• To better understand the application process, break down the resumé into its three important components: academic performance, extracurricular activities, and the essay.
• Unquestionably, being a top student helps a lot when it comes to getting accepted. According to Dr. Fred Zhang, co-founder of Prep Scholar and alumnus of Harvard, 1580 on the SAT (out of 1600) would place you directly in the top 25% for most Ivy League schools, while 1450 would place you in the bottom 25%, where admittance is likely impossible. To be honest, the majority of applicants require excellent academic performance.
• However, there is one potential weakness: Ivy League schools are sports-crazy. According to Ed Boland, a former Yale associate director of admissions, “I was forced to admit a highly sought-after French-Canadian hockey prospect due to intense athletic department pressure.” He received low grades and scores, and his essay was a hurriedly written statement in pencil that read, “I want to be a great hockey player.” Of course, this would only apply to exceptional (and possibly world-ranked) athletes, but the possibility exists. Four of the six South African students at Princeton University were admitted based on their athletic abilities.
• However, if you are unable to do this, the road is still open to you. If your academic record does not accurately reflect your ability, improving it is an excellent place to start. Ivy League schools are no exception when it comes to how much a student’s grades have improved over their academic career. Of course, consistency is a generally reliable sign of a strong candidate, but gradual improvement also has merit. Even if this choice means progress is delayed, universities enjoy seeing students pushing themselves and pursuing challenging classes.
• The less impressive an applicant’s academic record, however, the more outstanding the other components of the application must be to stand out in a sea of between 20 000 and 45 000 applications for Ivy League universities. As a result, extracurricular activities play a significant role in the application.
• The value of being a well-rounded candidate versus being exceptional and enthusiastic in a niche area is a key question in the discussion of how to be accepted. Although applicants from both ends of the spectrum have historically been admitted to elite institutions, standing out from the crowd is more likely to be achieved by having an uncommon story or a special talent. Being well-rounded has the drawback of maybe resulting in mediocrity in one’s. You can be doing yourself a disservice if you try to take on too many projects and stretch yourself too thin.
• A former admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Heaton, maintains that there is no right or wrong answer in picking specific extra-curricular activities. The candidate is on the correct road as long as their engagement can be “quantified.” Heaton gives the example of reading. Although you could enjoy reading in your spare time, according to her, this pastime will only have an impact on your application if you use it to accomplish something worthwhile.
• If you used that desire to form a high school book club with other like-minded kids, you now have a project that admissions officers may measure and debate in the selection committee. In other words, devote oneself to a certain hobby or activity.

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