Jill Rachlin Marbaix and Aline Sullivan
05/03/2004
Many parents regard a private education as the first step on the path toward admission to one of the Ivy League colleges; this assumption, consultants say, is erroneous. Much has changed since the days when a headmaster would pick up the phone and say, “I’ve got a boy for you.” Only 35 percent of Ivy League students come from private schools, and even a child who attended prep schools such as Andover or Choate still must rank near the top of his or her class in order to be accepted at institutions like Harvard or Dartmouth.
The top colleges, however, understand that the best private schools are interested in attracting a high quality, diverse student body, says Marlyn McGrath Lewis, the director of undergraduate admissions at Harvard. “We are looking for excellence,” she says, “for the individuals who will make the biggest difference in society.”
If a child is not accepted at a top-tier private secondary school, the next best option may be a top-tier public school, says Michelle Hernandez, a consultant who specializes in helping children get into the elite schools. “There are more mediocre private schools out there, and being at the top of the class at one of them does not carry that much weight,” she notes.
The college admissions process begins with test scores. The Ivy League requires applicants to have a minimum SAT score of 1400. They then take into consideration grades and the number of advanced placement courses a student takes. Beyond that, says Hernandez “you need to have academic vigor and show that you’ll make a strong impact intellectually on campus. You need to show a true love of learning and have strong intellectual firepower.” How does one do this? Find a passion and pursue it aggressively, whether it is astronomy or fencing or speaking Arabic.
Throughout the country, top students are heeding such advice. Harvard alumnus Siegler, who screens applicants in California, observes, “You see a lot of kids who are extraordinarily accomplished, and it makes us ask ourselves, ‘Could we get in today?’” Such focus at such an early age has its downsides, though. Intense competition can stress kids far beyond their tender years and distort their long-term worldviews. “There is no admission letter that can bring you happiness,” says Siegler. “In the end, wherever you go to college, being comfortable in your own skin is probably the greatest predicator of success.”
Back to main article: "The Pivotal Decision"