What qualities to Ivy leagues or equally exceptional colleges see?

Question

I know that a lot of colleges see the typical: good grades, SAT/ ACT scores, AP classes, extracurriculars, etc. But is that it? I can't say I'm the smartest student, but I meet the requirements to go above a regular course in high school. Teachers do recommend me to take AP, even though I'm not the top-notch AP student. Is that a disadvantage for me?

As a sidenote.
I messed up Freshman year. I signed up for all hard classes and got a lot of B's and 2 A's. I took 4 5.0 classes as well.

Then in sophomore year, I got straight A's. I hope to keep that pattern this year, but do you think Freshman year will hurt my acceptance in a Ivy league or equally exceptional college?

Answer 1

You can go to the websites of each of the top colleges, such as the Ivies, Duke, Stanford, Chicago, etc. They each have a section where it details the average SAT and rank in class of their incoming freshman class.

You will see that the students there are absolutely at the top. So, you have to be competitive. You have to take APs and get good grades.

There is something else, though. All these top schools want kids who are leaders - who have taken charge in some way and done something exceptional -- won a National Science Olympiad, been a sports hero, won the state piano competition, started a charity and raised thousands of dollars.

They want kids who can take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that are available at these schools. Kids who will go out into the world and be leaders and movers and shakers. You have to do something to set yourself apart. What will it be?

Answer 2

i understand many human beings like your pal. colleges, extraordinarily the Ivies choose pupils which will supply something which will make the faculty benefit. basically grades won't do it. definite, if she wins a huge opposition it enables, regardless of if this is obtrusive to the college she is basically in touch approximately be the main suitable and having sturdy grades, yet the place does that placed her for the destiny while she is in some profession. She won't get grades anymore. this is the common person who expects to get in everywhere and could become genuine stunned while no Ivy league accepts her. My pal is doing that now and she or he's so stress because of the fact she might get an A particularly of an A+ in severe college. She continually says to me, "Oh my god, i might get an A in physics, meaning i'm no longer entering into college." Now i do no longer communicate to her anymore because of the fact my GPA is 3.9 and hers is 4.0 and she or he continually complains approximately it. You sound greater like me. My rank is likewise fifteenth in a classification of between 550 and six hundred pupils. i could have 11 APs over 4 years, yet college provides greater APs than many different colleges. i'm president of a club and that i've got assorted awards and 1st places at competitions form extracurriculars and outdoors of faculty learn. i think of you and that i are the greater suitable applicants because of the fact we teach that we supply management and could take part in activities on campus and make a contribution to the faculty. I relatively have greater than a number of interest for some instructions extraordinarily sciences, this is particularly obtrusive. this is info of better psychological promise this is quite substantial. i'm a junior finding in the direction of Ivy League colleges, and that i think of applicants such as you and that i've got the main suitable photos. additionally, somebody comprised a itemizing of persons form my college that have the main suitable photos on the main selective colleges. I made the record even basically before lots of those with bigger GPA's and ranks than mine.