Get Into the Ivy League by “Early Decision”
Early admission to many of the Ivy League colleges, and many other top colleges, has increased over the last few years.
More and more foreign students are applying and more are getting accepted. This means that there are more rejections or deferrals to March admissions than ever before. As seen here in the New York Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/education/early-admission-applications-rise-as-do-rejections.html, it has become increasingly difficult to get that acceptance to the top colleges. Many students with top SAT scores and very high GPA’s were either rejected or deferred. Also interesting is that the percentage of acceptances from public schools have gone way up!
What can a student do to increase their chances if 4.0 GPA’s and almost perfect SAT (all scores in the 700’s) aren’t enough to get that acceptance letter?
It’s more important than ever to accomplish something outside the classroom. Students need to find a way to be unique, to stand out among hundreds of peers with top GPA’s and awesome board scores.
Students should look to get national or international recognition in one area. If a student is not a top athlete, then what about getting something published or winning a national essay contest? Showing passion, commitment and leadership in one area, in addition to strong academics, will help students stand out. Instead of being involved in many different extracurricular activities, making it difficult to excel in any one area, pick one you love and devote yourself to that subject. Remember the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Students should use their summers to get involved in something they’re passionate about. When a student applies to college, they want to be able to demonstrate a excellence, leadership and commitment to something besides their GPA and board scores. Volunteering for x number of hours is not enough. There will be plenty of applicants with your GPA and board scores who’ve logged more hours. Students need to show commitment, leadership, and excellence over time.
Click here for more tips on how to get into Harvard.
