Journey to Ivy League: Challenges for average students.
If your high-achieving child dreams of attending one of the eight elite Ivy League colleges, you’re well aware it won’t be an easy feat. You don’t have to be a college admissions expert or memorize each school’s admissions statistics to know it’s challenging to get accepted to an Ivy League. But your child is determined to put in the work to make their Ivy dream come true, and you’re eager to support them — leading you here to unearth the secrets for how to get into Ivy League colleges.
The Ivy League — which includes Harvard University, Columbia University, Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Dartmouth University, Princeton University, and Yale University — was originally established in 1954 as an athletic conference. It’s since earned the reputation of being a prestigious collection of universities known for academic excellence and admissions selectivity.
Earning high grades in a standard high school curriculum will do little to impress an Ivy League. With competition so high, Ivy Leagues want to accept students who push themselves by taking advanced courses. For example, the Columbia admissions website states, “We hope to see that a student is avidly pursuing intellectual growth with a rigorous course load.”
Some are really upset if they get a B, some are ecstatic if they get a C+; however, if your grades and test scores aren’t in the top 5% or above, you’ll need to figure out a way to make the academic portion of your application shine. Luckily, there is something you can do to make up for your average grades:
Students who seek growth and excellence in high school are expected to continue the pattern in college — making significant contributions to the Ivy League community. To prove their potential, your child should take advantage of the advanced classes offered at their high school, such as honors courses, AP classes, an IB program, or dual-enrollment classes.
When choosing which dual-enrollment, AP or IB classes to enroll in, your child should ask the following questions:
- Does this class relate to my interests or potential career field?
- Will this class challenge me in worthwhile ways?
- Will I have to sacrifice a meaningful extracurricular activity to take this class?
- Most important aspect of writing a good statement of purpose.
Taking rigorous courses is a must if your child wants to get into Ivy League colleges, but go about it strategically to reap the most benefits — both in admissions and in personal growth.
