What do schools look for in an applicant?

one1ofeach
Tue, 17 Aug 2021 15:33:26 +0000

If you don’t want to be specific due to privacy you need to know it’s really hard to help you. Top schools look for outstanding kids. Kids that are admitted are often top of the academic heap at their current schools, they are often superb athletes or musicians, they are often committed to one or two community service ventures. Many of the kids admitted have ALL those characteristics. Plus they are curious and independent, they have shown that they can persevere when the going gets tough, they are generally nice kids with open minds, they are excited about entering an entirely new community and contributing to it.

What people don’t understand is that for elite schools kids are talented in many areas and have the grit to pursue them all. People don’t like that answer but from what I have seen it is true. Yes it is true that for the larger elite schools more kids whom you might consider to be more ordinary get accepted. Those kids often have outstanding essays that really convey to the school why they would make a great addition to the community. If you don’t think this is your profile you need to look at some less elite schools.

P.S. Being international or being an American living abroad just isn’t a big deal anymore. Plenty of schools have plenty of kids from all over the globe.