@Southoftheriver
I can only think of one time we talked about a student not being a “fit.” They were compelling, but had another college all over their application, had taken every AP and SAT II offered, and didn’t come off well in their Letter to Your Future Roommate essay.
College counselors talk a lot about “fit” as in finding the right school. And I’ve heard some admission officers talk about it too. I think the whole concept is overrated and usually just something said thoughtlessly that sounds nice. Because schools are so much more alike than they are different. The Naval Academy, or MIT, or a religious school? Sure, they have different qualities they care about. But if you’re a fit at Stanford, you’re a fit at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Duke, etc.
Because almost all top schools are looking for the same things: (i) compelling scholars to work with their professors; (ii) students with stand-out skills who will make their campuses thrive and have the potential to do something important when they graduate; and (iii) excellent personal qualities that suggest the student will be a fantastic classmate and roommate. Those map onto three key concepts: Intellectual vitality, point of excellence, and texture. (These are concepts we talked about at Stanford, but they’re my definitions.) These are the three key concepts you need to understand to approach your applications.
Intellectual Vitality (IV): Palpable academic energy that shows up in college applications as raw intelligence, authentic joy for learning, or striking thoughtfulness.
Princeton and UCLA call this trait simply: intellectual curiosity. Harvard talks about it as being a genuine scholar. This is the key factor. You’re applying to be a student who studies with Nobel Laureates. You need your application to glow with IV.
Point of Excellence: A single, stand-out skill or interest you’ve developed to such an impressive degree, that you look different from almost all other applicants.
It’s the opposite of being “well-rounded”—that is, someone with four years of sports, school clubs, volunteer work, and no clear academic interest. Duke refers to this concept as being “well-lopsided.” Harvard’s term is “Distinguishing Excellences.” It’s rare.
Texture: When I read your application, your personality pops off the page. Texture is what makes me fall in love with you as an applicant. It’s the secret sauce that transforms a reader from gatekeeper to advocate. Texture means your application is filled with novel, funny, or endearing personal qualities and interests. Texture means you come off as humble, authentic, and have moxie—you’re resilient, not afraid to take chances, and you’re positive, especially in the face of adversity. The opposite trait is called flat—a flat application could be a valedictorian with perfect test scores and impressive activities, but their application has no sizzle. It’s boring, generic, safe.
I can’t do it all justice in a post. But these three key qualities come through in your writing, activities, and letters of support. If you have all three, you’re a fit at most schools.
–MCS