The published admissions statistics of the top US universities may paint a pessimistic picture for students and their parents. Top universities such as Harvard and Stanford have published acceptance rates of around 5% over the last several years. This is, of course, a low percentage. And it has only gotten more competitive. In 2000, at the turn of the century, those same acceptance rates were over 10%. This is a similar trend across all universities as the rise in the number of student applications has far outpaced any rise in the number of student admission offers.
However, this increasing level of competition can actually be viewed in a more positive light. What it means is that students have more reason to think carefully about their decisions going forward and how those decisions will impact their future, including which universities they will be aiming for as the best fit for them specifically. It is motivation for students to dive deeper into their degree and career exploration, planning and goal-setting from a younger age - and this can only be beneficial for them going into adult life. Too often, I have seen high school students in their final year without any idea of which university degrees they would consider studying, let alone which career paths they would even consider. This indecision often spills into adult life post-university, and as adults, we appreciate (with 20:20 hindsight!) that exploring your options and making informed decisions earlier, rather than later, in life is almost always more ideal. Accordingly, top universities are now expecting students to be excellent both academically AND personally. The purely academic side is almost seen as a hygiene factor these days: having top high school grades and the best SAT scores are necessary but no longer truly differentiating factors in a student's application. Furthermore, the quest I often observe by students and their families is for said student to be 'well-rounded' by having a bit of everything: sports, clubs, societies and many hours of community service. However, universities want passionate students who will positively impact the world and strive to help others. This effectively translates to students with deeper focus and clearer passions. Universities now look for well-rounded student bodies, not well-rounded individual students.
This brings us to the critical topic of the student's 'hook'. How do you stand out from every one of your high school peers? What is unique about YOU that universities will find interesting and engaging? This should usually form the basis of your core US university admissions essay where universities are looking for a strong personal narrative that really makes you unique. Finding the 'hook' can be challenging for many students as it often requires the students to have a sense of what they want to do in their future careers. So exploring different industries as early as high school is critical. Students should push themselves, with parental support, to dive deeper into specific passions and explore different summer programmes, internships and work shadowing opportunities.
As an example, one of my students who recently gained admission into Stanford was a semi-professional pianist and also explored her academic passion for Biology and Medicine by doing several different summer programs at top universities in the US. This was in addition to her having stellar high school grades and SAT scores. Her deeper focus and consistent exploration on a more limited number of things made her stand out amongst her peers and demonstrated genuine passion. This was primarily because she had been planning ahead and executing from a young age, years before her final high school year, which allowed her to be in a very strong position. Thus, funnelling down your degree and career options from an early age should be beneficial to any student as they progress in life. I would therefore encourage all high school students out there to start planning and executing, from as early as possible, on how YOU will discover and develop your passions in order to maximise your success in today's environment.
I wish you all the best in your exciting quest!
Integra Education is an educational services firm specialising in the provision of US & UK university admissions counselling, SAT/ACT test preparation and Mathematics & Physics tutoring.
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