What kind of student would I have to be to get into top universities (like the Ivies)? and I am not asking this under the Ivies category because I know that there are amazing non-ivy schools. So what kind of student would I have to be or what kind of things would I have to do to get into top universities?
Well, it’s kind of a loaded question (that people have a wide variety of views on), but generally: you’d need stellar stats, so perfect or near-perfect GPA, based on taking the most rigorous course load available to you. High, competitive scores on your SAT or ACT. High scores on a few SAT IIs are necessary for several top tier schools, as well (but not all). You don’t have to have “perfect” scores, but you DO have to have really high grades/scores in order to be truly competitive.
Your ECs would need to be robust and well-rounded, but should show passion, consistency and ideally leadership/initiative. Some feel you need to do clubs + sports + volunteering, but I am of the mind that if you demonstrate passion & consistency for a few core things, you don’t have to do all three. Schools can usually tell when doing sports, volunteering or certain ECs are just for list-checking/resume building. It’s not the end of the world if you’re not a leader, but it does of course look better if you are. Then there are bonus ECs that students have to give them an edge at the tippy-top elites, like competitive summer study programs, internships/part time work with prestigious places (ie: the pre-med kid who worked for a doctor at Ceders Sinai, or whatever–generally it’s well-connected, city kids who can nail these sorts of opportunities as high schoolers)… and then awards. Some awards are way more impressive than others, of course. And that’s not even covering some of the more insane ECs I’ve seen kids have, like starting their own companies at 16/publishing a scientific paper, etc. etc… I personally think those sorts of things are great, but that kids who don’t have those aren’t 100% screwed or anything.
The thing is: none of the above matters if you are boring, or snotty, or closed-minded/a jerk in your essays. You need to have something to say, something interesting about you, and you need to say it well. You need to be an interesting, extraordinary person–and not all “perfect”/stellar students are remotely interesting. They’re fairly normal but are very good at school/tests. (IMO, that’s where a lot of entitlement/disappointment kicks in–students who think being “smart” or having a “perfect” resume makes them a shoe-in at certain schools don’t realize they have nothing to actually say in their app) Curiosity about the world and a love of learning are pretty standard among the cream of the crop students, and they find a way to actually showcase these things on their app.
Fit is important, which is why many people, especially on here, don’t condone shot-gunning, especially not to ALL the Ivies/mega-elites. They are all very different schools, and not every student is a fit for them. Schools look for fit, so just being smart in picking schools you’d fit at can give you better odds. This covers the social/tone aspects of a school, but also program of interest. If you want to major in/pursue a specific thing, apply to a school that is great at that thing, and make it clear in your app that you a) actually know about their program and b) love the thing you want to study/would be good at it, you have an edge on the fit side. I’m kind of floored when people are like “I want to be X and Y is my dream school”… but Y doesn’t have the program they want to study! I’m sure the schools are similarly confused/can tell from the app that something is missing. (ie: student shoehorning their app/interest/major to fit the school)
Anyway, others may disagree/have more perspective, but the above is what I find to be key. It fits my experience, and the students I’ve seen get into the top tier schools. They had the scores/ECs that met the minimum requirements, and then they wrote great essays for schools that were a good fit.
Terrier… That was an outstanding reply. Should be bookmarked & required reading for those interested in highly selectives.
Aww, thanks @nugraddad 
I should also mention that if one concentrates on paragraphs 3 & 4 of what I wrote, those factors are where it is very much possible–not probable, but possible!–for a lower stats student to get into an elite school over “perfect” applicants. Context matters–if there’s a reason perhaps your scores are lower, or your course rigor isn’t as good, but you are hella interesting/clever and the school can tell from your app? You still have a shot. Also why this year we saw a good handful of 3.7/3.8/under 2200 SAT students getting into the Ivies, much to the consternation of the 4.0/2400 students who were rejected–if you’ve got that extra oompf in your profile/essay, you can still get in.
agreeing with @nugraddad - super response. @DeathEater, here is a supporting article from MIT:
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/there_is_no_formula
Particularly emphasizing 1) figuring out a lot about who you are / what your story (so far!) is and 2) how that fits with the colleges you are thinking about applying to. I have seen many students get into colleges that would be statistical reaches b/c they were a good fit for that particular school.
Don’t worry about setting your ‘list’ too early either: many (most?) of the students that I see come through change their lists substantially from spring Jr year to autumn Sr year (including my own D, whose “definite” list in May of Grade 11- including an ED choice- was 100% different than the list she actually applied to in autumn of Grade 12. The college she currently attends didn’t even come up as a possibility until August 
well I do have solid passions, but I come from an area lacking in any opportunity. I do my best to participate in as much as possible, but I feel like that is a drawback to my overall application. I try to fill my schedule, although I can’t do sports and my school doesn’t offer many AP classes and I do not even think they know what IB is.
Colleges won’t punish you for not taking AP’s/IB’s if your school doesn’t offer them.
You don’t necessarily have to have insane EC’s or anything, colleges just want to see that you have taken full advantage of the opportunities you were given.
Tips on how to overcome lack of opportunities:
If it’s something along the lines of “My school sucks and therefore I didn’t have any real academic opportunities”, then applying to some prestigious summer camps, getting good scores on stuff like Bio, Chem, Physics or Math Olympiad, etc. will show your academic prowess despite your perhaps not-so-intelligent community.
If it’s something hindering your activities, like family issues etc. then let your GC write that in his/her rec letter to show that you might have had a difficult circumstance which limited your opportunity to do EC’s.
Could you be more specific in how your area lacked opportunities?
Top colleges have way more qualified applicants than they can admit, and admit who they want. They pretty much all use holistic admissions, and take whoever they want, for whatever reason. They are usually looking to build a diverse and well-rounded class, and may look for specific skills that fill gaps. There is no guaranteed formula for success at any single school, but there are things that markedly increase the likelihood of success in the aggregate. I think that success usually requires 2 things:
- Checking off all the boxes to assure top colleges that you would be successful there. That means having a rigorous course load, good GPA, high test scores (in the 25-75 percentile range is generally adequate), good recommendations, and a well written application.
- Being qualified by no means guarantees admissions, as the majority of applicants to top colleges check off all the boxes. Some people may luck out and get in on the basis of the above, but to markedly improve the chance of success applicants need to stand out from the crowd. They can do this through really good essays, and through extracurricular activities. High achievement in a few areas is generally more impressive than a long list of superficial extracurriculars. Sustained interest and focus are a plus, as they show dedication, commitment and perseverence. Anything that shows the ability to overcome adversity or to go "outside of the box" and do high level independent work is a big plus. Following the herd generally doesn't count for much.
How you package yourself can make a huge difference. Adcoms are inundated by applications, and the majority look pretty much the same. Just look at the accepted/rejected threads on CC. Anything that can (positively) make you stand out is a huge advantage.
Well in terms of how my area lacks opportunity, I came from an exceptionally small school with a high school consisting of 200 students total. The town is also very isolated and it takes about an hour to get to any city. I have/ am taking all AP classes that I can, I am in my city’s youth advisory council, student council, NHS, Spanish NHS, Spanish club, and competed in UIL. I am going to Brown University’s Future of Math, Science, and Technology leadership academy this summer, i’m taking college classes, will be getting a job (hopefully), and will volunteer very very often. I have also just began creating my non profit business, and scored a 1970 on SAT. Besides taking AP classes at school, the only other thing really is sports, which I cannot do because of a fractured back. I really believe that I am doing the most I can, but I also realize it is a “big fish in a small pond” situation. I do not really know what a stand out feature is, besides being a first generation college student. I also know competition is very cutthroat at top colleges, and majority of those acceptances of lesser qualified students is do to a change in mindset caused by the student’s family wealth and how many donations they make. I know that super top notch colleges aren’t the only ones out there, but considering my parents never had opportunities, it is a pretty big deal for them.