<ul>
<li>Be yourself.</li>
<li>Don’t sign up for a bunch of EC’s just so your application can look more complete.</li>
<li>Write really really good essays.</li>
<li>Don’t do the National Youth Leadership Program (lol) or any summer program that costs a few thousand dollars and that isn’t at all selective… adcoms know which these programs are, and they also know that these supposedly ‘enriching’ summer programs just show that your mommy and daddy have enough money to pay for the program.</li>
<li>SAT scores do matter… to an extent. Applying to Yale with an 1800 will be more likely to be a factor in their rejection of you than getting a 2350 will be in getting you in. In other words, low scores can only keep you out, but high scores won’t get you in to HYPMS, etc.</li>
<li>Demonstrate a passion in one or two things (the trombone, ice hockey, MUN, etc - something you commit to over a long period of time)</li>
<li>If you are white or Asian or Indian… good luck - you’ll need it.</li>
<li>If you are a first-generation, half Native-American, half African-American applicant out of North Dakota with a family income of $23,762… never mind.</li>
</ul>