The following advice is not appropriate for most and choices should be made based on personal context and life-balance. High school experience and mental health should not be ignored in the pursuit of a college with a brand name.
Because You Asked
“That school is a “reach” for everybody!”
Well, not everybody. After all, even Stanford accepts some students, so that begs the question: Who are these “chosen” ones? And, importantly, how can you position yourself to be competitive for admissions at highly selective schools?
While selective admissions may seem like a lottery where applicants’ skills take a back seat to luck, admissions officers are not just pulling names out of a hat. There are many moving parts, but be assured each application is thoughtfully considered.
The most successful are those applicants who show that they are driven in all aspects of their lives. They display intellectual curiosity and are undeniably ready for a rigorous academic environment. Colleges are also looking for students whose experiences and learning would bring a diversity of ideas and perspectives to the campus. Here are three ways to help you be that worthy applicant.
Transcript
Obviously, your grades matter. Unfortunately, P.E. grades don’t, but the rest can. Different colleges or programs within a college look at transcripts differently, so it is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. It’s safe to say, though, that selective schools are looking for how you have challenged yourself, and if you have taken advantage of most academic opportunities available to you. Don’t elect to have a free period senior year if you have not signed up for five academic courses. If you are an “A” student in science, don’t skip taking chemistry, biology, or physics. It also matters if your school offers an array of AP classes, and you only took one, and it was AP Human Geography.
Furthermore, your course selection should strongly support your intended major. Colleges are looking for students who are ready to hit the ground running and assess that by looking at the transcript. Business programs expect their students to have taken calculus or at least be calculus-ready, prospective nurses should have taken chemistry, and engineers, well, should have done all the above.
Extracurricular Activities
Students need to think of their extracurriculars not as hours tallied but as experiences gained. This could be in the form of community involvement, academic pursuits, or valuable work-experience. Think going above the norm. This could be by raising a large sum of money for a cause that is meaningful to you or finding a research opportunity (bonus if you can get your name listed on a published paper) or landing an internship with a business that really helps you refine your career goals. Your activities should be meaningful and reflect persistence and dedication. Colleges believe worthwhile pursuits outside of the classroom will help shape you into caring, socially aware, and engaged future college students.
As a Last Resort
Decreasing admissions percentages are most often explained by the increasing numbers of students applying. The numerator is holding steady while the denominator is growing. Test optional policies, in particular, have driven applicants to apply to multiple schools that would previously have been out of reach for them. Published rankings also popularize a select group of schools making them attractive to the same applicants. Lastly, the Common App and to a lesser degree the Coalition App make it seem easy to send out multiple applications. Students are evaluated in their own context meaning they are compared with their schoolmates. To a certain extent it matters where their peers are applying. I am only half-joking when I say, you should convince your friends not to apply to your favorite school. Tell them you visited, hated it, and the food was gross. Problem solved!