My grades, class rank, standardized test scores, and other academic items on my application are certainly good enough for top colleges. However, there is nothing exceptional about my extracurricular activities. My question is, what can I do to make sure my application stands out among the many other students with great academics and average extracurriculars that will be applying to the best schools in the country?
What are the “best” schools in the country?
Well my top two are Johns Hopkins and MIT which I would consider to be among the top schools in the country. I’ll also be applying to Harvard, Princeton, and UChicago.
Write creative essays that let your personality shine through.
And apply to safety schools. Many students who are perfectly qualified and unique are rejected. Not enough room for all of the top students.
@KKmama I will surely write the best essays I can, but I don’t think good essays will be enough.
Your ECs are what they are, your grades/stats are what they are. At this point, only your essay is something you can still shape and have influence over. So make the most of this opportunity to “speak directly” to the adcom. Give a lot of thought to what you want them to know about you. What do you do when you’re not studying? What makes you unique among your friends? What kind of accomplishments do you have that may not be reflected in your grades/stats/ECs? What would you offer a school as its student?
Finally, keep in mind that the schools you’re shooting for are a reach for everyone - even those with stellar ECs.
All you can do at this point is prepare the strongest application possible to include essays, LORs, demonstrating interest in schools that look for that etc. Cast a wide net and apply to not only the schools you noted above, which are reaches for everyone pretty much, but also to a group of match and safety schools that are affordable and that you would be happy to attend.