Getting into Ivy League colleges and so-called Top-25 schools in the US is tough and it

takes long-range planning.

There is an incredible rush of applicants for the top schools as every year a

disproportionate number of high school students from across the world try to get into a

very small group of schools.

To get through, students need several essential tools for success at the top: a strong

strategic admissions plan, an outstanding student profile, and good advice along the

way.

A good, general and long-range college admission plan, which both students and

parents should consider, might look something like this:

Elementary years

Encourage reading and broad-range interests. Look for signs of special talents. Get

involved with your school’s guidance program. Start developing computer skills.

Middle-school years

Continue reading at all levels. Begin to emphasise writing and general communication

skills. Watch for emerging leadership traits. Increase involvement with teachers and

administrators.

Class nine

GPA and class rank begin to accumulate. Schedule only the most challenging courses

and excel in academics and extracurricular pursuits. So, don’t waste your summer

vacations.

Career mapping

You need to identify career interests, explore subject options, discuss career prospects

and identify country interests. Knowledge building regarding college applications and

discussion on profile as well filling the gaps need to be considered as well.

Tests

Students need to take mandatory exams like the SAT 1 and Test of English as a Foreign

Language (Toefl) for students applying to colleges in the US.

The SAT 1 is an assessment of a student’s mathematical and verbal proficiency and

primarily in the multiple choice format. It is 2,400 mark paper. An Ivy League college will

definitely require a SAT score of 2,200 and above.

Toefl is the most widely accepted English language exam to check an examinee’s

proficiency and comfort in understanding, listening, speaking, and writing English.

SAT 2 are one-hour tests on specific subjects and have 22 separate tests covering five

subject areas like math, history, literature, science and languages scored on a scale of

200-800. Not all schools require subject tests, but it’s mandatory for most top schools

and they specify the number of subject tests ie two or three.

The subject tests opted for should be in tandem with the basic study program you would

like to opt for ie science or humanities.

If you have not scored a perfect 800, as many students tend to do, don’t give up. There

are a number of things you can do to improve. The SATs, especially the SAT I, can be

coached. If you are unsatisfied with your score, you can improve it through some

structured study.

You can also take other comprehensive preparation for exams like SAT II, PSAT and AP

and add these to your regular SAT preparation to have that extra edge during your

college applications.

Advanced Placement exams (AP)

The AP exam tests cover more than 30 university-level courses that are taken by high

school students to improve their chances at getting admission into an Ivy League

college. Taking AP exams and scoring in them is a sure shot way of impressing college

admission counsellors as it indicates a student’s preparedness to take on challenges as

well his ability to handle college-level course work.

AP exams in India are offered in 24 subjects like world history, human geography,

English language and composition, United States history, computer science, calculus,

statistics, environmental science, chemistry, biology, physics, psychology,

macroeconomics, microeconomics, etc.

American College Testing (ACT)

ACT is an alternative to SAT 1 and like the SAT, it is a paper and pen test, for college

admissions in the USA. It is scored out of 36 points and there are four sections - English,

Math, Reading and Science.

Essays

It is the weak link in many college applications. It is unfortunate because the essay can

tip the scales when a college is trying to decide between two otherwise equally qualified

applicants. Some students don’t put much thought into their essays which is a big

mistake as they are an extremely important part of the application.

Most applications for competitive colleges ask applicants to write a reasonably

significant 500-750 words essay about what is usually a broad topic. What colleges are

looking for in the essay is an insight into how well the student thinks and how well s/he

can articulate a point of view. Colleges require applicants to submit a personal

statement, which is literally an essay about you. This may be the one chance that the

admissions committee has to get to know who you are and how you will be able to

contribute to their student body.

The main requirement for writing a convincing essay, apart from a command of the

English language, is presenting who you really are. It is about finding your voice or the

writing style that lets your readers “hear” who you are. The key is to write what you want

to say, and not what the college wants to hear.

You should make your essay approachable as you are more than the sum total of your

test scores, school marks, and other achievements. It should be a personal statement to

make an impression and demonstrate the special qualities that make you. The strongest

applicants are those who have the strongest stories.

Financial aid

Fortunately some Ivy League colleges are need-blind colleges. This means an

applicant’s ability to pay has no effect on his admission. While most colleges are need

blind only for domestic students, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Dartmouth consider

international students as well.

Harvard and Yale are committed to meeting 100% of admitted students demonstrated

financial need. Families with income between $65,000 and $1,50,000 are expected to

pay 0 to 10%. Families with annual income over $1,50,000 are expected to pay

proportionally more.

There are need-aware colleges for international students as well. There are various

parameters that the colleges consider before being given financial aid. Usually, the

strongest applicants in terms of academics, SAT scores and profile make the cut.