If earlier foreign students could only dream of studying at such universities as Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and other Ivy League universities, today studying there is becoming more affordable. Applicants understand the high requirements of the TOP 100 universities in the United States and try to fully meet these requirements. Being a student it was hard for me to enroll in Princeton, it would be much easier if I chose to pay someone to write my paper.
In this article, we will focus more on the features of the enrollment process at Ivy League universities and other selective universities in the United States, and also tell you what students need to know about admission to Harvard, Princeton, and other universities.
Content Summary
How to enroll in Ivy League Universities
How the admissions committee evaluates students
Academic success rate (30% success rate)
Extracurricular activities (25% success rate)
Essays, motivation letter (25% success rate)
Letters of recommendation (15% success rate)
Interviews (5% success rate)
How to Increase Your Chances of Getting into an Ivy League University
From year to year, the competence of applicants is getting higher, and more and more students are applying for admission to the Ivy League. At the same time, a lot of students misunderstand the application process itself at these universities, do not finish the documents, or do not pay attention to important factors. Many students try to break into Ivy League universities with a weak motivation letter, believing that a high score in the certificate is enough.
How to enroll in Ivy League Universities
What does the admissions committee of prestigious US universities pay attention to? What influences successful enrollment in ranked universities?
Selective universities are higher educational institutions in the United States, admission to which is based not only on the excellent grades of the applicant but also on his personality, interests, hobbies, and other achievements.
This means that to enroll in the best university in the USA, it is not enough for you to provide a high GPA score on a bachelor’s certificate/diploma and high results of GRE/GMAT/SAT/ACTs. Admissions committees of prestigious universities in the United States evaluate students according to other important factors, which we will discuss in this article.
Which US universities are considered selective? Look at the rating of the best American universities according to US News & World Report and pay attention to the first 75. Enrollment in these educational institutions will be the most difficult.
Ivy League University Admission Criteria
Why are a high academic GPA score and a high result on standardized tests not enough to enroll in selective universities? The reason is that universities receive a huge number of applications, and it is not enough to select a student by a high score, you need to choose the best of the best.
In classical universities in the United States, the admission process is easier. It is based on entrance requirements. If you meet the entrance requirements, you will be enrolled without any problems.
What is the difference between enrollment in selective universities from other universities:
They select the best ones. The percentage of accepted students – admission rate-in relation to the applications received is 5% or lower
Enrollment is based not only on a high academic score and high results on standardized tests. Attention is paid to essays, extracurricular work, volunteer activities, scientific research, etc
Selective universities are the most expensive universities in the United States and at the same time the most generous for scholarships-discounts. Most discounts are offered to American students, but there is funding for international students as well
The main principle on which the admission of documents to Ivy League universities and other selective universities is based is that educational institutions select students based on unique interests and talents. They want to be sure that students will be successful in the future and thus increase the prestige of the university where they received higher education.
It is important to understand that each selective university has its criteria for selecting students. This is due to the different programs, specialties, and different missions of each educational institution.
For example, the leadership qualities of a student are important for Harvard, the university pays special attention to a strong character.
Which students do Ivy League universities pay attention to?
Students who are the best in their field. For example, No. 1 in the world for playing the cello, the first place in the world for mathematics.
Leadership qualities, strong character – the student will be a strong leader in the future.
Strong athletes who have achieved high performance.
Legacy student – a student whose relatives have already studied at the university where the documents are submitted
Capable students who excel in any business they start
The process of selection or admission to selective universities in the United States is often called holistic or Holistic Admission. It includes the following factors, based on which the selection of applicants is carried out:
- Grades or academic success at school or university, standardized tests
- Extracurricular activities, hobbies, awards, and achievements
- The essay and the structure of your application package
- Letters of recommendation
- Interview
How the admissions committee evaluates students
Five important factors influence admission to Ivy League universities or other selective universities in the United States: academic results, extracurricular activities, essays, letters of recommendation, and interviews.
Students from outside should not forget about another important element of the entrance process — the level of English. To enroll in all US universities without exception, including the Ivy League, a student must pass an IELTS or TOEFL test.
Academic success rate (30% success rate)
The admission committee takes into account the average score and the subjects that the student studied at school or in the bachelor’s program; the results of the SAT/ACT General section and SAT II subject (the minimum requirement is 2-3 subjects).
After that, the admissions committee displays the student’s Academic Index. With the help of the Academic Index, the university compares a large number of students among themselves and makes an entrance rating. If your academic index is lower than the required one — your application will be rejected immediately.
The peculiarity of selective universities is that high academic indicators (grades and tests) will not give you automatic admission to the university, but at least they will allow you to pass to the next stage of the entrance process.
Extracurricular activities (25% success rate)
The Ivy League University Admissions Committee also evaluates a student’s athletic achievements, interests, and additional education.
There is no information about how exactly a student’s activity level is measured at school. But there are general recommendations on the interests, hobbies, and activities of the student:
- Achievements at the national or international level (play the most important role), the manifestation of leadership qualities
- Achievements at the regional and school level
- Achievements in the class or the interest group
- Volunteer work, an activity in which you simply take part
Hobbies or achievements at the national and international levels are considered the most attractive for the admissions committee. In addition, the area in which you have achieved success is taken into account. The more interesting the sphere, the more interesting your application will be.
Essays, motivation letter (25% success rate)
The essay creates your academic profile and describes extracurricular activities. It combines the documents that you submit to the university and explains your every step on the way to admission in such a way that the admissions committee creates your complete image.
Types of essays:
- Personal Statement: The most common type in which you describe your ambitions, interests, and skills. This is a chance for you to formulate why you would like to study a certain course or subject, and what experience you have, what led you to become interested in the chosen field.
- Supplement Essay: In addition to the motivation letter, or instead of it, the university can request an essay on a specific topic (What is academic integrity? Why Columbia University?). Very often in such essays, there is a specific limit on the number of words (for example, 150, 250, or 650 — no more, no less)
- Separate Scholarship Applications: This type of essay is written by students who apply for a scholarship (a one-time discount on tuition).
How to make your Motivation Letter Successful
- Pay attention to the culture of the university, history, traditions
- Find an interesting and strong topic that will stand out from the rest
- Show your personality, character, and not a set of facts in the form of achievements
- Prove your involvement
Letters of recommendation (15% success rate)
Letters of recommendation are notes from teachers, school administration, or other specialists.
Usually, selective universities are asked to provide 3-4 letters of recommendation, two of which should be from teachers, one from the school principal, and one from someone who is not your teacher.
Interviews (5% success rate)
The interview is the last stage of selection for a selective university. Ivy League universities prefer to conduct interviews, but many selective universities may omit this stage of enrollment.
How to Increase Your Chances of Getting into an Ivy League University
We recommend that students listen to our advice:
- Plan your admission to a selective university. At least two years in advance, you must make a decision that you will prepare for admission – this will give you a chance to prepare in the best possible way for the entrance process
- Secondary education abroad – international programs IB, A-level, OSSD-increase the chances of students to enter Ivy League universities
- Extracurricular activities, participation in Olympiads, competitions at the international level
- A high level of English, which will not only allow you to fulfill the requirements of the university, but also the confidence in writing motivational letters.
