Applying To An Ivy League College? The Top 5 Books I Recommend!
Applying to an Ivy League college this year? Good. Now let’s actually see if you’re competitive for the schools you’re targeting.
Did well in high school? Check. Strongly involved in your extracurriculars? Check. Aced your AP exams, and scored pretty high on your SAT / ACT and are in an IB program (if your school offers one)? Triple check.
More than likely if you fit the above, then you probably have at least some aspirations to get in to an Ivy League college. Maybe you’re not sure you’ll get in, but you definitely have the hope. The dream. If only you could MAXIMIZE your chances. If you only knew what you could possibly do to just push your Ivy League college application and essays just a little bit more, so you can secure that acceptance.
But where is this secret knowledge??? Who has this secret insider information?! How can you find out EXACTLY what else you can possibly do, sit down this year to apply to your list of schools?
Read. That’s my answer, to parents and students alike. Read the right books. Find out all you can from the right people. The ones who have credentials. Research the right information.
As a former Harvard admissions interviewer + Harvard grad, I know what it takes to successfully apply to an Ivy League college. The following books are the top 5 books in their field, and 5 of my favorites and, give you many many examples of what a successful Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Stanford college application essay actually looks like — and there are lots of examples within these books from which to access and learn.
The important thing to remember though, is that while I do recommend reading these books, in the end, you need to read and then DIVERT from what you just read.
In other words, you need to be unique in your own approach. An individual in terms of what YOU decide to talk about in your essay and reveal.
Because, believe me, the admissions officers at all of the top schools are aware that these books are out there, and they are not only familiar with the essays these books contain, but they are REALLY familiar.
You must make your college application essays DIFFERENT, both in structure and certainly content, but that said, understanding what exactly makes a strong (i.e. successful) Ivy League admissions essay and these can be a very powerful first step towards your college and Ivy League application success!
So, with no more delay, the following are the top 5 books I recommend all rising college seniors read, or at least flip through, as they begin their college application process:
Click on the books themselves for the larger links. And, the winners of this year’s recommended Ivy League College Admissions books are:
#1 Book:
#2 Book:
#3 Book:
#4 Book:
And, Book #5:
Remember, these books are just a jumping off place. A starting spot. In the end, you need to find what exactly makes you stand out on your own, and what makes YOU unusual and unique.
Try to think about what makes a college admissions officer want to say, “Wow, this student BELONGS here! And I would hate to lose him or her to another rival Ivy League school.”
