I am trying to get into an Ivy League College?

Question

I am going into the 10th grade, and I want to get into an Ivy League college. I am scared that I don't have enough extracurriculars. Here's what I do have:

1. An Ivy League background.

2. Last summer I went to a Writing and Thinking Camp on application

3. This summer I went to a foreign country to teach kids English

4. I can write particularly well, and have a self-published book of short stories behind me.

5. I am half Taiwanese and half Caucasian

6. I have a 3.68 GPA (which isn't terrible, but I will be able to work it up very soon)

7. I'm taking advanced courses in school

8. I am fluent in another language (Chinese)

9. I can play the piano.

10. I was a participant in an environmental club last year.

I feel like I don't have enough extracurriculars. If I follow on this path, do you believe that I could possibly be considered?

Answer 1

Ivy League schools reject four to ten qualified applicants for every one they accept.  Therefore, you need to stand out.  People think they can do it with extracurricular activities.  Of course you need them -- but extracurriculars are easy to pad and hard to verify.  Universities know this -- so don't put nearly as much weight on them as people think.

The way to stand out is with your interview and admissions essay.

If your GPA is unweighted, you should try to bring it up a little.  If it is weighted, then you need to bring it up a lot.

You will also need SAT scores over 2100.