Admissions Blog

Undergraduate Admissions Uncensored

  • admissions.blog

Don’t submit your Common App until you…

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Craig Meister

Many high school seniors race to submit their college applications in the days right before their deadlines. Sad to say, most high school seniors completing the Common App, even those submitting their apps by early deadlines, make a lot of mistakes that reduce their chances of admission.

The most frequent – and unnecessary – mistakes that I see from students that you need to avoid making include:

1. Neglecting the Quality of the Essay: Students might rush their Common App essay, leading to generic responses or missed opportunities to showcase their unique voice and experiences.

2. Sharing Incomplete or Inaccurate Information: Errors in personal information, such as contact details, dates, or academic history, can create confusion or lead to the disqualification of your application from admissions consideration at highly selective colleges.

3. Overlooking Specificity/Fit in Supplemental Essays: Failing to pay attention to specific prompts for individual colleges or submitting poorly recycled essays from other supplements can hurt students’ chances.

4. Ignoring Word Limits: Many students exceed word limits on essays and don’t even notice that all of their essay didn’t pate into the app! Or students fail to fully utilize the space available, missing the chance to elaborate on key points. As I’ve written before, on your Common App essay, size does matter!

5. Making Formatting Mistakes: Submitting essays or materials with inconsistent formatting, such inconsistent indentations (just use block paragraphs) or extra spacing issues, can be distracting and appear unprofessional.

6. Neglecting Extracurricular Activities: Underrepresenting or failing to explain the significance of extracurricular activities can diminish an applicant’s profile and not submitting a full extracurricular résumé when and where possible.

7. Having a Lack of Specificity/Humanity Overall: Writing vague responses about interests, experiences, or goals can make an application less compelling. Colleges want to see specific examples and insights. SHOW as much if not more than you TELL – not just on the essays, but also on the Activities page and other parts of the app where you squeeze in details about your accomplishments. The more generic an application becomes the more I find it will rely on overused phrases or topics that can make the whole thing feel unoriginal and cliché. I’ll throw into this category relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to write your essays for you! Admissions offices are increasingly willing and able to use AI detectors when assessing essays.

8. Missing Deadlines: Some students mismanage time and miss critical deadlines for submissions, recommendations, or tests.

9. Failing to Edit and Proofread: Simple typos, grammatical errors, or awkward phrasing can detract from the overall impression of the application.

10. Disregarding Instructions/Prompts: Ignoring specific requirements or guidelines outlined by the college can lead to incomplete applications. For example, an increasing number of colleges require additional materials beyond the common portion of the Common App (such as a completed Courses & Grades section on the Common App or the SRAR post-submission of the Common App).

11. Forgetting to Confirm Recommendations: Students sometimes forget to ensure that recommenders submit their letters on time or don’t follow up with them.

Yet, as bad as all these faux pas are, these ugly eleven mistakes are really just hit-and-run summaries and the tip of the iceberg. In the below videos, I share valuable information that builds upon the eleven no-no’s mentioned above. This is information that you must know and think about carefully before you submit the Common App to one or more colleges on your list so you can give yourself the very best chances of admission.

And remember, when you’ve finished your Common App and you want to know if it’s as strong as possible and whether or not, in its current condition, your chances of admission are impressive, inconclusive, or inadequate, you consider getting My Pre-Read.

Good luck!


12. Biggest Common App Mistake Even Smart Students Make


13. Beware of Ghost Essays on the Common App


14. Mind the Gaps in Your Common App Essay


15. Accentuate Your Honors on the Common App Education Page


16. How to Hide and Reveal Your Scores on the Common App


17. Why Sample “Successful” Common App Essays Actually Suck


18. Best & Worst Common App Essay Prompts


19. Most and Least Popular Common App Essay Prompts


20. Should I respond to the “Community disruptions such as COVID-19” prompt?


21. What GPA Should I Report on the Common App?


22. What Your Essay Is So Bad


23. Why Your Essay Is Awful


24. Secret to a Successful First Draft Essay


25. How to Conclude a “Why” This College Essay

Tips for Applying to College

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Anthony

Applying to college is a significant milestone in a high school student’s life. The process can be both exciting and daunting and filled with numerous tasks and deadlines. Successfully navigating this journey requires careful planning, research, and attention to detail, which is why it’s important to review practical tips for applying to college, helping you manage the complexities of the application process, and improving your chances of acceptance.

1. Start Early

Starting the college application process early is crucial. Early preparation also allows you to explore a broader range of colleges and programs, giving you a better chance of finding the best fit for your academic and personal goals.

Set a timeline for your application process, marking important dates such as test registration deadlines, college application deadlines, and scholarship deadlines. Breaking down the process into smaller, manageable tasks can help you stay organized and reduce stress. Additionally, starting early gives you more time to seek guidance from teachers, counselors, and family members.

2. Research Your Options

Thoroughly researching colleges and programs is essential to finding the right match for your interests and goals. Consider factors such as location, size, campus culture, academic programs, and extracurricular opportunities. Look beyond the college’s marketing materials and delve into student reviews, campus visits, and virtual tours.

If you have a specific career path in mind for after college, such as teaching English, research both undergraduate programs and graduate programs that align with your goals. For example, if you’re ultimately interested in teaching English to speakers of other languages, which is certainly an in-demand field these days, regardless of what you study as an undergraduate, you’ll want to consider an online TESOL Master’s degree in order to help you reach your goal. This degree can provide specialized training and open up various exciting career opportunities both domestically and internationally.

Take the time to explore different options and create a list of colleges that meet your criteria. This research will help you make informed decisions and increase your chances of finding a college where you will thrive academically and socially.

3. Understand Admission Requirements

Understanding the admission requirements for each college is critical to ensuring your application is complete and competitive. Each college is likely to have at least slightly different prerequisites, GPA requirements, and document submission expectations. Familiarize yourself with these requirements early in the process to avoid any last-minute surprises.

Typically, colleges require official or self-reported transcripts, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. Some programs may have additional requirements, such as portfolio reviews or interviews. Keep track of these requirements for each college you are applying to and ensure that you meet all deadlines.

Pay close attention to deadlines for early decision, early action, and regular decision applications. Missing a deadline can significantly impact your chances of admission. Use a planner or digital calendar to keep track of all important dates and tasks.

4. Prepare for Standardized Tests

Standardized tests, such as the SAT or ACT, are an important component of the college application process. These tests assess your readiness for college-level work and are used by colleges to compare applicants. Preparing for these tests requires time and effort, so start early.

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the format and content of the test you will be taking. Use practice tests and study guides to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Focus your study efforts on areas where you need the most improvement.

Consider enrolling in a test preparation course or working with a tutor if you need additional support. Taking the test early gives you the opportunity to retake it if you are not satisfied with your initial scores.

5. Write a Strong Personal Statement

Your personal statement is a key component of your college application, allowing you to showcase your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. A well-written personal statement can set you apart from other applicants and provide a deeper insight into who you are beyond your grades and test scores.

Start by brainstorming topics that highlight your strengths, challenges you have overcome, and experiences that have shaped your goals. Be genuine and reflective in your writing, focusing on what makes you a strong candidate for the college you are applying to.

Draft your personal statement and seek feedback from teachers, counselors, or family members. Revise your essay multiple times to ensure it is clear, concise, and free of errors. Remember to tailor your personal statement to each college, addressing why you are interested in their specific programs and how you will contribute to their campus community.

6. Gather Strong Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation play a crucial role in your college application by providing insight into your character, achievements, and potential from the perspective of those who know you well. Choose recommenders who can speak to your strengths and experiences, such as teachers, counselors, or employers.

When selecting recommenders, consider those who have witnessed your academic progress, leadership abilities, and personal growth. Provide them with ample time to write the letters and offer any necessary information, such as your resume or a list of accomplishments. This helps them write a detailed and personalized recommendation.

Requesting recommendations early in the process is important to ensure they are submitted on time. Follow up with your recommenders to thank them and remind them of the submission deadlines. Strong, supportive letters of recommendation can significantly enhance your application.

7. Highlight Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are an important part of your college application because they demonstrate your interests, skills, and commitment outside the classroom. Involvement in clubs, sports, volunteer work, and other activities shows that you are a well-rounded individual who can balance academics with other interests.

When sharing extracurricular activities on a college application, highlight those that showcase leadership, teamwork, dedication, and other characteristics that you want colleges to know that you are able and willing to demonstrate. Include details about your roles, responsibilities, and achievements in these activities. For example, if you were a captain of a sports team, mention how you led your team and any awards or recognitions you received.

Demonstrating long-term commitment to a few key activities is often more impactful than a brief involvement in many. Colleges appreciate depth of involvement and the development of skills and passions over time. Some colleges even allow you to upload a full PDF resume to their applications, in which case you’ll want to develop an extraordinary extracurricular resume in order to stand out for all the right reasons. 

Conclusion

Applying to college is a comprehensive process that involves careful planning, thorough research, and diligent preparation. By gathering strong letters of recommendation, highlighting extracurricular activities, preparing for interviews, applying for financial aid and scholarships, and double-checking your application, you can enhance your chances of success. These tips will help you present yourself as a well-rounded, motivated, and prepared candidate. Embrace the journey with confidence, and take each step with the goal of finding the college that best fits your academic and personal aspirations.

Now is the time to build an “Extraordinary Extracurricular Résumé”

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Craig Meister

It’s the spring semester, you are a high school junior about to embark on the process of applying to America’s most selective colleges, and you haven’t completed an up-to-date and properly formatted extracurricular résumé? If you want to give yourself the best chance of getting into the colleges on your list later this year, I strongly recommend a course correction – quickly.

My fast and factual online course How to Build an Extraordinary Extracurricular Résumé teaches you the formula for success that up until just a few years ago I only shared with my private college admissions coaching clients. Now you can learn how to apply my startlingly simple and boundlessly customizable recipe for extracurricular résumé success on your college applications by taking How to Build an Extraordinary Extracurricular Résumé at your own pace and at the time and place of your choosing. Since we’re just a few months away from the opening of the 2025-2026 Common App, the time for action is now!

Whether you are an athlete, artist, actor, or all of the above, I strongly suggestion that you need to put together an extracurricular résumé for your college application(s) that will highlight all of your accomplishments if you are to have the best shot of earning admission to all of the colleges and universities on your list. How to Build an Extraordinary Extracurricular Résumé will help you determine the right words and develop the best layout in order to differentiate your extracurricular résumé from the competition. By the end of this course you will learn how to:

  • Create personalized and specific extracurricular résumés that will impress college admissions officers
  • Differentiate your college applications by learning how to and where to include details about your extracurricular activities
  • Brand yourself in ways that will make your college applications stand out from the pack
  • Leverage your résumés in various ways throughout the college admissions process; these résumés are not just for copying and pasting or uploading to the Common Application and other institutional applications
  • Clarify what separates an extraordinary résumé from a clichéd résumé

Best of all, the course is short (only roughly an hour) and cheap (only $33 for lifetime access). So, what are you waiting for? Purchase and learn How to Build an Extraordinary Extracurricular Résumé today!

Lafayette College Elevates Equity Over Extracurricular Achievements

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

Lafayette College, a small private college in Easton, Pennsylvania with a reputation for solid undergraduate engineering and liberal arts programs, used the launch of the 2023-2024 Common Application as an occasion to get media attention for its decision – taken in partnership with the Common App itself – to review the common portion of the Common App in a unique way for those high school students applying to join Lafayette’s Class of 2028.

In an effort “to create a more equitable admissions process,” Lafayette President Nicole Hurd declared that her college, “will now only consider up to six activities rather than the 10 available through the application form.”

The common portion of the Common App, when initially conceived and launched, and for years thereafter, was common (in this context, meaning “the same” or “equal”) for all colleges that accepted it. Yet, in an equity-prioritizing environment, even standard English definitions (SAT and ACT analogy questions were earlier victims of the same ideology) are fair game for reconsideration. What, after all, does SAT stand for anymore? It once stood for “Standardized Aptitude Test.” Now it stands for literally nothing other than “SAT.” The powers that be at the Common App must have determined that the word “common” needed a rebrand. Maybe the word “common” was just exhausted from years of emotional labor trying to be something that it really wasn’t?

The clues, after all, where there. Several years ago certain colleges started opting out of reading the Common App’s formerly required essay. This change allowed Common App to bring on big additional members that were financially and strategically beneficial to have on board. Though the common portion of the Common App was showing cracks, at least when certain Common App colleges don’t require or review the essay with students’ overall applications, the writing page of the application explicitly names these colleges at the top of the section where students copy and paste or type in the essay if such colleges have been added to students’ Common App.

President Hurd, on her college’s extracurricular activities decision, went on to add, “We want to let students shine and not send them a message that holds them back or creates unneeded anxiety…The current application, which allows for up to 10 activities, can suggest to our students and families that quantity matters more than quality, that getting into college is about filling in blanks. Suggesting that students should pursue 10 activities while in high school and producing a great academic record does not make good sense to us. We want to make it clear to students that what matters to us are the activities and passions in which they are deeply invested.”

Setting aside the implication that a high school senior is unable to have been deeply invested in more than six activities from the summer before ninth grade through the beginning of twelfth grade, nobody completing the Common App’s activities page in recent years has been under the impression that anyone at the Common App or the majority of colleges that accept the Common App cares much about the actual quantity or quality of applicants’ extracurricular activities.

If the Common App did care about such matters, it would give applicants more space within the activities page of the Common App to list all of their activities (beyond ten for those who have more) and elaborate on the nature of their unique responsibilities or achievements within each individual activity entry. Yet, the Common App activities page limits applicants to a paltry 300 characters (not words, but characters) to describe each of their up to ten activities.

A significant number of students engage in more than ten extracurricular activities during the course of their years in high school. Many others could write far more than 300 characters about their various responsibilities, roles, accomplishments, and achievements within however many activities they choose to report in the Common App. Years ago, the Common App did allow students to upload a full resume to the common portion of the application, but since that option was eliminated only a small minority of colleges have continued to invite students to upload full resumes to their Common App supplements. Lafayette was once included in that small group of colleges.

Jenny Rickard, President and CEO of Common App, hailed the decision by Lafayette: “While the ‘activities’ section of the Common App is a great place for students to show colleges how they contribute to their families, school, and community, the focus should always be on the substance of the activities rather than the number…Common App data show that there are stark and substantial differences in the total number of activities applicants report across nearly every measure of race and income level.”

The Common App does allow all applicants to utilize an additional information section within the Common App’s writing page – a page best known for also being the location into which students copy and paste or type their essays in the personal essay section – to share additional details about whatever they like in up to 650 words. Most applicants do not take advantage of this opportunity and share nothing in this often-overlook field of the application.

Yet, as of August 4, 2023, nowhere on the current Common App or Lafayette supplement is there any mention that Lafayette will only be considering the first six activities listed on the activities page of the Common App. In fact, Lafayette College still has instructions on its supplement to the Common App that read as follows:

Share More: If you wish to provide details about your identity, background, experiences, and/or qualifications not reflected already in your application, please use the Additional Information short response option in the Writing portion of the Common Application.

The Common App went live for first-year applicants on August 1. Over 1.2 million first-year applicants used the Common App to apply to college last admissions cycle. This included a 31 percent increase by what the Common App refers to as underrepresented minority students and a 36 increase by what the Common App refers to as first-generation applicants over the 2019-2020 admissions cycle. Lafayette accepts applications for Early Decision (11/15/23), Regular (1/15/24), and Early Decision II (2/1/24) deadlines. The latest public statistics from the college’s website indicate that 11% of incoming students were first-generation college students, 25% were domestic students of color, and 8% were international in fall of 2022.

In promoting the college’s extracurricular activity-free (beyond six) decision on the news section of the college’s website but not on the application to the college itself, Forrest Stuart, Lafayette’s Vice President for Enrollment Management, added, “We believe that access and opportunity are about more than a strong financial aid and scholarship program…When we evaluate a student’s readiness for Lafayette, the depth of activities is more helpful than the raw number. For example, some students have ample opportunities to be involved in a number of activities. This is great. However, more and more students find their ability to spread themselves across a number of activities to be limited due to family, economic, and other obligations. As a college dedicated to helping students find affirmation and agency through this stressful application process, we are excited for students to share with us what matters most to them.”

Over twenty-four hours before the publication of this article, an email was sent by the author of this article to Stuart and his colleague, Lafayette Dean of Admission, Krista Evans, in search of responses to specific follow up questions. So far, that email remains unacknowledged. Should responses be forthcoming after publication of this article, they will be added here.

Taken to its logical conclusion, Lafayette’s decision to disregard students’ extracurricular achievements beyond the first six mentioned in the activities section of the Common App, if actually implemented, will certainly bolster the college’s “commitment to making college more accessible and the process more inclusive for students” if one interprets such a statement to mean a commitment to lowering the ceiling of how impressive certain applicants can appear while simultaneously suspending the concepts of evaluating holistically individual applicants and being able to accurately compare applicants to each other. Nothing was stopping Lafayette in previous years from putting a student’s stated extracurricular output into the overall context of what opportunities the student may or may not have had at his or her disposal, but apparently now that task should not fall on Lafayette’s admissions officers as it relates to extracurricular activities. Instead, simply no student will be allowed to share too much.

In the meantime, many high school seniors around the world are drafting their college applications now. It would be wonderful if Lafayette College became more proactive about communicating its new application parameters to prospective applicants who are currently filling out the Common App so these prospective applicants would be able to make informed choices about how best to proceed with their applications.

How to Avoid Bad Pre-College Programs

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Craig Meister

Not all summer opportunities for high school students are created equal! Learn how to select pre-college programs or other summer activities that will help your chances of college admission.

Your College Application Must Demonstrate Addiction

Posted on July 28, 2021 by Craig Meister

The most successful college applicants (the ones who get into America’s top colleges) demonstrate interest AND demonstrate addiction. Yes, you read that right. Watch the video to learn more.

The Two Most Important Parts of a College Admissions Interview

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Craig Meister

There are so many ways to ace a college admissions interview; however, two parts of the interview are most crucial: the beginning and the end. Whether you interview in person or virtually, you should implement as much as possible of the advice in the video below into your college admissions interview game plan. Good luck!

Another Reason Why Your Common Application Essay is So Bad

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Craig Meister Leave a Comment

If your attempt at writing a strong Common Application essay is failing, you very well could be making this major mistake in the drafting process. Fix it and you will give yourself a fighting chance to write an essay that is actually decent.

But, guess what? This is only the #2 reason your Common App essay stinks! Learn about the the #1 reason your essay is bad here.

Write an essay worthy of getting you into your dream college! Expert college application essay review and editing are just a click away!

Use Winter Break to Make the Most of Summer Break

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Craig Meister

Take time in December to apply to the most coveted summer academic programs, internships, jobs, or community service activities if you want to have the best shot at getting them.

How to get into the Ivy League – Ethically

Posted on November 5, 2019 by Craig Meister

So much of what you read, watch, or hear in the media is there to make you feel like it’s impossible to get into Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale without cheating your way in or using some unsavory connection to worm your way in.

Yet, a successful – and ethical – formula for getting into Ivy League colleges does exist and is pretty straightforward.

Below, I share the simple four-step formula for getting into Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, or Yale, which has helped 100% of my students who have followed it get into one or more Ivy.

Step 1: Take Rigorous High School Courses and Get As in Them

Notice how it didn’t say “be smart” or “pursue your academic passions.” Such entreaties sound lovely, but they’re beside the point. The foundation of your campaign to get into an Ivy League college depends on you willingness and ability to consistently take the most rigorous courses at your high school and then earn A grades in all such courses as well as whatever other courses you are also taking. If your school reports A grades via a range (such as A-, A, A+ or 90-100), work your hardest to get the highest As possible (A+ or 97+). If your school grades on a different scale than those mentioned so far, simply aim for the top of it.

Every high school is different, but in many cases, taking the most rigorous courses at your high school is synonymous with one of the below three scenarios (or some combination or permutation thereof):

A. Running the table with as many Advanced Placement courses as you can take each academic year and taking all of your other academic courses at the highest levels on offer

B. Taking the most challenging courses offered to students in your high school during your first two years in high school, then becoming a full-fledged International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) student at the start of your junior year, and finally completing the full IBDP with both predictions and final cumulative scores aligned in the 40-45 range

C. Taking as many Honors, High Honors, Gifted, and/or Dual Enrollment courses as possible throughout your four years in high school

In no grade in high school should you take fewer than five academic courses (though I prefer six if you can swing it), and if you are being strategic about things, no matter the exact curriculum on offer at your school or official names of courses available at your school, at minimum, your four-year academic course load in high school should include the following:

Freshman Year:

Most Rigorous English Course Available to 9th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Math Available to 9th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous History Available to 9th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Science Available to 9th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Foreign Language Available to 9th Grade Students – 1 Credit

Sophomore Year:

Most Rigorous English Course Available to 10th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Math Available to 10th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous History Available to 10th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Science Available to 10th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Foreign Language Available to 10th Grade Students (Same Language as Last Year) – 1 Credit

Junior Year:

Most Rigorous English Course Available to 11th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Math Available to 11th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous History Available to 11th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Science Available to 11th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Foreign Language Available to 11th Grade Students (Same Language as Last Year) – 1 Credit

*Or, if an IBDP student:

-Three HLs in areas you are most passionate about and that are likely to align with your potential college major(s)
-Three SLs in areas you are also deeply passionate about
-Of your six IB courses, only one (max) should be arts-related unless you plan to major in one or more art in college
-If your school offers Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL, you should take it and get an A (or Predicted 5+ minimum) in it

Senior Year:

Most Rigorous English Course Available to 12th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Math Available to 12th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous History Available to 12th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Science Available to 12th Grade Students – 1 Credit
Most Rigorous Foreign Language Available to 12th Grade Students (Same Language as Last Year) or Double Up on English, Math, History, or Science, but only with an Advanced/AP/IB/Honors+ Course – 1 Credit

Or, if an IBDP student, continuation of * detailed above.

Notice how I didn’t mention elective/arts courses. They are nice to take too, especially if you need to or want to pursue your passions through them and have the horsepower to do so, but to be completely honest, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale are focused on your academic courses, not PE, Health, Arts (except for AP or IB), Personal Finance, etc. courses.

Remember, the above academic course progression is only a minimum goal; you can always do more, and that would be great – just keep earning As if you take on more rigor/courses than the progression outlined above.

Step 2: Score Very Well on the SAT and/or ACT

To be blunt – aim for 1450 on the SAT or 33 on the ACT minimum. For most people this requires a great deal of studying and a history of actually being a serious student in school. Do students get into Ivy League colleges with lower scores than those stated above? Yes. You should assume that you are not going to be one of them.

– Time Out –

Before we move on to Step 3 and Step 4, I should note that many students around the world are able to beautifully accomplish the aforementioned Step 1 and Step 2; yet, the majority of such students will not get into Ivy League colleges even if they try. This is for the same reason that most professional baseball players have no problem hitting a double but very few will ever hit an inside-the-park home run: they are unable or unwilling to go past second base. Below you will learn how to go beyond second base and return to home plate without being called out.

FUN FACT: the majority of students, parents, talking-heads/influencers complaining about how hard it is to get into an Ivy League college are doing so because they don’t want to or don’t know how to put in the effort necessary to complete Step 3 and Step 4 below.

Step 3: Strategically Differentiate Your Life

Everyone wants to win the lotto these days (hit the jackpot without the effort). But, again, if we are being real, very few billionaires just fell into their money. They or their predecessors developed a plan and executed on it in order to make it big.

The same idea applies to getting into Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, or Yale. You need to sit down like a young adult, think critically, develop a plan, and execute on it if you are going to give yourself the best shot of getting into an Ivy League college.

What should the plan look like? It should not look like any other student’s plan, that’s for sure. That’s why sitting down like a young adult and attempting to think critically all alone is often not enough for many teens with Ivy League dreams. Most teenagers with big goals really do need to sit down with at least one older and wiser strategic thinker in order to game plan out a strategy that can be tactically and earnestly implemented.

Sadly, many students only turn to a mom, dad, sibling, friend, or teacher who means well but doesn’t know much about what Ivy League colleges are really attracted to in students. Other students go to their high school’s college counselor hoping he or she will be the “older and wiser strategic thinker” that they are so desperately looking for in order to give themselves the best shot of Ivy League college admission. Pretty soon most students figure out (if they do at all) that even if their college counselor is well-meaning and knowledgeable (the student would actually be very lucky to find these characteristics in his or her college counselor), very few high school-based college counselors have the time, interest, and/or ability to provide the personalized and highly strategic college admissions coaching students with Ivy League goals need.

For example, so many students go to their high school counselors looking for advice on how to get into Ivy League colleges and their counselors summarily advise them to consider other colleges all together because, “fit matters more than rank, Johnny” or, if the students are lucky, maybe the counselors will advise the students to become extracurricular leaders! Woopdidoo!

Both scenarios make my blood pressure rise, though at least in the latter case the counselors are respecting students’ questions and goals. Yet, as attractive as student leaders are to Ivy League colleges, there is a very important characteristic that trumps leadership in the eyes of Ivy League college admissions officers:

The earlier in high school you can sit down with someone who actually knows what he or she is talking about and has the time and interest to get to know you and your goals well the more likely you will be able to strategically differentiate your life choices over the course of your high school career while also aligning your life choices to your unique value system. This in turn will allow you to stand out for all the right reasons to Ivy League admissions committees and ultimately reach your full college admissions potential.

Step 4: Communicate Like a Teenager from a Bygone Era

There has been a complete implosion of English instruction in K-12 education. As I have alluded to before: most students capable of getting straight As in high school English classes can’t write well or speak well. This is because most students capable of getting straight As in high school English classes have never learned how to think critically, which is a prerequisite for eloquent writing and speaking. Many students get As in English – even AP-level English – without actually being able to think, write, or speak that well.

Layer on top of that travesty the advent of smart phones and other forms of electronic communication, which have corrupted teenage minds and writing skills over the past twenty years, and you have a nightmare scenario for the future of humanity.

Yet, in this living nightmare there is an opportunity for those high school students who have actually – miraculously – been taught how to think, write, and speak clearly – like mere peasants, high school dropouts, and ragamuffins could in 1938. I mean this seriously. I was looking through an English test that my grandmother had to take in eighth grade in a Baltimore public school, and it was far harder than any English test I EVER took in high school or college. As a point of reference: in the last twenty years I’ve earned an MA in Education Administration and a BA in History (the latter from Penn no less). Maybe I would have been better off being born in 1922 and simply graduating high school in 1940 (as long as I survived the war)? I digress.

If you are in high school and open to actually learning how to think clearly and write and speak articulately, the world is your oyster. Frankly, the Ivy League would be luck to have you – and their admissions officers know it. Thus, if you pull off high level thinking and communicating in your application to an Ivy League college, you are going to set yourself apart from the average Ivy League applicant.

Many students (and their parents) realize that they need help in the communication portion of their college applications. That’s why every year in late spring I start getting calls from rising high school seniors and their parents begging me to help edit college applications – specifically extracurricular resumes and college application essays.

Frankly, I find providing developmental editing, substantive editing, copy editing, proofreading, and constructive critiquing for rising seniors increasingly tedious and often painful because it’s pretty time-consuming and emotionally draining for me to fix over a several-week period what took twelve years to do to you, namely, destroy your ability to communicate effectively. That’s why I much prefer meeting with students early in high school in order to start the important process of teaching them how to think deeply and write and speak well. This is also a reason why I developed the How to Build and Extraordinary Extracurricular Resume short course; creating a good resume is pretty much a science, but it’s a repetitive one.

To meet your full potential on college application essays, only personalized coaching can get you there – especially if you have not benefited from the rare instances of proper English instruction that still remain in this anti-intellectual age. As such, I do still take on a limited number of clients each year for college admissions coaching services (college list development, extracurricular resumes, essays, interview prep, total college application review, etc.) even though such work becomes harder each year because of the daily devolution of institutionalized K-12 education.

Long story short, the earlier you become a master communicator the more likely you will actually be able to share both your own voice and a voice worth listening to on your college applications and in college admissions interviews.

Conclusion

It’s really that simple. If you can tackle the four steps above with grace and gusto (and dare I suggest, gravitas), you are extremely likely to get into Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, or Yale. Yet, even more important than getting into any Ivy League college, if you can accomplish all of the above, you will have learned a lot and grown a lot as a person and remained ethical in so doing.

Princeton University

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Subscribe to our mailing list

Trending Posts

Avoid Tuition Anxiety: Put Strong Merit Aid Colleges on Your List

10 Best Colleges for Smart Skiers and Snowboarders in North America

The top 23 songs to listen to while completing your college applications in 2023 are…

New Dartmouth Essay Prompts Feature Football and Wild Chimpanzees

Tulane’s acceptance rate is 13%. Only 34% are male.

New Early Action Admissions Options Popping Up Across America

Make the most of a college visit this spring

Many high school counselors mean well but…

Brown’s Regular Decision Acceptance Rate Now 3.8%

USC receives 42,000 Early Action applications, will introduce Early Decision

Dear 11th Grader: Don’t Screw Up Your Ivy League Chances Now

Dear 12th Grader: Don’t Blow Your Ivy Chances Now

Dear 10th Grader: Don’t Become An Ivy League Reject!

Now Open: Application for New UC Berkeley 4-Year Haas Business Program

Which California public universities receive the most applications?

Digital SAT: All You Need to Know

AP vs. IBDP. Which is best for you?

Is AP Environmental Science a Joke or Justifiable?

Comparing Undergraduate Life at University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University

Caltech to require SAT or ACT scores again

12 Reasons Scattergrams Lull Students Into a False Sense of Security

Oh, Canada! The Definitive List of Canadian University Application Deadlines

Top 5 Ways Applying to US Colleges is Different than Applying to UK Universities

UNC and a tale of one – make that four – acceptance rates

Northwestern Releases Regular Decisions, Class of 2027 Statistics

Making the most of the summer before senior year

30 Summer STEM Camps for High School Freshmen

Wesleyan University Ends Legacy Preferences in Admissions

The Perfect Gifts to Celebrate Getting Into College

Search Posts By Topic

  • 3 Year Degree (3)
  • Accommodations (2)
  • Admissions Policies (130)
  • Admissions Statistics (87)
  • Advice & Analysis (453)
  • Alabama (2)
  • Amherst (2)
  • AP (6)
  • Applications (93)
  • Applying from India (1)
  • Arizona (4)
  • Arts (1)
  • ASU (1)
  • Austin College (1)
  • Babson (1)
  • Baylor (1)
  • Berry College (1)
  • Boston College (2)
  • Boston University (6)
  • Bowdoin (1)
  • Brown (6)
  • Bryn Mawr (1)
  • Business (2)
  • BYU (1)
  • Caltech (5)
  • Canada (2)
  • Career and Technical Education (33)
  • Case Western (4)
  • China (1)
  • CMC (1)
  • Coalition (13)
  • Colby (3)
  • College Costs (1)
  • College Counselor (18)
  • College Fairs (5)
  • College Life (37)
  • College List (39)
  • College List Deathmatch (5)
  • College Visit (25)
  • Colorado College (1)
  • Colorado School of Mines (1)
  • Columbia (7)
  • Common App (42)
  • Community Colleges (4)
  • Cornell (5)
  • Counseling (3)
  • COVID-19 (8)
  • CSS PROFILE (3)
  • CSU (1)
  • CSULB (1)
  • CU Boulder (2)
  • Cybersecurity (1)
  • Dartmouth (6)
  • Davidson (1)
  • Demonstrated Interest (17)
  • DePaul (1)
  • Dickinson (1)
  • Direct Admissions (1)
  • Duke (3)
  • Early Action (44)
  • Early Childhood Education (1)
  • Early Decision (45)
  • Education (6)
  • Educational Consulting (1)
  • Elon (2)
  • Emergency Management (1)
  • Emory (1)
  • Engineering (3)
  • Enrichment (18)
  • Entrepreneurship (2)
  • Environmental Science (2)
  • Essays (57)
  • Europe (7)
  • Exercise Science (1)
  • Exeter (1)
  • Experiential Learning (1)
  • Extracurricular Activities (37)
  • FAFSA (6)
  • Feature (2)
  • Financial Aid (30)
  • First Person (12)
  • Fly-In (1)
  • France (1)
  • FSU (1)
  • Gap Programs (2)
  • GED (1)
  • Georgetown (4)
  • Germany (2)
  • Gifts (3)
  • Gonzaga (1)
  • GPA (7)
  • Graduate School (11)
  • Hamilton (1)
  • Harvard (7)
  • Healthcare (3)
  • High School (24)
  • Higher National Diplomas (1)
  • HiSET (1)
  • IB (4)
  • IEC (1)
  • IELTS (1)
  • Indiana (3)
  • Industrial Hygiene (1)
  • International (9)
  • Internships (8)
  • Interviews (10)
  • Iowa (2)
  • Italy (2)
  • Ivy League (20)
  • JHU (3)
  • Journalism (2)
  • Kettering University (1)
  • Lafayette (1)
  • Law (4)
  • LD (1)
  • Lists & Rankings (3)
  • Loans (1)
  • Majors (17)
  • Marketing (1)
  • Math (1)
  • Medicine (1)
  • Mental Health (3)
  • Middlebury (1)
  • MIT (6)
  • Montana State University (1)
  • Moving (1)
  • Naviance (2)
  • NCAA (3)
  • New Mexico State University (1)
  • News (124)
  • Northwestern (5)
  • Notification News (4)
  • Notre Dame (3)
  • Nursing (13)
  • NYU (3)
  • Of Note (8)
  • Ohio State (2)
  • Oklahoma (1)
  • Online Learning (14)
  • Open Admission (2)
  • Parents (7)
  • Penn (8)
  • Pharmacy (1)
  • Pitt (2)
  • Popular Posts (10)
  • Princeton (5)
  • Priority (2)
  • Professor of the Month (1)
  • PSU (3)
  • Psychology (3)
  • Public Universities (8)
  • Purdue (3)
  • Rankings (10)
  • Reader Questions (11)
  • Recommendations (10)
  • Regular (26)
  • Research (4)
  • Resume (20)
  • Rice (4)
  • Robotics (1)
  • Rochester (1)
  • ROI (4)
  • Rolling (5)
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1)
  • Santa Clara University (2)
  • Scholarships (2)
  • SEL (1)
  • Sewanee (1)
  • Skiing & Snowboarding (1)
  • SMU (1)
  • Social Work (7)
  • Soft Skills (1)
  • South America (2)
  • Southwestern (TX) (1)
  • Spotlight Series (1)
  • SRAR/SSAR (1)
  • St. Edward's University (1)
  • St. John's College (1)
  • Standardized Tests (43)
  • Stanford (4)
  • STEM (2)
  • Stevens Institute of Technology (1)
  • Student Trips (1)
  • Summer (24)
  • Swarthmore (1)
  • Syracuse (1)
  • TASC (1)
  • Teacher Recommendations (8)
  • Temple (1)
  • Texas (4)
  • Texas A&M (1)
  • Ticker (26)
  • Trending Posts (44)
  • Trinity University (TX) (1)
  • Tufts (4)
  • Tuition (3)
  • Tulane (8)
  • UBC (1)
  • UC Berkeley (8)
  • UC Davis (2)
  • UC Santa Barbara (2)
  • UCAS (5)
  • UCF (1)
  • UCI (1)
  • UCLA (8)
  • UCSD (1)
  • UDub (1)
  • UF (4)
  • UGA (3)
  • UIUC (3)
  • UMass (3)
  • UMD (5)
  • UNC (2)
  • United Kingdom (8)
  • Universal College Application (1)
  • University of Chicago (3)
  • University of Dallas (1)
  • University of New Mexico (1)
  • University of Rochester (1)
  • University of Vermont (1)
  • USC (4)
  • USNA (1)
  • UT Austin (4)
  • Utah (2)
  • UVA (7)
  • Vanderbilt (2)
  • Video Game Design (1)
  • Villanova (3)
  • Virtual Information Session (1)
  • Virtual Visit (2)
  • Wake Forest (1)
  • Wash U (7)
  • Wesleyan (2)
  • Williams (3)
  • Wisconsin (3)
  • Work Study (1)
  • Yale (13)
  • ZeeMee (1)

News Tips | Write for Us | Sponsored Posts
All content © 2025 | Admissions.Blog
Terms of Service | +1 410-526-2558

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in