to offset tuition and other expenses through teaching and research assistant positions.
A prestigious graduate school can do much more to increase income in a highly paying profession than a prestigious undergraduate program. For graduate schools that focus heavily on qualifications, a slightly less prestigious undergraduate program with a generous grade might actually improve your chances of admission over a more disproportionate prestige, and the good grades you'll have to achieve for tougher competition
Advice
- Just be yourself on your resume and in any interview you might go through. This way, the person in charge can see who you really are and make sure this is the right university for you.
- Despite the fact that universities indicate that they do not consider race, that is not true. Race can play a very important part of the admissions decision. Virtually all universities want to be more diverse. African Americans are accepted into almost all colleges (including Ivy) with only a score of 650 or higher on each section of the SAT. The above applies generally to Hispanics. Keep in mind that the aforementioned does NOT apply to Asians, who are not considered a minority group underrepresented by most universities. This was taken from a Princeton Review book.
- Being the top of your class is normal at Harvard, but being the top of your class despite a physical or mental disability can set you apart.
- Some of the best universities in the world, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, generously share their programs with the world over the Internet through the "OpenCourseware Alliance." Try a video class to get an idea of Ivy League level courses, prepare for higher grades, or even learn on your own.
- Remember that there are no guarantees on admissions and few on financial aid. Much is left to chance and the cost of applications is negligible from a general point of view. Apply to many colleges that you think you would like to attend.
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The Ivy Leagues have a lot of money to offer generous financial aid. All Ivy League schools have admissions policies "that take into account the financial needs of applicants" and "full" financial aid. They also define "need" more broadly than their less wealthy colleagues. If your household income is less than $ 75,000, you may not be charged any tuition at various Ivy League schools. This would be for the neediest (Pell Grant eligible) students from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, or Columbia. So, if you're not wealthy, look up the Ivy League schools, along with the state universities that you may qualify for (or could move to qualify for) for state fees. They can be much more affordable than prestigious private colleges with similar tuition fees.
Before making your final decision, see what kind of financial aid the university would provide you. It may be a combination of grants (free discounts or even stipends), loans, and employment with you and your parents' finances in mind. See how you can be insured from year to year
- Students from "rare" geographic locations in the US are generally more likely to be admitted. Wyoming and Mississippi are examples of this. On the other hand, students in highly represented areas such as Southern California, New England, or the Mid-Atlantic region will face increased competition.
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Preference is often given to some categories of applicants. Among them are academic traditions, recruited athletes, and underrepresented minorities (URMs). Having a parent or relative who is famous or has made a multi-million dollar donation to your school also helps. In fact, nearly half of the students in Ivy League schools belong to one of the above groups.
- In general, academic traditions are defined as applicants whose parents have been alumni of the institution in question. Some colleges will expand this definition to include grandchildren as well. You can find out which particular college considers an academic tradition by calling the admissions department and asking.
- Athletes recruited are often those who excel in "niche" sports, such as lacrosse, crew, or squash. Lacrosse is the second largest team sport (roster / team number) in Division I and Ivy's excel in this sport (Princeton and Cornell combine a total of 9 NCAA Championships won - 6 from Princeton in the last 20 years). These students have the added pressure of a full course and constant participation in a sport.
- Many students also find success using the help of a specialized admissions counselor. They will often help you come up with essay ideas, review your essay, create a resume, and help you in other areas where you may need help.
- If you attend a university where IB (International Baccalaureate) is offered, try to graduate with the IB diploma (whole class) or as many IB Certificates (individual classes) as possible. Having the IB Diploma greatly increases your chances of being accepted at these selective universities.
Warnings
- Do not lie or misrepresent yourself in your application; Such statements could backfire on you.
- It's okay to have teachers or family members edit or critique your essay, but it's not okay for them to write it for you or buy a previously written essay online. Colleges have a means of searching for previously written essays, and admissions staff can distinguish between essays written by teenagers, however highly talented, and by adults.
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Consider the costs of attending an Ivy League college; These can amount to more than US $ 50,000 a year and continue to grow. Don't let that discourage you from applying even if your family doesn't have that much money to spend. You can get generous financial aid, but if you are not going to get much, or it would be largely through loans, you will have to decide whether or not having a degree from that institution will actually help you advance your career much more than attending another college that may not be so expensive. A full scholarship or modest tuition and living expenses at a "good" college might make more sense than a $ 100,000 or $ 200,000 debt from an "excellent" college. Calculate the payments and consider whether you could achieve it with peace of mind with an average salary or slightly above the entry-level average in the career you have prepared for.
Keep in mind that you may need a postgraduate degree for another $ 100,000 or $ 200,000, while interest accumulates on the initial loan amount for the amount of your career years, and a low but still low standard of living. expensive in a big city
- Make sure going to an Ivy League college is what you really want. Many go simply because they or their enthusiastic parents are simply hungry for prestige. This attitude leads to unhappiness.
- Read everything you can about Ivy League colleges from less biased sources so that you have a clear idea of whether or not an Ivy League college fits your needs.
- If you are likely to be dependent on financial aid; It is not advisable to request the “Early Decision” (ED). This is usually a binding agreement that forces the applicant to attend if accepted, and if your aid package is not enough, you may find yourself in trouble. Although you will be allowed to disengage from your decision if you don't have enough money, you only apply to ED if you are confident that you have the credentials and financial assets to attend your prospective college. Note- In recent years, the Ivy League has begun to distance itself from binding early decisions, but be sure to check with the admissions department of your particular college of interest before applying if finances are a concern.
- Some Ivy League colleges have been known to cause unhealthy levels of pressure on students. Some are even known for frequent suicides.
- Changing universities and taking breaks can be expensive and time consuming, so make sure you want to go before you go. If you're not satisfied, try to hold out until the end of the semester, perhaps with fewer classes or easier lessons.