5 Impressive Traits Of Kids Who Are Ivy League Material, According To A Former Harvard Dean
Could you make the cut?
Branq / Shutterstock; EasyBuy4u / CanvaPro College decisions are the pinnacle of many students' educational careers. While some choose state schools or universities, others have their eye on "The Ivys."
Princeton, Harvard, Yale, UPenn, Brown Columbia, Cornell, and Dartmouth are "the big eight." For students with these schools on their radar, chances are they’ve been prepping to apply for years.
But what makes them special? What are the characteristics of these students that make them so much more attractive to these schools?
The Ivy Brothers, a college admissions firm led by a former Harvard dean, use their TikTok platform to help share knowledge about the Ivy League admissions process. They recently shared the five traits that make some applicants successful.
Here are the 5 impressive traits of ‘Ivy League Material’ kids, according to a former Harvard dean:
1. Even though school comes easy, these students still study harder than their peers.
Being smart is a given, but students who get accepted to Ivy League schools are also incredibly studious even if school typically comes easy to them. They study harder than everyone else.
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When things get more challenging — as they surely will in an Ivy League school — these schools want to ensure their applicants can thrive under pressure. Confident, studious, and highly effective problem-solving students will be the ones who have already developed these important habits.
2. These kids have been considered 'smart' since elementary school.
While many students who end up going to Ivy League schools are “gifted” in some way, many of them held the label of “high intelligence” since elementary school.
This isn’t telling the admissions office that you came out of the womb doing calculus problems, but rather, shows them that you have a passion for learning, growing, and achieving in a way that outshines many of your peers. Being able to juggle growing up with extracurricular activities and the newness of moving through each grade tells admissions officers that you’re a high achiever.
3. They can put up with ‘infinite’ homework.
Even new Ivy League students tend to struggle in their first semester. While they are smart and organized, it can still be difficult to get into a routine while surrounded by people who are just as academically oriented as they are.
Developing habits and sticking to them is essential which is why admissions officers are focused on their applicants’ ability to juggle the workload of high school homework along with other endeavors.
The average Ivy League student spends around four hours a day working on homework. In order to balance that with classes, a potential job, and extracurriculars, students have to be disciplined and in command of their responsibilities.
4. Outside of academics, they’re good at several extracurriculars.
To display this command of their responsibilities, many Ivy League applicants and students take on several extracurricular activities.
Whether it be band, sports, or debate team, these extracurriculars can demonstrate that you know how to balance your time, are passionate about a specific interest, and know how to build and maintain a community. Basically, you're a well-rounded person, with varying interests and priorities.
Being worldly, emphasizing meaningful connections, and fostering community are huge aspects of Ivy League culture and something they are inherently looking for in their applicants.
5. Their aspirations are higher than their peers.
Competition for these Ivy League schools has grown out of control over the past decade as more and more students seek the allure, opportunity, and glory associated with reputation. Applying and aspiring to these schools is already a high-achieving goal, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The truth is, many of these universities are not looking for solely “super smart” or “gifted” students, they’re also looking for innovation, creativity, and the desire to “pave your own way” into a new industry or field. Having these unique ambitions and goals can make you stand out among a sea of intellectual-focused applicants.
Studies show that almost all Ivy League alumni report making higher incomes than most of the top 10% of graduates at other leading universities. In addition to that, Ivy League students are more likely to receive internships, job opportunities, and career advances than their counterparts at other typical institutions.
With a lot of opinions on Ivy League admissions, qualifications, and characteristics, the truth is, that it will vary from person to person.
Your uniqueness as a student and person will be taken into full consideration and regardless of the outcome, applying is a huge achievement. Your worth and success are not determined by an acceptance to an Ivy League school. You can and should define that for yourself.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.