What It Really Takes to Get Into Ivy League and Other Highly Selective Colleges

274 Pages·2003·0.58 MB·english

by  Chuck Hughes

W I REALLY
HAT T
T G
AKES TO ET INTO
I L
VY EAGUE
& O
THER
H S
IGHLY ELECTIVE
C
OLLEGES
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W I REALLY
HAT T
T G
AKES TO ET INTO
I L
VY EAGUE
& O
THER
H S
IGHLY ELECTIVE
C
OLLEGES
CHUCK HUGHES
FORMER SENIOR ADMISSIONS OFFICER
HARVARD COLLEGE
MCGRAW-HILL
NEW YORK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO LISBON LONDON
MADRID MEXICO CITY MILAN NEW DELHI SAN JUAN SEOUL
SINGAPORE SYDNEY TORONTO
Copyright ©2003 by Chuck Hughes. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America.
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DOI: 10.1036/0071425063
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Part 1: College Admissions 101:What Matters to
Admissions Offices
1. A 10,000 Foot View of Selective Admissions 3
The Long Line to Admission 3
The Admission Mission: Prepare Leaders for the
Twenty-First Century 8
Universities Don’t Just Admit Individuals—
They Build Classes 10
Individual Assessment: The Key Criteria 14
2. Academic Assessment:Are Good Grades and Strong
SAT Scores Enough? 17
Analyzing Academic Rigor, GPA, and Class Rank 18
Standardized Testing 27
Co-Curricular Programs and Awards 42
Academic Profile of Students Admitted to Highly
Selective Colleges 48
3. Extracurricular Activities 55
Making a Difference on and off Campus 55
The Extracurricular Milieu 58
v
Copyright 2003 by Chuck Hughes. Click Here for Terms of Use.
CONTENTS
Depth versus Breadth of Extracurricular Commitments 60
Avoiding Tunnel Vision 63
Student Government and the Politicians of Tomorrow 67
The Great Debate 71
Music and Visual and Performing Arts: High Profile
on Campus and in Admissions 73
Power of the Pen: Publications, Journalism, and Writing 79
Entrepreneurship, Business Internships, and Term-
Time Work 81
Social Service and Community Involvement 82
Impact of Athletics in Admission 85
Recognized Extracurricular Programs and Positions 102
Extracurricular Profile of Students Admitted to Highly
Selective Colleges 105
Circumstances That Limit Extracurricular Involvement 108
4. Personal Qualities and Background Factors Impact
on the Application 111
Why Personal Character Is Important 112
Letters of Recommendation 117
The Personal Essay and the Story It Tells 126
Interviewing 130
Intangibles: Tip Factors 135
Part II: College Admissions 102:Understanding the
Admissions Cycle
5. Rating Candidates and the Evaluation Process 159
Reading and Rating Your Application 159
Academic Rating 161
Extracurricular Rating 162
vi
CONTENTS
Personal Rating 163
Overall Rating 164
School Support and Teacher Recommendations 166
Who Reads Your Application? 166
Fall Recruiting 170
The Reading Process: Early Admission Whirlwind 176
The Reading Process: April Admission and Rounding
Out the Class 178
Committee Meetings, Presenting Cases, Mailing Letters 179
A Cruel Summer: Waiting on the Waiting List 181
6. Application Preparation:From Middle School
to College 185
Early Awareness Makes a Difference 185
Junior Year: The Application Process 190
Senior Year: Fine-Tuning Your Application 197
The Value of College Counseling 198
Applying to College Early 201
A Note on Financial Aid 207
Part III: Harvard Case Studies
An Examination of Admissions Applications 213
Appendix 239
Index 241
vii
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