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Why, When and How
Profile Building for Ivy Leagues

Anyone who dreams of getting into an Ivy League for higher education knows the importance of building a profile. But not everyone is aware of what it entails. It is a fact that it takes much more than being a high achieving, accomplished student to be accepted, so the importance of what can be done differently to enhance your chances of getting into one becomes even more pressing. It helps to have. a mentor who will guide you towards all the activities and academic achievements that you should focus on. There are certain key areas to work on if you want to assure a seat for yourself.

Get a Head-start

The one thing that can swing the decision of an admission officer in your favour is long-term, sustained and committed interest in activities and endeavours. Whether it is a sport, a musical instrument you are passionate about, or participation in Model United Nations, if you have been at these activities consistently over for few years, there is much merit in that. If you excel at them, great, but even if you don’t, these let the college know that you are hard-working, believe in showing up, have enough commitment and are ready to contribute.

Consistent, Excellent Academic Performance

One of the areas where students suffer is not their academic performance in the 10th or 12th results, it is their academic performance apart from these two board exams. Many students get serious about their results only after they have appeared for their ninth standard exams, which means they do not have excellent results to show throughout their high school. This can be one big reason to be denied admission to these premium institutions where kids vie for a spot with excellent scores as a basic requirement.

Test Scores

Whether you take the SAT or the ACT, you do not have to focus on getting a perfect score. Although, most students who get through Ivy Leagues have very high scores and that is important, perfect is an illusion. Even if your university of choice has a test-optional policy, send in your scores unless they are lower than the mid 50 percentile.

Indulge Your Interests

Looking for activities and challenges that align with your interests ensures that you will be able to keep up with them for longer periods of time without them feeling like a chore. In general, having an activity that engages you with your school community, impacts the local community and helps foster group dynamics is a good place to start. Instead of having a lot of activities, focus on a few or even one passion project that you are actually interested in. What you want to showcase is that you can be a contributing part of a group, lead when required, and are able to make constructive use of your free time such as after school and on weekends. Your extracurricular activities, the exposure you allow yourself and the experiences you have in your life shape the confidence with which you write your personal essays and that can make all the difference.

Utilise Your Summers

The one time when you are not actively pursuing your academic endeavours is the summer break and it makes sense to make the most of this time. Although there are a range of activities that you could fit into this time period, it is best to choose something that aligns with your long-term goals and the course that you desire to study. It is not so much what activity you choose, but the takeaway from the activity and how are you apply it that matters most. This is the time to expand your learning about your chosen areas of interest by reading books, signing up for digital courses, going to summer school and interning with an expert. This will prepare you for writing better and more confident essays when it is time for admissions.

Nurture Relationships

Not maintaining relationships with your mentors, coaches and counsellors is a huge mistake. Staying invested in people who are your everyday support, a gateways to a field that interests you, or have helped you secure a place in the school club you were interested in is imperative. Remember, even the best performance, most engaging activities and outstanding leadership qualities may pale in comparison to a wonderful Letter of Recommendation. The people who are going to be writing your LORs need an opportunity to know you better to write an honest and compelling account for your college of choice.
To get into an Ivy League, you have to convey to your dream college application officers that you are set to be a world changer. They are also looking for students who will become an active part of their communities, helping them change for the better. The sooner you start working on your profile, the better the outcomes will be.

– The Author is Mr. Ajay Thiara, Founder and Managing Director of 360 College Review

Image Credit – Freepik

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