I thought this would be a great resource for prospective applicants! Any tips appreciated.
Be outstanding!
I don’t think asking for formulaic answers across several fora would be in my top 100 list of tips…
If you interviewed 100 admitted students, and asked them this question, each would probably highlight something completely different that helped them stand-out from the crowd. There is no one way, or right way, there is only YOUR way! If you’re trying to find a recipe, a road map or tips for acceptance – there isn’t one! I don’t think CC will let me link to this, as it’s a blog but Google “how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum.”
Doing things for the express purpose of improving your chances of getting into H doesn’t work; it has the opposite effect.
I don’t think students need to aim for changing the world. That’s a bit much.
The thing to remember, as we say all the time here, is that it is not about the individual. It is about the “mix” of the class and the individual’s ability to contribute to it. Admissions is assembling an interesting class.
Be an outstanding student and a world class athlete.
Be the child of a US President.
I’ve heard from a lot of people - be a “pointy” applicant, instead of a “well rounded” one
IMO, Harvard (or Yale/Princeton, etc.) is looking to build a well-rounded class, not a class of well-rounded students, so a mix of point and well-rounded students might be good.
Having said that, @T26E4 is absolutely correct - there is no magic pill. So understand that some of the responses above were given with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
No, don’t be pointy. But to snarlatron’s point, don’t be the kind of heady applicant who takes hearsay seriously. Be savvier than that, do the digging on your own. Be a thinker and do-er.
I don’t think alums always know what the volume of apps presents. Gibby, they could say, “She will influence, educate and inspire (her)classmates over the four years of college.” We forget the interpersonal aspects, with all the focus on saving the world. You don’t have to be headed for fame. You do need to be an empowered, activated, thinking individual. And have a proven willingness to share that.
You do need to be well rounded, as an individual. That’s you. They don’t want 2000 kids spikey in all sorts of different directions. Certainly not just for the heck of having that.
What would you consider “too pointy”?
Cure cancer
Try to be a good person. Then be yourself.
Well, my definition of “too pointy” would be [this kid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRZNQ06kWyc)
Having said that, he did get accepted to Harvard, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa along with a host of other awards. So while I disagree with the comment that you should not be too pointy, I do agree with the comments that you should not force yourself to be something you are not.
Wow that’s crazy!!
Bump
My tip: you have to apply to get in. 
Based on my experience from my high school Harvard and Stanford accepted only kids that were truly and utterly brilliant and would occasionally make an exception only for scions of political dynasties or very rich families. I went to a rather tony prep school outside the US so I can only talk about that kind of environment. Harvard and Stanford admitted only the truly brilliant kids. Not more than 1-2 per year. These kids were pointy but not too pointy. They had obviously perfect grades and scores. One of them was an international math Olympiad champion, a chess champion and a very accomplished pianist. Another was a debate world champion and a math & physics Olympiad champion.
An interesting observation was that there was a big divide in the quality of students heading to Harvard, Stanford (and also MIT) vs the other ivies and top schools (even Yale,Princeton). The other ivies would accept very smart, motivated and accomplished students but these students didn’t not have the wow factor that the Harvard/Stanford-bound students had. At least that was my observation at my high school which might not be true everywhere.
^ Are you talking abut 20 years ago?