My freshman year I did horrible because of issues at home. I got a 3.3 GPA and then a 3.6 GPA, no honors. Keep in mind that I’m going to be the first to go to a university as a minority, don’t know if that’s important.
This year I’m a sophomore and second semester is coming to an end. Last semester I finished with a 3.6 unweighted and a 4.1 weighted. This semester I’m going better, I’ll possibly finish with a 3.8 and a 4.3 weighted.
Next year I’ll be taking AVID, Spanish 3 honors, AP chem, AP physics, AP lit, pre- calculus.
What can I do to get into an Ivy League? More specifically how can I stand out and look more competitive?
Gt a 4.0 in junior year. Get a 35 or higher ACT or a 1500 or higher SAT. Get leadership positions in EC’s. Even with that the Ivies are still a reach.
Every Ivy League school is different, and I find it doubtful that you like every single one (unless you’re just chasing prestige). In terms of curriculum, they are all over the spectrum- Columbia has an extensive, rigid core whereas Brown has the infamous open curriculum. Upenn and Columbia are in the middle of a city, Dartmouth is very rural. My advice would be, if you want to apply to a few Ivies as reach schools (because they are reaches for EVERYONE unless you are Malala or Malia Obama), choose the ones that fit the criteria for schools you are looking for, in terms of location, academic factors, size, etc.
Given your academic profile, it is simply very unlikely you will be accepted into an Ivy League unless you have some incredibly impressive extracurriculars that demonstrate passion, leadership and are not simply cultivated for the college app. You do NOT have to go to an Ivy League or any top 20 school to be successful. You should design a list of safety, match and reach schools (both academically and financially) that you would be happy to go to, based primarily on your GPA and standardized testing scores. Ivies are not the be all and end all of college admissions- they are incredible institutions, but there are many of those in the US.
Believe it or not, plenty of kids who could get into Ivies have no desire to go there. You will get into great schools that are the right fit for you if you work hard and shine in your areas of genuine interest. Perhaps those will be Ivies and perhaps not.
Look at the pinned posts on the Chances Forum and read them all. Your question is the most common one on CC and is asked in some form or another by so many who come here. Bottom line, grades and test scores get you to the gate. You will struggle to get to the gate, but it isn’t impossible. Cultivate ECs you have genuine interest in, but NEVER at the expense of grades or test scores.
Applying to the Ivies is like playing the lottery. Do what comment #1 suggests… then apply to match and safety schools, since the odds are against you.
There are tons of amazing colleges and universities out there that can get you wherever you want to go in life. When the time comes do your research, see where you stand in terms of academics (GPA, standardized tests), ECs etc. and apply to a wide range of schools. Ivy and equivalent schools generally have acceptance rates under 10% and are reaches for pretty much everyone.
Hi there, please take a look at some of the Ivy League colleges results threads:
Here’s Cornell’s 2021 Early Decision results: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cornell-university/1940785-cornell-ed-class-of-2021-results-p1.html
Here’s Harvard’s 2021 Restrictive Early Action results: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1939648-harvard-class-of-2021-results-only-thread.html
Typically, to get into any of the Ivies, you need a strong GPA (at the very least a 3.8 unweighted), a rigorous curriculum consisting of several honors and AP classes each year, high test scores (a 1500+ on the SAT or a 32+ on the ACT with 700+ on at least two subject tests), numerous extracurriculars through which you demonstrate your interests, good letters of recommendations from teachers who know you well, and thought-provoking and insightful college essays.
Your URM (minority) status will help a bit, but it certainly won’t make up for lackluster grades. Make sure you knock junior year out of the park (a 3.9 or a 4.0 unweighted) and get the same grades in the first semester of senior year. Good luck!
If you want to apply and the fees aren’t a barrier, then just apply. There are a lot of applicants who will have a better profile, but there are also a lot that will have profiles that aren’t as good as yours.
Also have the understanding that your shot isn’t that high, but so what. Apply:) You never know!
If you’re considering ivies, you should look into LACs, WUSTL, Georgetown, etc. I’ve visited all ivies and the schools previously mentioned. While there were vast differences, I personally found a similar “vibe.”
Most people will say, “No, you’re not a fit for every ivy.” After visiting all of them, I found this to be some what true. I mean I think it’s very possible for someone to be a fit for all of them.I found myself fitting into UPenn, Yale, Harvard, and Columbia quite well, but not so much at the others.
P.S.: When I was a sophomore, I was OBSESSED with getting into Yale, but during junior year I finally became perfectly fine with getting rejected because honestly the chance of me getting in is pretty low. While being ivy obsessed helped me to keep pushing through (school is hard af), it also became unhealthy.
I instead became obsessed with Georgetown which still isn’t much better, but chances are higher, haha!
Point: try not to become ivy obsessed.
@iwannabe_Brown I always read this post! Love it!