What is the best factor I need to get into an Ivy-League school?

Question

I am NOT rich and do not have any relatives who went to an Ivy-League. I am applying to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Stanford.

To answer Enredis: I graduated as Valedictorian of my high school at the age of 15. However, I am transferring from college and my college GPA is only 3.6. Nowadays, the competition is so stiff that I don't know if that is good enough. Other than that, I am involved in a lot of extracurriculars, a research group that plans on publishing in the Journal of Forensic Sciences (I am a Biology major), and I am multicultural, African-American and Chinese (I don't know if this helps.) On top of that I am a Muslim, if that is mentionable on top of ethnicity.

SAT: 2040 out of 2400.

Answer 1

That you're well-balanced and excel in almost anything you do while still appearing to be "human" (i.e. you don't look like some souless machine that's just racking up the courses, grades, and test scores).

Priority-wise:
1) Grades (and courses) and Test Scores
2) Essay(s), Extracurriculars and Community Service
Other: Recommendations, Intended Major

Answer 2

till you're valedictorian or salutatorian, i'm able to assure you that Yale, Princeton, and Harvard are out of attain for you. you will desire to bear in mind that those are not purely extremely aggressive colleges, they're Ivy Leagues. i understand countless people who had bigger marks and scores than you, with quite some greater curriculars and different issues, and have been nonetheless rejected from Ivy Leagues. If I have been you, i could attempt for Cornell, although. you have a great shot at entering into someplace like NYU, too. purely bear in mind that with the aid of fact a university isn't an Ivy, does no longer imply its no longer the two efficient guidance-smart.

Answer 3

As a teacher in a high powered school that sends tons of kids to Ivy League and Ivy League caliber schools, I can tell you that it is grades, grades and grades.
Extracurriculars will help, especially if you are really good at one thing. A good interview never hurts, and good SAT/SAT II scores are helpful.
But Grades, grades and grades will be the determining factor above all else.

Answer 4

In terms of getting into the Ivy Leagues, do you have something that sets you apart from the other applicants? Like did you win some kind of award on the national level that very few won? Or did you hold some position in some club, statewide or nationwide, that would make you one of a kind?

Answer 5

www.admissionsconsultants.com/college/ivy_league_table.asp
www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=5405
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1226168,00.html
www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=5496
ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=5446