Hey guys, I’m in 8th grade (young, i know), and go to a very competitive top 5 nationwide private school, where college is already on my mind. I already participate heavily in MUN, debate, and the school newspaper. Im in a loss fr volunteering experiences, only doing what the school asked. I’m a soccer player and maybe will do ski team as well. Im Indian-american, and get straight A’s. What do I have to do to make it Ivy league schools, and mainly my dream school, Yale.
You need to take a deep breath and relax. The people I know that were accepted to ivies did not pursue ec’s and activities just to impress adcoms, they just pursued their passions. You are way too young to be stressing about this and there is no magic formula. Even candidates that seem extremely qualified get rejected.
While this article was written to an 8th grader interested in applying to Harvard, everything in it also applies to Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT and about 100 other selective colleges. Please read it carefully and follow the advice: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-s-doctoroff/college-interviews_b_1288106.html.
Hey, a few tips for you. As you start your freshman year in high school, try to engage in a sport that you like (and care for) and note, you don’t have to play many sport. Be a good student, I mean do not involve yourself in activities that will make you have many tardies. Try to demonstrate progress on your transcript, I mean keep on improving your grades. Do more and consistent volunteer service both in your community and the ones that relate to your dream profession. Show great passions for your hobby. And during breaks, try to involve yourself in your career internship programs. Also, make good relationship with your counsellor and you potential recomendators. If you think you are financially disadvantage, try to work, because it will present you mature to the college admission officials. When, it is time to apply, write an essay that is very creative and say something about you. Watching movies occasionally can help you find good ideas to write about, like me, I found the inspiration to write my essay from watching a chinese movie (featuring Jackie Chan) that’s much about monk’s culture. Most importantly, make sure you have faith in God that He will see you true in your ambitions - God is the only one that can fix the contours on your road to stardom. You should try your absolute best on your SAT and ACT exams - don’t be over stressed with Yale average SAT & ACT scores.
Did you really just bring up God in an advice thread? Zoo wee mama
“Im in a loss fr volunteering experiences” — You really need to take a step back, think about your life and what you enjoy doing outside of school, find something that you are passionate about, and follow that path. I have heard numerous admissions officers say that depth of EC experience, and not breadth, is what is important; or to put it another way, quality of EC experience is more important than quantity. Selecting ECs based on how you perceive they help you in getting admitted to a college or university is not just mercenary, but is something that will, in my opinion, lead to a very unsatisfying life.
Additionally, the guidance counselors at our school like to say that you should not have one “dream school,” but several “dream schools”; so try to identify other colleges or universities besides Yale and the other Ivies where you think that you can have a fulfilling undergraduate experience – which is more than just going to a “prestige” college.
Finally, regarding your statement “What do I have to do to make it Ivy league schools,” I hope that you avoid the trap that many students fall into about confusing your identity and self-worth with the college or university that you attend. (And I don’t discount the role that parents play in this either.) Here is an article that is worth reading, and remembering over the course of the next four years for you: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-how-to-survive-the-college-admissions-madness.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Ffrank-bruni&_r=1
Best of luck to you.