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For students who wish to pursue their higher education the dream is to get into an Ivy League college. How would a Harvard or Cambridge degree look on your sleeve? Obviously, it would be great but here is the thing, there are millions of students who apply each year to these colleges from all across the world but only a handful get selected. Only the elite get selected, plain and simple.

Now no Ivy League college is going to spill the beans on the selection process completely but from the many successful applications received by them each year, here is a checklist that should at least increase your chances of getting into one.

Start Early

The biggest mistake committed by most students is to start preparations while they are nearing the end of their high school. While this does not mean that you will not get in, it definitely reduces your chances. Furthermore, students studying outside of the US will require to start preparations at least a year and a half in advance.

Take Up Challenging Courses

What you study in your final years matters a lot on the course you are applying for. If you have taken tough subjects and done well in them rather than having taken easy subjects and excelled, you stand a better chance.

Extracurricular Always Helps

The world after graduation is quite competitive. Hence, colleges today search for students who excel in life and not just in their studies. Therefore, take up some meaningful activity that Ivy Leagues would love to see on your application. A part time job, social service and so on as well as sports at the regional level or higher hold sway with the selection community.

Prepare Application Drafts Early

While your academics and your extracurricular activities suggest what you can do, it is your essay and your recommendation letters that tells the selection board who you are. It would be wise to spend more time preparing the letters of accommodations with teachers from the hard subjects you took and also your own personal essay.

Take SAT and ACT Scores Seriously

It is your SAT and ACT scores that get the attention of a college first. If you have taken a test more than twice, then it matters, if you have scored below 90 percent range then it matters and if you have scored unevenly in each segment with lower scores in some, it matters a lot. Hence, be very careful with your test scores.

Be Confident And Prepared For An Interview

Whether it is a panel interview or an alumni interview be prepared for the worst and the best questions. Furthermore, be well dressed and well kept during these interviews after all, it only happens once and these interviews hold a lot of value in a selector’s eye.

Apply To Many Colleges

Just because you and your parents want you to get into Harvard does not mean that you will not apply to other colleges. Apply to at least 6 or 7 colleges that you have shortlisted.

After all the procedures and preparations, you can only sit back and relax. There is no use fretting over your fate. However, if you do get selected to any college of your choice, then don’t take it easy and slacken your scores in the final months of school. Many prospects have been turned away from Ivy Leagues because of a fall in grade after acceptance.

Do you have any more tips to share or have you cracked the Ivy League barrier? Do share in the comments with our readers extra pointers that can help in their preparations.