Did you know 75% of Ivy League applicants apply with a perfect 4.0 GPA, but only 3–4% of all applicants get in? So is it that most people doing wrong?
When you think about your children’s college prospects, the first thing that comes to mind might be their grades.
But it doesn’t end there. Every year, top universities receive applications from great students who have done everything right. Admissions officers go through countless profiles boasting perfect GPA’s, sports accolades and a wide range of extracurriculars. While good grades might get your child’s foot in the door, it takes a lot more to make them stand out.
Here is what you can do if you really want your child’s college applications to shine:
What Top Universities are Really Looking For
Since top universities come across so many high achievers, even the best students need an edge. The people who stand out aren’t just getting the best test scores. These colleges are searching for leaders, idealists and visionaries, the kind of people who will truly enrich campus life.
Beyond looking at your child’s grades, admissions officers are asking themselves:
How passionate is this student?
What drives them?
What impact will they make on campus, and then later in life?
Why Most Students Miss the Mark
Most students think that they will get recognized solely for checking off a series of boxes. However, these days, even a long list of extracurriculars won’t be enough.
In the application pile, there will be countless children who are club presidents, NGO volunteers and athletes. Without context, however, these applications list nothing more than a random series of achievements.
What so many children miss in their essays is a sense of direction. A strong narrative.
The Missing Piece: Your Childs’s Narrative
Without a clear thread, your child’s achievements are just a series of jumbled scenes. If you can identify their true motive within the essay, you can put it all into perspective.
What makes an admissions officer take notice is the why:
If a student can clearly define their own motives, an admissions officer knows that they are truly serious about their subject- “I started coding because I saw how tech could help my community” or “I care about marine biology because I saw the effects of climate change in my hometown”.
Their place in the college isn’t just a way for them to show off a degree. They need to show how the institution can enrich their identity, their purpose. This is not just someone going through the motions of academia. They truly believe they need to be there.
Specificity
While a sense of purpose will give the essay a soul, it still needs to feel concrete. If your child can pin down the ‘drive’ and ‘direction’ behind their story, this becomes a perfect opportunity for them to show off their dedication to their chosen subject.
This is the time for the economics students to discuss how, “just as supply and demand shape markets, opportunity and access shape people’s futures in my community”, or for the biology student to talk about, “how the intricate harmony of gut flora reminds one of a rainforest, and how we must adopt sustainable practices to respect this natural order”.
This way, your child proves that they know their subject so well, they can relate this information to life outside the classroom. They won’t just be seen as over-achievers, but as thought-leaders. They don’t just regurgitate, they can reshape and re-apply the information, using it to broaden their understanding of the world.
A Quick Exercise to Try With Your Child
Here are some questions you can ask your child tonight at the dinner table:
The “why”
1. Why are you drawn to the activity you spend the most time on?
2. Why does it matter to you?
3. Why could it matter to other people?
Note the overarching themes of their answers. It could be leadership, curiosity or empathy.
Next, write down one sentence that captures their “why”.
For instance, “I love economics because I grew up in a city which experienced a tech boom, and I saw how drastically it changed the lives of those around me”
The Next Few Steps…
At AddedEducation, we know that when it comes to college admissions, there is no one formula for success. Every student is different, and our strategy advisors are committed to finding out their unique virtues and achievements. The first step is to understand your child’s unique needs.Only then do we proceed to tailor an approach which is not only true to them, but reflective of the best they have to offer their dream college.
