How to get into elite colleges
A guide for high schoolers
Many ambitious high schoolers dream of attending universities like Harvard, Oxford, MIT or King’s College. These elite institutions provide world class education to their students, have excellent academic programs taught by professors whose research is routinely cutting edge and boundary-pushing, on beautiful historic campuses which provide endless inspiration and meaningful personal, intellectual and academic connections.
And while academics in these universities might be demanding, getting accepted into these institutions is a formidable challenge in itself. Frequently, Ivy Leagues, Oxbridge and other elite colleges care about an applicant’s legacy or wealth, which can be discouraging to prospective students, especially those who do not live in the States or the UK and are not that familiar with the process of university applications.
However, there are a lot of things high schoolers, especially those in their first and second years, can do, to make themselves stand out as applicants to elite institutions.
ADVICE
Here are some pieces of advice to consider if you are an ambitious high schooler with big dreams:
- Excellent Grades are a MUST
Most elite universities emphasise their focus on holistic approaches to application processing, meaning students are judged on various dimensions including: academics, extracurriculars, leadership roles, volunteering etc. This, however, does not mean a good prospective applicant gets to be a bad student. Excellent grades and a good GPA are a given when applying to elite colleges. So, if you are a high schooler dreaming of going to Harvard, make sure those grades reflect the high standards of the institution you are applying to - Long-term Extracurricular Commitments
Universities like to see their applicants committed to things outside of their academic career. Things like being a member of the debate club or any other student club, playing a sport long term, or having a hobby like painting or photography which led you to host a small exhibition all matter a lot in your application. The longer you have done the extracurricular activity(ies) of your choice, the more the university appreciates your dedication. By showing yourself as somebody with deep, committed interests outside of the classroom, you are proving to the school not only that you are doing something genuinely (and not just so it’s included in your application), but also that you have something to contribute to the student life on campus if you are selected for admission. - Additional Plus for Leadership Roles in Extracurricular Activities
According to elite institutions, the only thing better than being a member of the robotics student club is being the president of the robotics student club. Institutions like to see their prospective students in leadership positions like president, vice-president or the treasurer of extracurricular activities they are involved in. Such positions bring additional value to the extracurricular interest, as these leadership roles often require the development of important soft skills which the universities find valuable. So if possible, aim to participate in some extracurricular activity and do so for long enough you get a chance to take on some leadership position within its structure. - Get to know the universities you want to apply to well
One mistake many students make is not knowing all the ins-and-outs of the universities they are applying to. Knowing that you want to apply to MIT is one thing. A whole different thing is knowing all the majors MIT offers, the unique aspects of their campus and all their student traditions. Before you decide you want to submit an application to some institution, make sure you deeply understand what this institution is like and why and how it fits you and your needs and wants. This is important not only for the application, since universities appreciate seeing students understand what the school is like, but also because it gives them an additional reassurance that, if admitted, you will be a good fit to the school. To gain all this knowledge, stalk every page of the university website of the schools you want to apply to, talk to their current or past students and learn about their experience, follow the university on social media and attend as many as possible online and in-person events. - Take time to make your application good
A cardinal mistake an ambitious student can make while chasing their dream to attend an elite institution is to not give themselves enough time to work on their application. College applications are tedious and long – the CommonApp has many parts and segments, most of which need several drafts before you finally reach a satisfying version. These applications do not take days, but rather weeks and months to fully prepare. By assuming that ‘you write well’ or ‘you know a lot about the application process’, you might be losing out on incredibly valuable time to get feedback, edit or just simply sit and reflect on the version of yourself you are presenting through the application. Most university applications open months before the final deadline. This is for a reason! If you are planning to apply to any elite school, take a lot of time to think of, draft, and redraft your application before you hit submit.
TIMELINE
Here is a timeline and the goals you should be achieving each year of high school if you are dreaming of going to an elite college:
1st year: get good grades, make good relationships with your teachers (for potential letters of recommendation) and get involved in multiple extracurricular activities (the more diverse the better)
2nd year: seek additional opportunities within your extracurricular activities – competitions, exhibitions, tournaments, or leadership positions
3rd year: start the college search and stalk, learn as much as possible about the universities you want to apply to and the people who go to them
4th year: take the whole first semester to prepare your applications (starting August/September of your 4th year)
