Application in these colleges are very competitve, and I really want to know what unique skills/features do you have that helped you get these colleges?!
Good reading/writing ability. The old new SAT (2400 scale) weights English skills twice as heavily as math, so having a head for words is a leg up in the test that’ll constitute the first or second hurdle to clear at many schools. Once that hurdle’s in the rearview mirror, there are still 25,000 highly competitive applicants at top-tier schools, and essays offer a chance to stand out.
One successful Stanford applicant I know did a summer program at a local university while in high school in which a professor mentor taught her how to do a type of research. She was able to write a paper on her results and get it published. She also started a club in that area at her high school and helped others participate in similar research. She also was a member of a community service organization (not part of her school). In addition, she had a high GPA that included APs and Honors classes. She was also a National Merit Finalist, so I assume that her other test scores were high as well. She also has a hobby involving outdoor activities that are offered to Stanford students. After thinking about these qualifications, I can imagine what Stanford is looking for. In addition to wanting intelligent hard-working students who will be able to do well with a challenging course load, they want someone who will be active in the many opportunities on campus and take a leadership role in some of them. They want someone with an honest and giving spirit, and someone with lots of energy left over to enjoy life and share that enjoyment with others. And they probably want someone who is likely to end up being prominent in his or her field of study.