How can I get into an Ivy League college?

to be honest very difficult. My younger brother is pursuing MS in Mech from http://Purdue.So i can give u insight of the IVY League. first of all intake is very less U have to be a genius to get into http://it.My brother once said to me when i told him to apply in IVY leagues is that somewhere on the website it was writen "u have to be gennius to apply". If u score full marks in any of the exam then there r chances like TOEFL,GRE,SAT(UG),GMAT,they need genius kids like who already created something when they were in high school something like that.

I don't really know about Ivy League schools ... for the record, MIT is not part of the Ivy League. I have opinions about what MIT wants however: you need to look good on paper (meaning grades, SAT scores, etc.,) -- that's just a given -- plus you need to demonstrate in some way an understanding of what engineering is and a genuine love for engineering. So for demonstrating a genuine interest part of it, you want to have done something, to have built something, and to have done it in some self-directed manner that wasn't part of your formal education, and you want to be passionate about it -- this is hard to fake. I mean it is hard to say exactly what to do, because they don't want you to do things just because it will look good when applying to MIT; they're not interested in a freshman class composed of a bunch of grade-grubbers who have been jumping through academic hoops because their parents tell them to. Also, it has always been my theory that the alumni interview is more important than people give it credit, the alumni interview being a direct means for the Institute to gauge the intangible I-belong-at-MIT quality that I am talking around.

Now that you have asked for it, I will take this opportunity to construct an ideal profile for the US Ivy League schools( I am assuming you mean the TOP 10 US programs and not necessarily the IVY Leagues: FYI: Stanford is Not an Ivy league university, but it still offers one of the world’s best programs)   A.   This candidate will have a great understanding of the short term and long term goals. He will have a detailed understanding of the industry and functions he will be a part of immediately after MBA. The research will be so comprehensive that he will even know the positions that his target recruiters hired for. B.   This candidate will have very strong reasons for joining that particular program. He will have conducted a great amount of research by talking to the existing students, and the alumni body. Simply researching on the website will notallow you to tell them “Why you want to join TUCK or Columbia?” He will have created a list of questions that he plans to ask the alumni body. It is not about conducting personal interviews. It is about knowing how that school will help you in your future. C.    This candidate will have a GMAT Score of more than 750 J …Higher the better D.   This candidate will have great stories in his/her extra-curricular activities. It is not about stating facts. They are more interested in learning “Why you performed those activities and what you learnt out of those? This candidate will have led many social/cultural activities, and will showcase a pattern that will add value to the school’s alumni body in the future as well. E.    This bullet will help. This candidate will have also worked with one of the feeder companies. There are many companies that are on the top of the recruiting charts. While you do not have to necessarily belong to these companies, it still helps if you have worked in companies such as Google, Microsoft, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley, KKR, PWC, Facebook( and many more). Having been nurtured in the leadership of these companies, you become a good target for the top schools. If you look up the hiring patterns at the top schools, you will notice that many candidates come from these selected companies. F.    This candidate will have a very candid expression on the essays. Remember: They are not driven by heavy-weight vocabulary on your essays. It is more about story telling and expressing your life. It is more about “Why did you do whatever you did?”. It is about “What matters most to you?”. You will also have very effective letter of recommendations. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT WRITE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS YOURSELF. Have your bosses write those for you. Take this SERIOUSLY.   I know that it is not easy to qualify all the parameters described above. However, since you asked a very subjective question, I wanted to be unrestrained in my expression.

The purpose of life is (hopefully, for you) not to get into a prestigious school. Do what you truly are passionate about; pursue your unique genius and aspirations. Don't do something because you think people will be impressed, but because you genuinely want to do for the sake of doing it. Of course, it will need to require hard work and persistence to develop, but that's the challenge.   Surprisingly, the few people who don't make getting into a top school their priority, but focus on the things they truly care about, have incredibly high acceptance rates into top schools. For most of the others, it's a painful (but not valueless) lesson.   TL;DR: Axiom of College Admissions (and life): You cannot secure anything. So don't try. Instead, pursue your true passion like a laser.

Have a well rounded personality. See end of the day, what you can create after the ivy is all that matters. Don't stress too much. Apply and see. Write a nice essay as to why you want to study there? What can you achieve being there? I don't rate success or failure based on schools. An all around personality and what you can make out of it, is what makes you stand out. An artist who does awesome water colours it's simply amazing with no league schools he can just go on the canvas. Intelligence Brilliance Success is all self defined.

Great grades on tough high school class.  Great standardized test scores.  tons of extra curricular activities.  varsity letters.  eagle scout if male. gold scout if female.  3 superior letters of recommendations perferrably from a teacher, employer and religious official.  Superior and unique personal statement. That should put you in the upper half of the 20000 applying for the 3000 openings in the freshman class. Also helps to get this all done by November 1 the early decision deadline for most.

While there's no guaranteed way to get into an Ivy League school, there are a few things you can do to greatly improve your chances. First off, you need to work hard.  Get and maintain high grades all throughout high school, and they to do as well as possible on admissions tests like the SAT and ACT. From there, look for a way to differentiate yourself.  High scholastic achievement is essentially a pre-requisite for the Ivy League; nearly everyone else who applies will have great grades and fantastic test scores too.  In order to stand out from the crowd, you need to have some distinctive talent--and preferably two or three--that makes you special. Finally, think about what said in her response: "Why do you want to go there?" Sitting down and thinking about this question has two benefits.  First, it helps you decide if an Ivy League school is really the right fit for you.  Second, if you decide you want to put in the work necessary for Ivy League admissions, a great response to this question can be another way to stand out from the other applicants and give you a leg up. Good Luck!

1)you will need a high GPA 2)High SAT scores, most of them required a higher score than 2000 (out of 2400) But, don't forget that the SAT is going to change its format so be aware of that 3)Recommendations and good extracurricular activities like clubs,sports,etc.. 4)Depending from where you are coming  from, the tuition could be pretty expensive. But under the assumption you have a good SAT and GPA score, you might be able to find a scholarship. 5)Good essays for the universities' entrance essay questions 6)And MOST IMPORTANTLY, A BIT OF LUCK

Move to Wyoming (the smaller the state the greater the chances). Make sure no one else in your school applies (the fewer the better). Get excellent grades and SAT or ACT scores. Impress the hell out of your teachers and get excellent recs. Do something showing leadership and/or (especially and) superior acheivement (Eagle Scout, starting a neighborhood preschool, protesting war in Washington, whatever). Write a great essay. For some Ivies, impress the alumni/ae interviewer you talk to. Be black, one-legged, overcoming some horrible difficulty. Pray.