How to get into an Ivy League School

How to get into an Ivy League School from an Ivy League Grad

With the college application cycle in full swing, high school seniors are seriously researching and considering all types of schools – book your private Irvine college admissions consultant today. For those students who are aiming for Ivy League or similarly ranked schools, here are a few tips to consider when making your college application plans, writing college apps, or simply selecting which schools to apply to:

• Be consistent in your activities

Schools would much rather see you invested in a single activity for all of high school than bouncing from activity to activity throughout your four years. For example, starting on your high school’s fresh/soph soccer team freshman year and then working your way up to varsity captain by senior year makes a better impression than being on the softball team freshman year then jumping to the swim team sophomore year and ultimately landing on the tennis team senior year. Why is demonstrating commitment important? Because college is challenging long-term commitment that they want to make sure that you are prepared to take on, and the best way to show that you are ready is by being invested in an activity throughout all of high school.

• Don’t do things just for the sake of doing them/putting them on your resume

While the opportunity to be the lead volunteer at the soup kitchen probably seems like an enticing prospect (leadership AND volunteering, sign me up!), don’t participate in activities solely because they seem like a great addition to your resume. If you love working with underserved communities and getting to know the members of those communities then go ahead and take that leadership position. Many college applications ask questions specifically about your activities and, if you aren’t actually invested in that activity, it will show in how you write about it. If you love dogs and want to volunteer at the animal shelter but you think volunteering at the hospital will look better on your application, guess again! If you can demonstrate your passion for animals as well as any skills you developed while volunteering there – such as patience, communication, interpersonal skills, etc. – that will be a much more valuable experience than half-hearted hospital volunteering and ultimately a better activity to write about on your common app.

• Put serious time into studying for the SAT/ACT

This probably seems obvious enough but it is a practice that is important not only for the SAT/ACT but also for college and beyond. Prepare for the SAT/ACT as if it were a marathon, not a sprint. Instead of cramming for the test the night before, take a few hours every week to do a few practice questions or take a practice test. You probably won’t see any major changes in your performance immediately, but you will see a steady increase in your scores over time leading up to the test. Another important part of studying for the SAT is going over the questions you get wrong. Students tend to get back their wrong answers, toss them aside, and move on. Instead, take the time to see why you got that question wrong because, chances are, a similar question will come up on the actual test and you will be prepared to get that answer correct this time around!

• Do something that will stand out

Now, I don’t mean go out and try to cure cancer- but if you do accomplish that, that’s awesome keep up the good work! What I am referring to is that, all of my college classmates and their dogs played the violin in high school (including me). So, while playing the violin is a great activity to have, try to participate in an activity that is more “out there.” For example, one of my classmates started a small environmental science club at her high school and, through reaching out to companies big on sustainability, she was able to grow her club into a massive international organization. Not only was she clearly passionate about sustainability, but she was also able to demonstrate that in a unique way.

All of that being said, even if you do not end up attending an Ivy, please remember that going to college is a huge accomplishment, and you should be very proud of yourself and how hard you worked to get there. Good luck on this next big step in your life!

Fernanda P. graduated from Columbia University and is attending medical school next year. She is a private tutor with Tutornerds in the south Orange County area.

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