The "It" Factor

Applying to College
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<p>Colleges search for a certain "it" factor in the admissions process, that much is obvious. Otherwise, why else would the Ivies mysteriously reject near perfect stats in favor of less-than-stellar numbers on a regular enough basis for applicants to be as duped as they have become in recent years? As someone who has just survived a hellish torrent of college application mania and got accepted to the selective schools to which she applied, I would like to offer some hope to those of you who feel like your numbers just aren't good enough.</p>

<p>To be honest, some people just aren't Ivy or "HYPSM" material. SAT scores in the 2300's and unweighted 4.0 GPA's are mere numbers. Sometimes they prove that you are a hard-worker who applies himself/herself, is an involved member of their academic community, who loves learning, etc. However, they can also indicate that you are someone who is willing to sacrifice maybe too much to please and to prove yourself to either your parents, your peers, etc. They may be the result of the need to validate yourself through academic achievement rather than the outcome of genuine strength of character and promise. These subtleties, however unaware of them we ourselves may sometimes be, can indeed come across in our applications in a number of ways.</p>

<p>Which brings me to an important point: colleges ONLY care for your EC's, transcript, recommendations, essay, and test scores insofar as they can indicate (however feebly, at times) how much PROMISE you have as a potential member of their student body. They don't actually value those numbers because of their inherent worth but rather use them to predict your chances of contributing and thriving at their institution. Obvious, I know, but this simple and tantamount fact escapes many of us in the frenzy of anxiety that is college admissions.</p>

<p>This is the realization that helped me get into "good" schools despite my 2nd decile rank and (by CC standards) lacking EC's. It is INTEGRAL that you firmly believe yourself to be a valuable commodity as a student. You must not try to mold yourself into who you think they want but rather identify your key strengths and portray them in the best possible light, making sure to let them know just WHY they would be lucky to have you. I don't mean be pompous or flippant. But if YOU don't truly realize your worth as an applicant and therefore are unable to show them why they must take you, how can they ever know from a bunch of numbers and names?</p>

<p>I challenge those of you who are going to be applying to selective colleges to take a good look at yourself. WHY are you applying? If it's because your parents have been pushing you to get into Harvard since you were ten, maybe you should rethink the way in which you make your life decisions. If it's because you feel that you can really be the BEST you at a certain type of school, then don't despair if your numbers have been lagging or if you've slacked off a bit in the first year or two.. (and I mean a bit because I don't think HYPSM would take even the future Mother Teresa/Bill Gates/Oprah rolled into one 17 year old if their transcript is dotted with C's, if their SAT's are significantly below 2000, etc.). </p>

<p>So good luck. There's definitely much of that involved in who gets accepted and who gets denied. But most importantly, know yourself and sell yourself. I've read a good number of "chance me's" and essays on CC to know that many CC-ers tend to be those type of students who excel academically but just don't show much potential as a mover and shaker of the world or of a college campus, lol. I write this because I used to come to CC and see responses to chance threads with students far better (on paper) than myself being told that they have no chance at their dream school. This freaked me out and I ended up applying to far more schools than I should've (I figured I'd have a better probability of being accepted to at least one), spending lots of money and time and losing sleep in the process. Lo and behold, I am now Ivy-bound and it's because I was able to make them see that I truly BELONG at their campus and AM full of promise and potential.</p>

<p>I'm not saying slack off and expect to get in and you will. I'm not saying academic achievements are secondary. They are paramount if we're talking brand name colleges. However, if you do feel insecure about your academic record, if you have your doubts despite a fiery burning desire to attend _____ and graduate to take on the world, then please know that in some strange and mysterious way, colleges sometimes are able to glimpse this promise. They see it and they know you're the type that will better their school and their name and their student body.</p>

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<p>Bump Bump Bump</p>

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<p>Good thread. Thanks for your reflections :)</p>

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<p>sounds a bit pretentious…though the OP is right probably</p>

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<p>A bit vague, but valuable advice nonetheless. I think sometimes CCers get wrapped up in accumulating accomplishments that fit neatly onto a chance thread and absentmindedly put “Great Essays” and “Great Recs” without really considering how the less tangible aspects of their application affect admissions.</p>

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<p>Am I the only one here who finds the whole college admissions process rather nauseating?</p>

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<p>@tortoise: definitely not. try stomach-churning.</p>

<p>@Tara_doll: great story!! really inspirational for those of us who psych ourselves out sometimes :)</p>

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<p>Agree- this is a great thread.</p>

<p>@Tara_doll just wondering what you got for your SATs to get into Ivys?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>^counterpain, doesn’t knowing Tara_doll’s SAT score’s kind of take the wind out of this? You are either going to identify that A)Yup her scores are awful, mine are better so I have a shot, OR B) her scores are excellent…what do you mean scores don’t matter as much, YOU had them!</p>

<p>There is a no win here. You either take her at her word or not, her scores are irrelevant. She is obviously an excellent writer so you can check the essay box as a YES!</p>

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<p>I largely agree, but I think that the term “movers and shakers” gives something of a false impression - you don’t have to be the next Barack Obama. Ivy leagues want the next generation of world leaders, to be sure, but there’s also room for those of us who move and shake in slightly more subtle ways. The idea, I think, is that there should be a /spark/ - you should be motivated to do new things, to think in new ways, to want to go to Yale or Princeton or whatever not so you can lay back and bask in your new ivy but because you want to be pushed as hard as is possible.
Taking on the world can mean any number of things. The most important thing is that you really, really want to.
Good luck to all 2015 applicants.</p>

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<p>Differentiate yourself from those of similar stats and background, basically.
More people need to get this; some people see others with a 2400 or 5.0 GPA get rejected from a great college and freak out, thinking that they themselves have no chance.
As Elanorci said: colleges are, indeed, looking for future world leaders, but they’re also just looking for students who will make the campus a lively place for others. A student with excellent stats that , for example, won awards for playing the oboe, is of a minority background, and knows three different languages will not necessarily be a world leader, but he/she will stick out during applications. I’m not saying one needs to differentiate themselves with something extremely obscure, just that one needs to emphasize a unique selling point (or a few).
Same for every single college with great stats that declares itself to have the best facilities, students, and atmosphere.
Thanks for making this thread.</p>

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<p>Tara_doll makes a lot of good points. There seems to be a tendency to think “well, I have 2300+SAT, 3.9/4 GPA and I was rejected from School X, so anyone with lesser stats will also be rejected”. Obviously, that isn’t the case, but it is easier to think it I was rejected because of numbers than to have to consider a “rejection” on some deeper level. </p>

<p>Since we attach so much of our self-worth to whether we are rejected or accepted by others, college rejections can be especially painful, particularly for those who have strived to excel and outdo their classmates, and who have always been lauded and applauded by family, teachers, and friends as the best and brightest. For some, it is probably the first time they have been rejected on that level. </p>

<p>The fact is, for the super-selective schools it’s a crapshoot for everyone, so a rejection should not be taken as any more of an indicator of self-worth than losing the lottery.</p>

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<p>I met with Dr. Penelope Von Helmolt, director of USC’s Resident Honors Program (amongst other things) for RHP interview. She expressed - dare I say, a dislike of the 2400/36 and 4.5 students who were more slaves of numbers, than humans. </p>

<p>Yeah, despite my obvi-humanity, I was rejected. Grades still count.</p>

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<p>This thread so deserves a bump!!
Although its old the advice is still true which I’ll keep in mind when applying to colleges</p>

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<p>"(I don’t think HYPSM would take even the future Mother Teresa/Bill Gates/Oprah rolled into one 17 year old if their transcript is dotted with C’s, if their SAT’s are significantly below 2000, etc"</p>

<p>Actually, you’re wrong about that. HYPS all have a long history of admitting mediocre students (does the name GW Bush mean anything to you? JFK?) who happen to have the right kind of lineage. To think that’s changed any is naive.</p>

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<p>katliamom: your citation of GWBush and JFK point to historical examples of how some of today’s top colleges used to operate, for sure. But to draw a straight line to today’s admissions environment would be a stretch. The selective colleges are MUCH less an old-boys playground for the elite’s sons. Can a Chelsea Clinton get a special nod? Likely. But can the entire senior class of Choate get into an Ivy? Nope.</p>

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<p>T26E4 - Today only 3% of kids attend private high schools in the US, and only about a third of them go to truly elite schools like Choate. Yet private schools, elite ones in particular, account for about 50% of Ivy admits. </p>

<p>Looking at these numbers, I think you should be careful about discussing ‘historical examples’ of the Ivies’ love rich kids.</p>

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<p>I usually don’t read super long posts like this one, but that was actually quite good advice. Thank you.</p>