When it comes to tips for ivy league bound students, contradicting ideas abound! You may not know who to listen to about the steps to take toward college; should you trust your parents, counselor, or teachers more? But while everyone may have a slightly different opinion on what you ought to do, there are some tips for ivy league bound students with which you can’t go wrong!
I can’t stress how much I wish I had begun preparing for college earlier. Waiting until senior or even junior year to plan for college is simply a recipe for disaster! That’s why one of the greatest tips for ivy league bound students I can offer is to begin planning for your future as early as middle school or freshman year.
If you attain a 4.8 GPA and earn a 2300 on your SAT, that is an amazing feat, but that isn’t everything. You need to get involved in your school and community if you want Ivy League schools to notice you. Find your passion and pursue it. Even if your only passion is academics, you can pursue that by tutoring, participating in research opportunities outside of school, or joining academic clubs. Getting involved will demonstrate to colleges that you can balance school along with other activities.
Ivy Leagues and other competitive colleges receive thousands of applications every year with essentially the same statistics. They care about your GPA, SAT score, and AP scores, but not as much as they care about you. Everyone applying to Harvard has above a 4.0 GPA, but maybe only you founded an animal care club at your school. Throughout high school, you need to constantly do things that will make you stand out, then emphasize those things in your college essays.
Come senior year, you’ll be knocking on some old classroom doors asking for letters of recommendation. When this time rolls around, you want to be on good terms with all of your teachers. But if you try to patch up poor relationships last minute, your letters of recommendation won’t come out as well as you would like. Throughout high school, you ought to get on and stay on your teachers’ good sides! For tips on how to do exactly that, check out this article! teen.allwomenstalk.com
Unfortunately, many elite universities practice the “who you know” policy. Fortunately, getting to know the right people isn’t impossible! Attend any information nights hosted by your prospective colleges that are held in your area. Doing so will get you on their radar and maybe even help you make valuable connections!
Even if freshman year you build a rocket, sophomore year you discover a new planet, and junior year you publish a bestselling book about astronomy, there is still a chance you won’t get into the Ivy League school of your choice. So much of these colleges’ decisions is based on chance that you really shouldn’t flirt with disaster. Make sure you have a backup plan that you’re happy with; a reasonable, but not “beneath you” school to attend after high school.
Leadership is extremely important to Ivy League universities. Their goal is to shape the future world leaders, who will not only contribute to the school’s environment during their time there, but also to the global community after graduation. Actions you take in high school, such as starting a club, getting elected officer, or attending a leadership conference, can demonstrate to these schools your potential for being a renowned and respected leader some day!
Doing your research on a college is important for a few reasons. First of all, you need to know the application requirements before you submit your test scores and essays. They may have supplemental essays that you should be aware of before the deadline rolls around. Additionally, you should know the college as well as the back of your hand so that at interviews you aren’t unable to answer any questions!
I know what it’s like to think about applications for schools like Harvard, Yale and Stanford more than you think about popular movies and TV shows. But while planning for the future is certainly important, having fun is equally as important! Stressing won’t do you any good, but going out with friends or simply unwinding with an hour of TV at the end of each day will help keep you sane throughout high school!
If you dream of attending an Ivy League school, or any number of other competitive schools like Stanford, Cambridge, or MIT, it’s important to consider everything you can do to increase your chances of acceptance. What are you doing to attain your dream of attending a highly selective school?