Came across this article on Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/christeare/2016/04/17/why-applying-to-all-eight-ivy-league-options-makes-no-sense/#42e55c843a97) and thought it was very interesting. I agreed with pretty much everything the author says, but with how competitive the admissions process is today, I don’t think it’s going to stop me from applying to 4-5 Ivies.
Thoughts???
the author is right, it doesn’t make sense to apply to all eight, too much work and money and unless you have a hook, it’s not going to matter much. The best chance of getting in an ivy would be to apply ED to one of the five that have ED, if you’re sure it’s your first choice. If not, apply SCEA to one of HYP, and maybe 1 or 2 more for RD. But, RD starts getting into 3-4% for some of these schools, so you’re taking a big chance.
The Ivy League schools are obviously spectacular schools. Here’s the thing, though, there are lots and lots of other schools where one can get substantially the same education on a beautiful campus filled with amazing professors and students.
The Ivy League schools are very different from one another. Columbia/Penn and Dartmouth are completely different places. I can’t imagine that if they were not Ivies many students would find those three schools among the top fits for themselves. Brown and Cornell have very different vibes. Someone applying to all 8 Ivies is almost certainly applying to them because they are Ivies. This is a shallow reason for choosing a school. It probably indicates a lack of healthy emotional development and maturity. It alone is evidence that, holistically speaking, the student really isn’t a likely candidate to attend any of them.
I love it when someone thinks they will beat the odds. It’s highly unlikely. So unlikely in fact, that you fully realize just how unlikely it is, but you think you will be the spectacular student who does it. It isn’t a lottery though. You aren’t improving your odds by applying to more schools. If anything, I would say the best way to improve your odds is by researching the one you really like the best and submitting an app that will make them see just how good a fit you are for that school.
It goes without saying that you need top grades and test scores. And I mean you need a 4.0 with all rigorous classes and a 34 ACT at least. Unless you are hooked, but even then, you still need top everything.