<p>I'm applying to a lot of top tier colleges, (HYPS and the like) and each of them have said at one time or another that they look at the applicant in the context of their school.</p>
<p>I'm wondering how they do this, especially if (like me) you go to a school in which students simply do not apply to top tier colleges. My school hasn't sent a kid to an ivy in as long as anyone can remember.</p>
<p>My scores/stats are perfect, but things like my ECs are hardly stellar by CC standards. However, when I look at my friends from nearby schools (which do send students to ivies occasionally), I see they have many more opportunities to join clubs/teams/get involved/etc... I essentially founded our school's debate team and started my own club, but my ECs as a whole still look lackluster compared to those of my friends at schools with more EC options, and my transcript doesn't look very rigorous because of our so few APs. </p>
<p>How can I show to colleges that I've made the most of the opportunities given to me and that my school simply can't compete with others who send kids to ivies (or even out-of-state) on a semi-regular basis? My GC alluded to this in his rec somewhat, but I want to know if there's anything else I can do to convince colleges that I've done the best I could have coming from a rural school with no other applicants to those colleges. I also don't want to come across as whiny or looking for excuses.</p>