Posts tagged as:

Ivy League admissions

Prepare for Ivy League Admissions in Middle School

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There’s a lot that you can do a middle school to prepare yourself for Ivy League admissions.
After all, the earlier that you start the smarter you’ll be, the more educated you’ll be, and as a result you’ll have a higher GPA in high school, you’ll have more experience taking standardized tests, preparing yourself for the [...]

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How significantly will being a URM increase one’s chances of getting into a top-ranked school?

This will be the topic of a future post.
For now, let’s keep it simple:
-being a URM is a statistical advantage at every Ivy League school
-in particular, it’s great if you have a “unique identity” as an URM (I talk about this at length in the admissions guide, but let’s just say that being an African [...]

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SAT secrets: what colleges look for and how to prepare

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The SAT test is a rite of passage for all high school students. Score too low, and you face an uphill battle to get into Harvard. You’ll spend hundreds of hours studying for, worrying about, and taking the exam.
Here, I’ll discuss two key questions on your mind.
One, what do colleges like Stanford look for with [...]

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Get into Harvard: science research at your local college

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Recently we covered the topic of taking college classes for college admissions. Today, I’ll explain another big opportunity available at your local university.
When I say local university, I don’t mean community college. I mean real, 4-year fully accredited universities!
This applies specifically to the science/math/academically focused students - but everyone should be sufficiently well-rounded for college [...]

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Why taking college classes can be the Harvard edge

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Most high school students are missing a huge opportunity to separate themselves from the rest of the college admissions pack.
Take college classes now
Not after you’re admitted to Princeton, but before.
Why does this help?
1) It shows extraordinary initiative on your part to go beyond what’s required
2) Assuming you do well in those classes (A- and above [...]

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3 crucial things about volunteer work and community service

Every high school student assumes that they need to devote 100 hours to working in a soup kitchen, or 50 hours to reading books with elementary school kids. That’s flat out wrong.
In fact - sometimes volunteer work can actually HURT YOU.
Why?
Because volunteer work - especially if it looks “planned” or “resume-boosting”, which many volunteer experiences [...]

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Campus visits are key for Ivy League admissions: here are 3 reasons why

Campus visits are a big topic in my book, Hopeless to Harvard. It’s an inside guide to Ivy League college admissions.
My biggest secret here is this:
Campus visits are CRITICAL if you want to get into the best schools
There are many reasons why. Here are a few:
1. It shows a clear, demonstrated interest - very [...]

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Last minute Common Application tips to get into your dream school

College applications are like artwork - there are a million ways to craft your own Common Application, but only the best products will get into Ivy League schools.
If you’re like me, you waited until the last minute before thinking about college admissions. It’s a tough battle - I share a few emergency college admissions tips [...]

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