Blog

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Have you seen the admissions statistics for Ivy League schools?” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Even from our headquarters in Chicago, we can sense a few of you hopeful Malaysian applicants (and hopeful parents!) reaching for a paper bag, ready to hyperventilate (say goodbye to your most recent meal). But as always, we are here with some good news folks: relax, please take a deep breath, get yourself out of the fetal position, and join us on a journey where together, we will discover that all this is not the end of the world.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”First, let’s examine these elite-school admissions rates from a purely statistical point of view.” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]5 percent for Harvard is 1 out of 20 (if only my AP Calc teacher could see me now!). That’s not half bad, when you think about it. The chance of the average American being audited by the IRS is 1 in 100. Each year, the odds of being bitten by a dog in the U.S. are 1 in 50. So you can tell your parents, “Hey, Mom & Dad! I have a better chance of getting into Harvard than you have of getting audited or attacked by Freckles!”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”But seriously.” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Insane-sounding statistics aside, here is what the numbers won’t tell you: the college admissions process is not a game of chance. In other words, you don’t pop your completed application into a machine, crossing your fingers with an arbitrary 5% chance that you’ll get accepted. That’s not how it works. This isn’t the Mega Millions lottery, after all.

Why? It’s because college admissions committees (especially at elite places like Oxbridge, and in the Ivy League) are made up of thoughtful, intelligent, emotional people. Yes, people. They give every single one of those applications a fair chance. Believe it or not, they read your application. They consider it thoughtfully. Sometimes, they get into deep discussions about a single candidate. This is true across the board for those highly coveted Ivy League institutions. The admissions process is a careful blend of art and science, and admissions committees are damn good at what they do.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”What does this mean for you, the potential applicant (or the parent of a potential applicant)?” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Well first of all, you are at an advantage already. Presumably you are set to attend an elite International School like Kingsgate, where you have the huge benefit of a great school, international-caliber teachers, and you’re surrounded by smart, motivated students. Universities know of Kingsgate and of schools like it–so you’re already one step ahead of the game. Huzzah!

But just the same, you’ve got to work your butt off to create the best application possible, one that presents you in an honest, genuine, appealing, and three-dimensional way. Most applicants make the mistake of thinking that pure numbers will get them accepted – high SATs, killer A-Level scores, a zillion extracurricular activities, a staggering GPA, TOEFL and IELTS for international folks. But here’s some food for thought: last year, around 10% of Harvard applicants were valedictorians. The shocker? Most were rejected.

Some students cringe at this statistic. “But Admissionado!” they cry, “I’m not even a valedictorian. If they’re getting rejected, what chance do I have?!” A great one, in fact, if you know what you’re doing. Because if you look at the other side of the coin, you’ll see that a huge amount of successful applicants are NOT valedictorians. Instead, they are united by another common thread: awesome applications. Of course, they’re also intelligent, unique, and have a distinct point of view. But key is that they manage to present this in the application, which is the hardest part when you think about all the other intelligent, unique candidates with distinct points of view vying for those top schools.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”How do they do that? And, more importantly, how can YOU do that?” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]For starters, check out this webinar we recently recorded called The Insider’s Guide to Ivy League Admissions to get an inside look at the Ivy League admissions process. We also talk about the best schools elsewhere in the world, including Oxford, Cambridge, places like that. (All the same rules apply!) We’ll walk you through the key aspects of successful elite applications:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

What the admissions committee is looking for.
Why they want it, and how you can build a profile and create an application to beat the odds.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The webinar includes advice for high school students (and the parents of those students!) ranging from rising 9th to rising 12-graders.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”617″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]For more information, feel free to reach out directly to Admissionado, at jon@admissionado.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ITw-MacPa4″][/vc_column][/vc_row]