When “good” isn’t good enough: What it takes to get into Ivy-level universities

Let me tell you a story.

In a world close close by, there lives a species of humanoids who dream of attending the most prestigious institutions of higher education on their planet. They toil hard for years – often their entire lives – sacrificing the joys of video games or date nights at the mall, preferring to reap good academic grades, test scores, and extracurricular opportunities so as to bring honor to their kin. All this in the hope that one fateful day they may receive the legendary acceptance letter, “Congratulations, you have been accepted to Hogwarts.” or “Congratulations, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters welcomes you.” Many apply, few succeed, most get rejected.

Most are unaware or unprepared to face the dark wizards, powerful mutants, or werewolves that reside behind the sealed doors of these institutions. Yet, the overwhelming prestige blind them like moths flying straight into the flame.

It so happens that there is a small group of these humanoids that demarcates themselves from others. On the outside, they blend in with their people, but inside, they hide a power that many are jealous of. They are so powerful that they keep the dark wizards, powerful mutants, and werewolves at bay. They don’t dream of the acceptance letter, but they dream of the day when they’ll get accepted to many of these institutions and have the luxury of choosing one over another. They do not fear rejections, but they make those institutions fear their offers being rejected. Since those applicants are so powerful, the academies will vie with one another, trying to recruit the best talents. While most have to pay for their higher education, few get paid to study – for their study isn’t mere means for a future living; their study is crucial for the preservation of their world.

You didn’t think I was talking about Harvard, or Stanford, or Imperial College, right?

But our world isn’t much different from theirs. Many students on Earth dream of an Ivy League admission, but it is a very competitive process. In my years working with brilliant students who ended up attending those prestigious universities, I was often asked for the secret recipe to get into Ivy-level universities: the secret is, there is no secret. Universities are very explicit about what they look for. And I am going to summarize what you can do to demarcate yourself in your application:

Academics

There is no going around it, you have to have near-perfect grades to get into an Ivy-level university. If you fell on a B in this one test, it’s not the end of the world. Universities consider your application holistically. They want to see whether you’ve taken rigorous courses and performed well in them, showing consistency as well as progress in achieving higher grades. If everyone is taking 3 A-levels, take 4. If everyone is taking 4, broaden your academics through AP courses or online college-level courses. If your school restricts you, go above and beyond your school curriculum. Make the most of the opportunities available to you.

Test Scores

When it comes to standardized tests, it is but one component of your application. The US Ivy-level universities do not have a threshold for the SAT, but you should aim around 1540 out of 1600 to be in their middle percentile. While the majority of universities are test optional, there is a growing trend that top universities are reinstating the SAT requirements, making it compulsory for all applicants. This year, schools like Harvard, MIT, CalTech, Brown or Georgia Tech require all applicants to submit an SAT score in their application.

On the UK front, you have to perform well in the entrance test – TMUA, STAT, STEP, MAT, ESAT, UCAT, etc. – if the programmes you are applying to require one. Budget enough time to prepare for these tests.

Extracurricular Activities

One of the most flexible ways to demarcate your application is through your extracurricular activities. UK universities are primarily interested in the activities that prepare you for your field of study. However, the US universities put a lot more weightage to your activities.

You should not view your extracurricular activities as a checkbox on your application; rather, you should actively craft your own profile within your own context. Try new things, start initiatives, knowing that you might not succeed in all of them. Universities want to see how you express your interests and passions in meaningful ways. They want to see how you develop your skills in managing extracurricular activities amid rigorous academics. They want to see your contribution to your community, your awareness of social issues, and your social maturity so that tomorrow you can thrive in a diverse community that is at the forefront of research and innovation, a community of changemakers capable of making global impact.

Essays

College application essays are your space to communicate directly to the university. Don’t think of it as simply answering a prompt. Those prompts have been carefully crafted by universities so that they get to know you – a particular aspect of you – that’ll show them whether you are a good fit for the university. Different universities look for different things, so you need to be aware of the kind of students they admit. Attending online information sessions or doing a campus visit will give you a decent idea what each university is like. For example, universities like Columbia or UChicago look for students who can navigate the theoretical world of a liberal arts education whereas schools like CalTech and MIT are much more focused on practical innovations, of building stuff with your hands. Your style of writing and unique personality are demarcating factors in your essays as well.

Recommendation Letters

Do not undermine the power of your recommendation letters. It is the one component that is beyond your control insofar as you do not know what your teachers and counselors write about you. You simply need to be one of the few exceptional students – in the broadest sense – that your teacher has encountered in their career. Be intellectually curious, explore topics beyond the school curriculum, and contribute to your school community by making an impact.

Additional Components

Finally, universities offer you an open space to share your talents and unique characteristics through portfolios or video profiles. Use those wisely to boost your application. We encourage you to enter the public domain, i.e. capture the impact of your endeavors through strategic use of multimedia. For example, if you have artistic talents, capture those through an arts portfolio. Share a recording of your artistic performance. If you are making a social contribution or advocating for a cause, consider creating a YouTube channel, publishing a book on Amazon Kindle, or creating a podcast on Spotify – make yourself visible and heard.

Scholarships

Having set yourself ahead of the lot of applicants through outstanding academics and demonstrated leadership and social endeavors, universities would love to have you join their campus. Many offer merit-based scholarships that can potentially cover the total cost of attendance. For example, Boston University offers the Trustee and Presidential scholarships. There is the Robertson Scholars Program which is affiliated with Duke and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. University of Southern California, Emory University, Drexel University, amongst others also offer merit based scholarships.

At the end of the day, admissions officers want to make sure that if they admit you to an Ivy-level institution, you are adequately prepared to brave the rigors that awaits you there. So being “good” alone is not enough; you have to be outstanding, literally standing outside the lot.

The dark wizards or werewolves in college are real, but they are not evil-intentioned beings who are after your blood; they are your own internal demons that you have to overcome so as to be successful. Colleges want to know if you have those superpowers now so that you can be resilient and overcome the challenges that come your way – and challenges there will be plenty, very often not in the form you’d anticipate: dealing with an internship rejection, being ghosted by a friend, lab experiments falling apart, a date not showing up, nihilistic thoughts plaguing you… your emotional maturity is equally important as your intellectual aptitude in making your way to an Ivy-level university.