All students have an ideal image in their minds about college. They dream about finding great mentors among professors and great friends among fellow students, about studying interesting and challenging things, and about building the foundation of an exciting and rewarding career.
Yet nothing incites students’ imagination more than the possibility of getting into the Ivy League.
Attending an elite college is not an unrealistic dream. With the right strategy, it can become a reality for any motivated, hard-working student.
Here are a few tips to help you tackle the application process confidently.
1. Get Help
Considering how competitive the admission process to elite colleges is, every detail in your application matters. With this in mind, the first piece of advice you should follow is to perform an honest self-evaluation and get help if there’s something you struggle with.
Get a tutor if you need to improve your grades. Talk with a college admissions advisor or a recent graduate.
Consult reliable sources online. The Going Ivy Website is a good start. The bottom line is that you don’t have to do it all on your own, which can be scary and demotivating.
2. Be Yourself in the Application
The temptation to embellish your achievements, skills and strengths is big when it comes to college applications since there’s a nagging thought that you’re competing against thousands of overachievers.
However, prestigious colleges pay close attention to all the details in an application and want to see you as an individual with a unique personality and unique aspirations.
Good grades and high SAT scores matter, but what’s most important is to pitch yourself as a well-rounded person with an unrelenting motivation to learn and succeed. Express your goals, ambitions and concerns with honesty.
Don’t downplay your achievements for the sake of modesty either. Be your authentic self.
3. Apply Early
Many students take a lot of time with their college applications, putting huge amounts of effort into every detail. It’s normal to want your application to be impeccable, but if you wait too much, you lose the chance to make an early impression.
The admission boards for Ivy League institutions screen tens of thousands of applications each year. You don’t want your application to be among the last on an enormous pile.
To increase your chances of getting into your dream college, you have to stand out from the crowd from the beginning, so apply early if possible. Get informed about deadlines at your chosen colleges and make sure you have everything in order by then.
4. Show How You’ll Benefit the Institution
Some students focus on their college application on how much they want to attend a specific college and the benefits that this will bring them. Yet elite institutions are not entirely selfless.
They want students who can contribute meaningfully to the life of the university and who can raise the prestige of the institution with their achievements.
Show in your application why it’s worth it for the institution to believe in you. Maybe you aspire to conduct research, participate in sports, create art or lead a student organization. Emphasize your goals in a way that shows what you can do for the university, not vice-versa.
College is a time when you explore your academic interests, find a professional identity and take the first important steps towards adulthood. So, don’t be afraid to dream big.
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