10 Ways To Guarantee Admission To The Top 20 Schools In The US

College admissions can be overwhelming and I can understand how frustrating it can be not knowing how you’re supposed to get into your dream schools. But as a senior who just got into the top 20 schools in the US, I’m going to highlight 10 ways to guarantee YOUR admission.

1. Maintain a high GPA.

This is way easier said than done, but it’s the most crucial step. Go into office hours and familiarize yourself with all your teachers. Take Honors/AP/IB courses to ensure that extra boost in your GPA that you wouldn’t typically get from regular classes.

2. Incorporate Rigor into your Classes.

Once you’re comfortable with your classes, take harder ones. Challenge yourself! You are so much smarter than you make yourself out to be. Taking a hard class isn’t that bad when you have office hours, study groups, and when you’re in a class full of other students who are going through the same thing.

3. SAT/ACT Scores.

This is perhaps the hardest part of your application. For the top 20, a 30+ ACT and a 1400+ SAT score is most desirable. Take prep courses – and do your research on that course before you take it. If you can’t afford one, there are many test prep books that can help you achieve your desired score.

4. 250+ Volunteer Hours.

Take a deep breath. This isn’t as hard as it sounds. Volunteer at a hospital/animal shelter/library/honestly anywhere. I’d recommend volunteering somewhere you can enjoy yourself!

5. Focus your Entire Application on 2-3 Focus Points.

As tempting as it is to do 20 different things and slap them all on your application, I would strongly encourage you not to. Find 2-3 things that you can focus your entire application on – my application was mainly focused on medicine, so I volunteered at hospitals and conducted several research projects.

6. Research or Internships.

Research is important depending on what you’re planning on majoring in. If you’re planning on majoring in the sciences, I’d recommend doing research with any “family-friend” doctors or finding any open research opportunities. If you’re going into humanities, I’d recommend finding an internship with your local newspaper, etc.

7. BOMB Essays.

Three words – do not procrastinate. Start your essays at the LATEST August-September. Have at least two people proofread it, and if you have some extra $$, you can even get an editor to look over them.

Why You Should Plan a College Visit Before Making a Final Decision

8. Letter of Recommendation.

Maintain reputable and professional relationships with teachers. Make sure you go to office hours and try and become the teacher’s pet because your letters of recommendation will stand out.

9. Learning a lot about the school.

Before you start writing college essays, make sure you know a lot of information about the school. Search up professors you want to work with during your time there, classes you’d like to enroll in, travel abroad programs, and/or research programs at the school.

10. Don’t get too attached to a school.

To ensure your future happiness, don’t get too attached to a school. Have three or four schools that you would like to get into, but don’t choose one school that you’re 100% invested in. I stress this because if there’s even the slightest chance that you don’t get in, you don’t want to give up other potential opportunities because you’re sulking about your #1.