Now that we have you, aside from very strong standardized test scores and excellent grades, there are no true qualifications for Ivy League schools. But here’s where it gets tricky: there are a lot of students out there who got a 1580 on their SAT and have a 4.0 GPA, and still didn’t get into Princeton. And people always want to know why. We thought it might be helpful to list out some trends and qualities that we’ve seen internally over the years from our clients who have gotten into Ivy League schools. Keep reading for our list:
You’re organized:
The college application process requires organizational skills. And even before that, so does high school. We’ve worked with countless high school students over the years, and those who gain acceptance to Ivy League schools tend to be incredibly organized. We’re not just referring to a written planner and a tidy backpack, either. We mean that they’ve been mentally preparing for college all throughout high school and have put together (and executed) a plan for the future. If you’re approaching the college application process in a tizzy, you’re less likely to have your ducks in a row. When we say organized, we mean both physically and mentally.
Deeply Passionate About Academic Interests:
It doesn’t matter if you love drama, chemistry, history, or all three – if you want to thrive in the Ivy League, you need to be hugely passionate about what you plan to study. You’re not just getting an A in class, you’re spending your free time researching niche areas of the discipline and showing your teacher interesting things you find. You’re not just participating in class, you’re talking about what you learn with your family and friends. You’re borderline obsessive. Most of our clients who eventually attend Ivy League schools come to us with things that they want to pursue, and they’re always eager to do more. If you’re looking through a list of potential majors and feeling uninspired, you’re probably better off defining your academic passion at a school that is less rigorous.
You “‘effortlessly’ maintain straight A’s”
Effortlessly might be a stretch, but let’s discuss. If you are struggling to maintain all A’s in high school, it’s going to be nearly impossible to do well at an Ivy League institution. We have written about how the Ivy League is essentially a sports league with a great marketing department, but the reality is that the classes are hard and competition is steep. You’ll be vying for research opportunities against students who didn’t prepare for the ACT and got a 36, and you’ll be working with people who seem to just easily absorb information. This is not to say that people who eventually go to Harvard didn’t work hard for their grades, because they certainly did. But it wasn’t impossible. We hear from a lot of blog readers and clients who come to us with a 4.0 GPA --- but they have no social life, rarely sleep, and are beyond stressed. If you’re working that hard to maintain your grades are scores, the Ivy League might not be for you. (And that’s okay!)
You’re motivated:
We’ve worked with clients who come to us and say “I want to go to Columbia, and this is the plan that I put together a few years ago to get me there.” The motivation comes from within. Our Ivy League-bound clients don’t want for our first call to get the ball moving, more often than not they’ve already done the research, the internship, the passion project, etc.
You follow through:
This is a big one! When it becomes time to write your supplements, you’ll see a lot of questions about hope. What do you hope to create? What would you build? What will you do if you get in? Most Ivy League caliber students have already created, built, and achieved one of their goals. If you’re always waiting, meaning that you think greatness will occur once you get into Yale, that’s not great. Following through doesn’t mean that you always have the best resources around you, it means that you use what’s at your disposal to get things done. Another important trend that we’ve noticed is that our clients who end up at Ivy League schools don’t need babysitting. They’re eager to make their way through their to-do list and don’t need us to follow up with them about what we ask.
We want to note that this list is not exhaustive, and every year, all sorts of students get into Ivies. This is simply what we’ve seen. And more importantly, the Ivies aren’t for everyone and not getting into an Ivy League school says nothing about who you are as a person.
Contact us here if you need help with the college application process.