Crafting a Successful Applications
What do I need to get into a top university?
Universities in the U.S will consider both academic and non-academic factors in making their admissions decisions. You are required to demonstrate competency and skill in both of these regards.
Academic Requirements
| Final Year Grades | IB; or A-Levels; or APs; or GPA. |
| Standardized Testing | Either the SAT or the ACT. Some universities also require SAT Subject Tests. |
| Recommendations | You need two teacher recommendations and one non-academic recommendation. |
| Academic Honors | Applications require at least a few accomplishments that are academic in nature (eg: Honor Roll / Olympiads / Research). |
Non-Academic Requirements
| Extra-Curricular Activities | You should have at least ten meaningful extra curricular activities from Grade 9 onwards. These should demonstrate your interests and accomplishments outside the classroom. |
| Leadership | Universities look for mature, driven students who will go on to become leaders in their fields. You should try to showcase instances of you taking initiative and showing leadership in and outside of school. |
| Community Engagement | Universities want to know that you have made an impact in your community. You should demonstrate how your community (school or otherwise) have benefited from your actions. |
| Essays | Your college essays should give admissions counsellors insight into who you are, what experiences have shaped you, and why you are the best fit for the university you are applying to. |