So I’ve been reading a bit and researching some of the best colleges in the US.
So I know for any particular year, what the colleges are looking for might be random and some factors are out of your control. For example, a qualified student (who was probably on the borderline of rejection/acceptance) who plays the tuba passionately might not get in Stanford because they have enough tubas in the orchestra/band already, but he might have gotten in the year prior.
BUT, is there any kind of underlying factor or kind of personality they like?
I know all the schools want determination, initiative, discipline, leadership etc. But is there anything particular they value a little more? Like between a leader and a hard-worker, for example.
I am currently interested in the following schools, so any insight/rumors that you have heard of will be greatly appreciated!
For example, I heard WUSTL weighs academics a bit more and favors students who have had prior research experience.
Is there something like the statement I gave above for other top schools?
Thanks, I know that this is particularly hard to answer because if Harvard said they want: “XXX type of person”, everyone would try to copy that mold and admissions would be boring. I’m just looking for that one thing/quality that might stand out a little bit more. I saw somewhere that Stanford immediately flags applicants who have demonstrated “intellectual vitality” (a bit vague on what that is though).
No. They want top grades and scores and a mix of different kinds of students who also have top grades and scores. As for Stanford’s “Intellectual Vitality,” well, it’s a question on the supplement, so Stanford is explicitly looking for that quality (and it’s an extremely broad category that can encompass almost any intellectual interest).
@marvin100 Ok thanks! So do you mean that every school is basically looking for the same qualities such as leadership, initiative, determination etc. and the people they accept just show these qualities through a variety of interests and activities?
There are some top schools that seem to attract a certain type. Brown is a school that comes to mind. In my experience, they seem to have their eye out for students who are a little off the beaten path philosophically/aesthetically, artsy, and liberal. Chicago seems to attract more of the quirky, intellectual type. Columbia has space on their supplement to describe what books you’ve been reading/music you’ve been listening to and with the core, I imagine they appreciate worldly-wise individuals. But these are just general trends I’ve noticed that I cannot verify the validity of.
@dblazer Ok thanks. This is kind of stuff I was looking for. Are the supplemental essays a good indicator of what kind of person they’re looking for?
I just want to know because the Ivies often want “fit” and if I don’t fit their student profile, I might as well not even apply as I have no compelling reason for them to admit somebody that doesn’t have a good “fit” with the university.
@GMTplus7 Yes I know that this is only a very small part of admissions, but after I found my matches and safeties, I’m trying to find some reach schools.
Those schools looking for someone that just isn’t me, I won’t even bother apply. I want to spend time applying for a reach school that I genuinely have a shot at.Once they look past my academics, they’ll be looking for “fit” based upon your essays and activities, which is why I’m trying to find a school that both suits me and hopefully I am a type of applicant that they’re looking for, based on my character and personality.
That’s really the only thing I can control right now. My stats/EC’s etc. are not gonna change by that much. The only thing I can do on my part is to research reach schools and find the one that I have a best shot at.
@rdeng2614 Most schools have stock supplements (e.g. why this school?) but Chicago is known for it’s crazy essay prompts and Columbia has the lists. I imagine these are somewhat reflective of the qualities they are looking for. So yes,I would think looking at supplements may give you a sense of the qualities a school is looking for.
I see what you’re trying to get at with selectively applying but you might as well give all the ‘reach’ schools you’re interested in a shot and let them decide. Once you’ve gotten your acceptances, then you can decide on fit. This ‘personality’ factor may only play a small role if at all so I wouldn’t preemptively eliminate schools on this criteria.
You summed up the hurdle in the first paragraph of your first post.
Since you have no way of knowing what a school’s needs are, it is pointless to speculate. As you said, it varies from year to year. Also, what a school looks for in personality traits is based entirely on opinion and is highly suspect information.
There is no way you can approach such a low probability situation by trying to decide whether Brown likes liberal or artsy people more than others. Maybe they have too many hipsters already and this year they are looking for some John Birch types.
The goal is to get into a few top schools and you need to approach it objectively, as the schools will.
@rdeng2614 It sounds like you’re looking for a university that will figuratively accept you, which I really admire.
You’re right when it comes to the search for leadership, intellectual vitality and well-roundedness. Ivy Leagues 3admissions officers want to see the real you actually, they’re experienced in judging by your supplementals to unveil your true nature, with these essays they can distinguish a “worthy candidate” and not worthy candidate. The reason worthy is in quotes is because there are hundreds of applicants every year who have qualities that certainly meet the rigor of Ivy Leagues but still get denied because of the lack of “special ingredient” no one really knows about. But you’d be surprised as to the type of people that get in to these esteemed universities. Don’t lose hope and apply to a college you really love and hope they will see the real you. If you get denied, life moves on, and attend a university that really does accept you for who you are.
That’s all I can say really. keep at it OP.
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 (which may vary from year to year, so there is no 100% guaranteed way of telling whether your skills meet a given school’s needs in a particular year). 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.
In general, you are probably looking for a place where you would fit in well, so be yourself. Try to keep an open mind, and enjoy the process as much as possible. There are a ton of great schools out there.
Getting into a top school, defined as the top 25 universities and the top 25 liberal arts colleges is much like truffle hunting.
The more area you cover the better the odds. While that doesn’t guaranty a full basket of the biggest truffles, getting one very nice truffle which is more the norm is most certainly a fantastic success. Trying to predict which part of the forest has truffles at the expense of a broad survey leads to more failures due to randomess and the fact that an equally clever truffle hunter could have been there yesterday.
@BatesParent2019 I know that applying to a wide variety of colleges will give me a better shot at finding the best fit for me. But I just don’t know if I can handle all those essays. Thanks for the advice! I’ll just probably buckle down during the summer and work extremely hard on those essays so I and apply to a couple more schools.
No, I mean they want some leader types, some lab nerds, some jocks, some hyper-creative risk-takers, some reliable grinders, some social butterflies, etc. Of course some qualities, like determination, perseverance, and resilience, are always a plus, but more specific ones are up to the winds of chance–no school wants a class composed entirely of vocal, assertive leader-types or quiet, introverted lab obsessives, after all!