Every admissions cycle, top students from around the country apply to Ivy League schools with dazzling resumes. They’re valedictorians with perfect GPAs and test scores, club presidents, nonprofit founders, weekend volunteers, and first-chair oboists.
And every admissions cycle, most of them are rejected.
In my years of experience as the Managing Director at Command Education, a boutique college consultancy referred to as “McKinsey & Co. for 17-year-old clients,” I have seen some of the most ostensibly impressive applicants face the sting of rejection. Why? Because most families misunderstand what top colleges are actually looking for.
If you think a 4.0 GPA or a prestigious summer program will guarantee you a spot at Harvard or Yale, it’s time to rethink your…
