Beyond ‘Perfect’: What Global Ivy League Admission Officers Really Look For
When you think about your children’s college prospects, the first thing that comes to mind might be their grades.
There is nothing interesting about being ‘perfect’.
Straight A’s, captain of the soccer team, popular with peers and teachers alike. Multiple Ivy League acceptance letters in the bag? Not quite.
In an Admission Officer’s day-to-day, ‘perfect’ students are a dime a dozen. Sometimes, more! Especially for Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, there are simply too many applications and not many spots available, so the ‘perfect’ academic record is not enough.
Due to quotas, universities have to place their candidates into boxes before sifting through each one. Some are higher priority than others. They may also have considerations for geographic diversity, athletes, federal grants, or financial aid, and this narrows down the criteria for admission even further.
(This image is AI generated) The title on top is “The Admission Officer’s Application Funnel”. The first box is labelled “Academic Performance”. The second box is labelled “Athletes. Legacies. Scholarships”. The third box is labelled “Diversity”. The last box is labelled “Prospective”.
Notice that the last box says “prospective” and not “successful candidate”. Why? Because it doesn’t end there! So, what do you need to tick that final box?
You said it. Your X-factor. What being ‘perfect’ cannot beat is being interesting. Having that X-factor sets you apart from everyone else simply because it is, uniquely, you.
Now you may think, “I’m just a plain Jane with nothing interesting to say.” Or you may even be that ‘perfect’ student with a lot of interests to choose from. How do you find out what your X-factor is?
The answer lies in your day-to-day life. What are your hobbies? What are your interests? What are some things you just can’t stop talking about? Maybe it’s sports, maybe it’s fashion, maybe you enjoy helping others and are active in community work. Any of these could be your X-factor. The difference is what you do with it: research.
Now there’s a great way to level up your ‘perfect’! Look back at the different things that interest you. Let’s say you’re into fashion. You may think, “How would something like fashion apply to research?” This is where AddedEducation can help.
(These images are AI generated) This is meant to represent a student with many interests and her confusion. With the addition of the Added logo, a circle going from the dress on the left to the dress on the right, we want to depict how Added can help her find an interest that leads to research.
achievements.
At AddedEducation, we have counselors who can help you locate your X-factor and guide you towards the right research topic. We also have AddedNova, which is a university-level mentorship for high school students who are pursuing research as part of their college application.
With AddedNova, you receive one-on-one assistance throughout the entire process of your research: from conception, data collection, analysis, and write-up. We give you hands-on, personalised advice and connect you with published experts in your chosen field.
What are you waiting for? Discover how to level up your ‘perfect’ today.
