Attending an Ivy League university is the dream of many students yet the process of getting there is daunting to say the least. To some it may seem like an impossible task yet every little bit of work dedicated to getting there will help in the long run, whether it be enrolling in an SAT prep course or volunteering as a tutor, it all adds up. And unfortunately, the process is unforgiving and students only get one shot to do it right and thus it is important to play every card available to them that will increase their chance of admission. Here are five big tips to students of any age who hope to gain admission to some of the world’s most prestigious universities:
 

1. Start early

While students do not actually submit their applications to Ivy League universities until Grade 12, if they have left it this late, they are putting themselves at a huge disadvantage. If students can involve themselves early and show consistent dedication to their activities, their application will seem that much more genuine and hold much more sway as compared to a student who suddenly joined six clubs in his last year of high school. Personally, I involved myself in several activities at the beginning of grade 8 and kept them up throughout all of high school, working my way up to leadership positions in the later years. If it weren’t for this continued involvement from early on, I would never have had the same leadership experience that I gained by dedicating myself to the clubs for 5 years, which in turn helped my application stand out.
 

2. Test scores and grades are not everything, but they are still a lot

 Though it does ring true that an applicant is more than just their ‘numbers’, students should still aim to do score as highly as possible on the SAT and in school, as long as it is not at the expense of other parts of their application. Students who can score highly while being involved in other activities will shine much brighter than those who value numbers over everything else and score even higher but have nothing else going for them on their applications.
 

3. Get to know the school you are applying to and know it well

One lesser-known tip for applying to the Ivies is to show demonstrated interest in the particular schools students are applying to. Students who have clearly done their research on a school and, if their circumstances permit, have visited it and the department they are interested in, will show the admissions office that the school is somewhere they actually have a genuine interest in attending and is more than just a brand name to them. In the long run, if the admissions office is choosing between two applicants, the student who has shown this interest and displays it on their application is a surer bet to accept their admissions offer and thus will be more likely to be accepted than the student who has not shown the same interest.
 

4. Using the personal statement to stand out

Too often students do not dedicate enough time to their personal statement on the Common App and by undervaluing it, they end up with an essay that is clichéd and mildly interesting at best. I initially fell into the trap of writing a fairly standard ‘passion’ essay about my love for competitive trivia that I thought was very good and considered done after a few drafts. However, rarely is ‘good’ good enough for the personal statement as the admissions offices are looking for something is not only ‘good’ as a technical piece of writing, but also something unique that jumps out at them. After 11 drafts, my essay morphed into something completely different as I ended up writing about how I hid my love of competitive trivia from my ‘athlete’ friends when I was younger and eventually grew up to embrace it and enjoy it equally along with competitive sports.
 

5. Use passion to differentiate yourself

It is very easy to ascribe to the ‘cookie-cutter’ approach and try to emulate the activities of a previously admitted student but also very transparent. Though there are activities that are generally considered cliché such as math competitions or building schools in an impoverished country, even these can help a student stand out if they can show that they are truly passionate about them. The real distinguishing factor here is commitment and going above and beyond what can be easily achieved in these activities. While a student could be truly passionate about math competitions, if all they do is enter all the ones available to them, it is not enough. But if they show that they have been dedicated to math from a young age and have tutored students and helped coach younger students interested in entering math competitions on their own initiative, this will make them a much more interesting candidate. By doing this, students will show their passion by taking the next step and demonstrating their dedication by doing more than just the bare minimum.

About the Author

Max Bedford is a graduate of St. George’s School. He is currently attending Princeton University.