6 Essential Tips on How to Get into an Ivy League School caddellprep com

3. Come up with an exceptional personal statement.
Personal statements play a crucial role in your journey to the Ivies. You’re likely applying
to the Ivy League through the Common Application, so you need a winning statement to
set yourself apart from the hundreds of thousands of ambitious and bright individuals.
Your essay is very important-personal statements that are riddled with grammatical errors
or that focus on a cliché subject will not land you in the acceptance pile.
Realize that your essay does not have to be about something that’s extraordinary. There’s
no need for groundbreaking stories to gain effective focus on your written work. Simply
choose one topic that’s important to you and make sure you create an essay that is both
self-reflective and thoughtful.
4. Demonstrate True Depth in Your Extracurricular Activities

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Hundreds of things could count as extracurricular activities but the reality is, any of them
can make your college application stand out if you have shown true passion and depth in
that activity. It’s worth noting that any kind of activity-when approached with enough
energy and commitment-can become something that’s truly awe-inspiring.
Think of extracurricular activities with regards to depth instead of breadth. For example,
imagine a student who joins a school play one year, tries joining the yearbook the next
year, becomes part of the tennis club in this third year, and then spends his senior year as
part of Academic All-Stars. Instead of looking like an outstanding student with so many
skills, he is going to seem like a dabbler who does not have a solid area of expertise or a
clear passion.
While the student has experience in good activities, they do not make for a winning
combination if he’s trying to get into an Ivy League college.
On the other hand, consider an applicant who is a member of the school’s symphonic
band. Throughout her four years in high school, she has played in the pep band, concert
band, and marching band. This student gives the impression that she loves playing her
musical instrument. As a result, college admissions officers are going to think that she
can share that level of passion and interest with the campus community.