AKA the ‘Common App’, the American UCAS. Time to start gathering the pieces and start building an application. The application takes a while to fully complete, but it takes only a few minutes to create an application and start building it up. Small but consistent work will be the best strategy to create a winning application. Create an account today here. If you’ve never been to university you’re a ‘First Year Student’.
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The average admission officer has 12 minutes to read your application. In that time, you have to make them whisper ‘wow’ a few times. You want to captivate them for the entirety of the duration they have with it. Your candicacy for admission to the university should be clear as day.
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When you get admitted to any American college, there are no required grades to achieve at the end of the year. You can vibe out, but do finish the year strongly as they can rescind your admission if you do poorly. Though they never ask for these end of Sixth-form/High School grades.
This is university after all. You are coming here to pursue a certificate of education in high learning. The colleges in this resource are the most prestigious in the world, and you bet they are looking for the brightest, most motivated students around the globe. Ivy League applicants often have a string of A* predictions at A-level, with perfect test scores.
*At the same time US colleges are looking for CEOs, they also looking for the greatest academic minds, like researchers. People with top grades and test scores.
The great thing about US colleges is that you can choose your course after trying lots of classes in different fields. If you don’t know what to student yet, put ‘Undecided’. If you know you want to study Physics, and you declare that in your application.
<aside> ✌🏿 This includes everything outside what is mandated by your curriculum. Anything, really: Hockey Co-captain, Editor of a Plant Science Journal, Year 12 Representative for the Afro-Caribbean Society, Founder of the Magic Club, creation of an app.
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In short, there are four main characteristics that constitute what a 'good' extra-curricular activity is. They are, roughly in order of importance: passion, leadership, initiative, and commitment. “Should I spend my time playing Tennis to make my application stronger?” Does it fulfill at least 3 of the 4 characteristics? If not, maybe try/switch it out for something else that does. The name of the game is quality over quantity here. You're better off submitting 6 high-quality ECs than 10 'okay' ones (high-quality meaning, fulfilling 3+ out of the 4). MIT actually only allows a max of 5 ECs in their application, encouraging students to present their most meaningful EC pursuits. Does listing 5 instead of 10 ECs mean your application is weaker? No
Here is an example of your competition to top universities [click]
<aside> 👨🏿💻 US unis are built like businesses. They're kind of looking for students who will be the 'next big thing'. They see you as an investment opportunity. Giving you a place at their college, especially if you're on $300K of financial aid, is an investment **- are you worth it?
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Princeton dean: “We look for qualities that will help [students] become leaders in their fields and in their communities.” (Princeton's admissions website, which lists leadership prominently in its section on extracurriculars: “We look for students who make a difference in their schools and communities, so tell us about your leadership activities, interests, special skills and other extracurricular involvements.”). Yale president: “We have to make the hunchy judgment as to whether or not with Yale’s help the candidate is likely to be a leader in whatever he [or she] ends up doing.” before going on to stress that “We are looking for students we can help to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.” Ask yourself what leadership means to you. Defining these things for yourself is a time-worthy exercise towards the ability to create a phenomenal application.
If you care about something or someone, you will spend a lot of time with or doing that thing, right? Having been in an Urban Design club for 4 years looks better than having been in it for 4 weeks. Though new interests are still welcome - it's also cool that you only just started a Hip-Hop club, but be prepared to explain your motivation to do so in a detailed way.
Admissions officers agree that it is not by repeatedly writing, “I am passionate about [fill in the blank]” in your college essay that you show passion. Instead demonstrate sustained, progressive involvement over a period of time in a few activities.
They want to see leaders and self-starters, people that shake up things in the world. People that aren't afraid to take a big step, it if has the potential to be a success. People who are focused on having an impact. These schools admitted Elon Musk and Bill Gates for a reason. They want to keep admitting these students to build and grow the legacy of the school. They want to admit superstars in their field. If you're the next Obama, they want you.
The next rubric to use is First Best Only. If you’re the First to do something, the Best at it, or the Only one who has done it, put it in the application! It help you stand out. Examples: