PEAKLIFE

By Kunal Mehra, India Country Head at Crimson Education

Do you believe that you need to be a perfect applicant to secure your seat at an Ivy League school? Surprise! You don’t have to be the perfect applicant. Ivy League schools look for students who stand out from the crowd, showcasing expertise in their area of interest; students who have transformed their big dreams into even bigger realities, world-changers who are creating positive impact in their societies with the resources available to them. They hope to build a community of active and collaborative leaders who will excel at bringing success and recognition to the school, and those who are eager to share their knowledge to help their peers succeed.

The fact is there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Ivy League admissions. There are multiple ways in which you can make your application stand out, even if some aspects of it are average (or below average). So even you have failed before succeeding, talk about how that failure drove you to the success. Here are my 3 top tips for you to ace admissions to your dream Ivy League university.

• Apply Early to Boost your Chances of Getting into an Ivy League School

It can be daunting to compare acceptance rates to figure out which Ivy League is the easiest to get into. While there is no proof that applying early will increase your chances of acceptance, showing interest and making your preference for specific universities early on definitely helps. If you are certain that you want to go to an Ivy League Institution, apply early; but keep in mind that early decision applications are binding. If you get in, you have to go.

• Take a Holistic Approach with your Ivy League Application

Admission Officers review thousands of student applications with high SAT scores, perfect GPAs, and countless AP courses. So, it does take more than a deep passion for an extracurricular activity to get into an Ivy League school. Take this opportunity to showcase your multidimensional strengths: leadership and networking skills, drive and passion showcased by your grades, test scores, letters of recommendation, any challenging classes, or projects and essays to complement your present and future career goals. Make sure your courses, future field of study and extracurricular overlap in one way or another.

• Look for your Best Fit School and Not Vice-Versa

Being a competitive applicant means that you should spend your high school years challenging yourself both inside and outside the classroom. Some of the strongest applicants have taken full advantage of what is available to them in their own schools, and if not, they find outside learning opportunities (e.g. local college courses, independent study) to supplement their high school curriculum. I would advise you to seriously consider variables beyond the college rankings. You’re going to spend four years at university and the resources, people, professors, and social life that will set you up for success don’t always fit into a rankings list. Identify your individual preferences and approach the process from that angle.

There has always been an intrigue and allure associated with an Ivy League education, which has made them aspirational for generations. But what differentiates an education here to any other school? In a nutshell, education at an Ivy League university helps hone individuals who are determined to achieve success in life while making a difference to society. It helps you to accumulate stellar accomplishments in academics and leadership qualities that prepare you for a strong and worthy career and life ahead. Additionally, the top-level networking opportunities and world-class resources that these schools provide access to are bound to give your career that much-needed head-start. So, are you ready for the ride?

About the Author

Kunal Mehra is currently the Country Manager for Crimson’s India office. He has spent over 16 years in the Education sector across different verticals including holding positions at some of the world’s leading education and technology companies, such as Coursera and the College Board. Kunal was the Director South Asia at the College Board, looking over the expansion of College Board programs such as SAT and AP in India. Kunal was also part of the core founding team at a Law and Technology company, Rainmaker, which built the Bar Exam in India and also built one of India’s first asynchronous learning platforms: myLaw.net. Kunal graduated with a Bachelor’s in Economics from University of Delhi and had admits from the Wharton School (MBA) and the North-western University (Accelerated JD).