They’ll probably find what other people are concluding, it’s too random a process to figure out how it works, esp for all the selective schools. You could find it more predictable for one college, but even then at a place like Stanford, where the school or admissions office can change goals for the class (e.g. more first gens) year to year, it could still be random or as behavioral economists like to say, luck.
Many years ago… transferred to Ivy, later Ivy and other highly ranked graduate programs
-Attended college in Europe, not year abroad but as a student for a couple of years. I am not European.
-learned three languages fluently. speak, read and write
-from an economically deprived family
-followed by own path-always
-tested 95-99% SATs
-had 3-4 developed interests.
-always took the highest level courses. Got good grades but not stellar.
-good essays based on my own experiences. Not run of the mill.
-risk taker in terms of academics and living life to its full
-worked in many jobs-some low level and others interesting. They could read from my application that I was a person who decided what I wanted and went out and did it.
I still think being interesting and having your own reasons for doing what you do is the key. So many people post on here with similar EC’s and interests. How can one stand out? I think a kid who does something different based on what they love not based on what is expected will stand out. I tell my own kids to be yourself. Also, I think attending all these pre-planned programs rather than finding your path is not going to benefit the student. Make your own way.
Last thing, is the kid really interested in learning or the prestige? I loved my school because it had so many libraries not because I was going to get X degree. I was thrilled they had specialty libraries and I used them! I’m still surprised how much people emphasize the school one attended.
Well Rounded with a huge spike
All the Ivy matriculants from my daughter’s high school the last few years were obvious profiles: Top 10 overall ranking (out of 200), great but not perfect test scores, super involved at school, charismatic, outgoing, and always obsessive readers.
And if shut out of the Ivys, the “worst” they end up at is Northwestern or Notre Dame. That’s why I don’t buy the random or luck aspect so many parents complain about. Cream rises to the top.
^Northwestern is no worse than Cornell and Brown and has been ranked ahead of them by USN for many years. This thread is so silly. Getting into Harvard is a completely different animal from getting into Cornell. There are quite a few non-Ivies than are harder to getting into some of the Ivies. Stanford is arguably harder to get in than any Ivy these days.
@IWannaHelp - I think you might have missed @midwestsahm’ point.
I was admitted to Yale EA last December.
Honestly, I’m not exactly sure why I got in. I feel a small degree of impostor syndrome - with so many incredible applicants, why is it that I was chosen? I’m a good student, but I’m not that extraordinary.
Anyway, I’m a white, middle-class kid from a relatively underrepresented state, at a private high school which sends about one student to the Ivy League every couple of years. No one has been accepted at Yale in recent memory besides me. I’ve always been really good at math, and have made constant efforts to go beyond and teach myself more. As a result, I’m well into the undergraduate curriculum at this point, and I’ve done quite well in mathematics competitions.
Other than this, I’m your average Ivy applicant. I’ve had only A’s in about the toughest course load possible at my school. I scored in the high 1500s on the SAT and 800’s on multiple subject tests. I also have a bunch of extracurricular activities which I have been involved with throughout high school (some music-related, a lot of leadership, community-minded stuff/volunteerism, paid and unpaid tutoring). I was quite true to myself in my essays and supplements and I think that they came together to express my character really well - they’re some of the best writing I’ve ever done. I work during the summers and I play a sport each season. I follow my passions and I sleep when I can.
I think that a part of why I may have been accepted stems from a sense of integrity within my application. Nothing that I did in high school was done solely to get into college. I enjoy each of the extracurricular activities I do and I would have done the same activities even if I hadn’t been applying to college. I believe that admissions officers, reading hundreds of applications each day, can fairly easily detect authenticity in the words and actions of an applicant. My words of wisdom to college applicants are, therefore, as follows: Be passionate, interesting, and exceptional - but not because it’ll improve your application.
great but not necessarily* perfect test scores
Probably the best advice would be to be as unique as you can without coming across as weird but at the same time well rounded! 
All of these stories, while not always applicable, definitely provide comfort. Thank you to everyone who has shared thus far!
Hi everyone, I was admitted to Cornell University during the Regular Decision round on March 28th and wanted to share my story. I am an Asian male who attends a large public school in Austin, Texas and was accepted into the Global and Public Health Sciences major at Cornell.
About five days before I was admitted to Cornell, I was waitlisted by Rice so I had absolutely no expectations leading up to Ivy Day. Quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting a waitlist offer from Rice either since it was a school with an acceptance rate around 13-14%. As you read through many of the threads on College Confidential, it is easy to get intimidated by the many different applicants who appear “better” than you, especially when it comes to test scores. Don’t let these posts intimidate you. I never broke the 1500 SAT barrier and barely scored a 30 on my SAT. I definitely made up for it with the rest of my application. I was a leader of several different organizations both on-campus and off-campus, had hundreds of community service hours, and expressed my passion and determination to succeed in my essays. I guess my whole intent on posting this is to say that even if your test scores are far from the average scores of admitted students, don’t toss immediately toss the college of your list. I believe Cornell looked past my mediocre test scores because the rest of my application was filled with passion and made me a fit for the university.
My son was accepted to Penn - he has a little over an A average - 4.167 unweighted (the school’s weighting average is convoluted), the most rigorous schedule available to him with about 15 APs, an 800 Math2 and an 800 Bio, is somewhere in the top 3/300 - our high school has stopped ranking, and he has many varied EC including community service, music and science activities. He was admitted to several highly competitive schools, but was rejected from several of the other Ivies. I would argue that his Penn admittance was helped greatly by the personal aspect of his “Why Penn” essay. His essay about Penn described what Penn meant to him personally and to our family as we live in the area and the University of Pennsylvania is a much-vaunted institution here. The University of Pennsylvania is a standard of excellence, especially in the Philadelphia area, and he was able to articulate that in personal anecdotes. I don’t think his essays for the other Ivies were as personal or distinct.
Someone told us at the beginning of the process, take lightly the colleges’ supplemental essays at your peril. I think that is sage advice Your essays likely won’t get you into the school on their own, but they could make or break you even if all your other criteria are exceptional.
Son was 14th out of almost 700 at one of the top public high schools in Texas. Most rigorous classes available - 12 APs. High SATs…leadership, internships…the usual, right? He was a 6/5" tight end from a top football program so he got in because of his athletic prowess coupled with his academics. Also accepted to UT engineering, Notre Dame, USC and Rice (Half merit scholarships at the privates), but wanted to play football & get a good education. Graduates in a month with an engineering degree. Football was his “hook” but he was academically equal to the rest of the class IMHO (deans list, academic awards). He also wrote a really good essay that showed another side to him. It involved plane spotting and his love of In & Out burgers lol.
Anyone whom the school decides to admit “deserves” to be there. I’m not exactly sure what gives you the right to be “annoyed” at anyone’s admittance. That recruited athlete evidently brings something to that school deemed valuable.
@thebetterhawkeye your post comes off a bit condescending and slightly obnoxious. You do realize there are sports where the recruited athlete or has scores, EC, and talents that are comparable or exceed many Ivy admits. Don’t you?
Was there another post that I missed @ShanFerg3 ? Or referring back to the original post? Anyway, I totally agree with you…but I am obviously biased…I actually think that recruited athletes, dancers, fencers, singers, actors, journalists, coders, political activists, etc all make the the experience really interesting. My son has met some incredibly smart and accomplished kids at his school and many of them play a sport…or sing…or dance…or write or code…and there are as many kids that did not get in that are just as capable going to their chosen school.
@dansmoaustin I was responding to the person in post #19. She implied that recruited athletes aren’t as qualified for admission as the typical admit. In certain sports like fencing, crew, squash, golf, etc…the student is every bit as high achieving academically, in many cases more so. I also find this to be more impressive because of the time commitment it requires to be an athlete that competes at the level it takes to be best in the country, in some cases the world, and considered for recruitment.
@dansmoaustin I was responding to @justliviglife in post #14. She stated that she gets annoyed when athletes with low scores get admitted. 1) I’m not sure what she would consider low scores or how she would be privy to this info. 2) I don’t think she appreciates the commitment it takes to become an athlete worthy of recruitment. To put in those hours while maintaining a high academic standard is something one has to witness to understand how incredibly difficult that is and how motivated/hard working/gifted that student athlete must be. For her to say she gets annoyed shows a basic lack of understanding how amazing these kids are and an innate sense of entitlement/judgement that I found annoying.
@ShanFerg3 Thanks…missed the thread lol. Agree by the way but I am biased. It is really hard to play a sport in HS and have the rigor, grades and test scores to even apply to any of the top schools. But to do it in college is truly a challenge…having witnessed what my son and his teammates went through. Daily practices, team meeting, weightlifting, etc is on top of the same exact classes, work load, tests, midterms, papers, labs etc and with our experience, no special treatment. They just sleep less than the non-athletes. Employers sure seem to love recruiting them…because they are team players who know how to lose and and get back up again. I know I could never have done it…so I agree. They impress me a lot. And the fencers by way are top in the world…some are olympians. So impressive.
@dansmoaustin I wholeheartedly agree with your post. Thanks for the input.