Uncovering Key Patterns in Resumes That Get Admitted to Ivy League Universities Sarah O'Neill Chester County PA

 Sarah O’Neill Chester County Supreme Editing

A Decade of Insights

Why do some resumes make it to the top of the Ivy League application pile? After years of working as an admissions consultant, I’ve noticed some common threads, subtle trends, and standout qualities that successful Ivy League applicants tend to have. In this article, I’ll share the resume patterns I’ve observed in applicants admitted to institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and Brown. This isn’t about elitism, legacy boosts, or backdoor deals — just some insights into what has tended to work.

Why Even Consider an Ivy League Education?

There’s no question that an Ivy League education can make a difference. The Department of Education has shown that Ivy League graduates, on average, tend to out-earn their peers from non-Ivy institutions, even within the same fields. Without considering the controversies money-wise, backdoor deals, elitism, or legacy, in this article, I am simply sharing the resume patterns I have found of those admitted to Harvard, Stanford, and Brown, among others. You could say that these points are a culmination of a decade of admittance patterns. They are informal but TRUE observations. The listed patterns are not in any special order — emphatic or otherwise.

Here are the TOP TEN observations:

#1: Starting Your Own Non-Profit

Over the pandemic, some applicants developed projects to help their communities and transformed them into non-profit organizations. There are no age restrictions for doing so. I mean, look at Mark Z. and Facebook. Some examples from past years include a person who saw a need for immigrants in her hometown to convene and created a non-profit that provided picnics and meet-ups or a student who saw a need for math education in her city and launched a wildly successful online program over the pandemic. It works…if you work it.

#2: Legit Research

If you are very motivated, reach out to professors at universities and ask if you can do research for them remotely. You might even land an internship. ALL professors have to publish, so why not get involved and add to your resume simultaneously? There is the thought to publish or perish, so professors will be in need. Preferably choose to ask a professor who is already doing work towards your passion. The worst they can say is no, but why not try?

#3: The Doing Aspect

On more resumes, there is a huge aspect of the “doing” when it comes to successful applicants. By DOING I mean lab work, volunteerism with an important role as a leader, and synthesizing or reviving a program at school. Get actively involved in EVERYTHING that you do.

#4: A Niche Passion

That applicant who, for four years, has been heavily involved in the Classics will stand out more than the regular old humanities student. Why? Because it is niche and demonstrates consistently feeding the niche, which looks great on a resume. It means you will come to the university to fill a spot that most students are not so interested in for a career while amplifying their program.

#5: Leadership

This goes without saying, but any time you can LEAD something, catalyze something, or get involved in something by holding an important role, you show your ability to get the job done.

#6: Making an Imprint at School

Heavily contributing to your immediate setting is highly recommended. No matter where you are or what you are doing as a would-be Ivy League student, do it with gusto and make an imprint in various arenas around campus. On additional information pages of the CA portal, you can add what you do that may not make it to the resume. PLUS, you can discuss such contributions in admissions essays. Universities want to know that you care about where you are and what you are doing — that you won’t be a wallflower.

#7: Innovative Club or Activity

Developing an innovative club or activity at school or in the community is a sure-fire way to get noticed on your resume. Don’t have an AI department at school? Create one. A student admitted to UChicago got away with submitting a ChatGPT-generated essay (with some tweaks, I guess) BECAUSE he was the person who launched and maintained his school’s first-ever AI lab. Go figure.

#8: Competitions

If you are a math whiz, be a math whiz. Challenge yourself, do competitions (big and small), and feed that passion and talent. Competitions are good. It means you know how to properly challenge yourself, no matter the outcome.

#9: A Red Spike Amongst It All

For years, you were told to DO IT ALL, dabble in many interests, and be a well-rounded character. That’s fine, but do not forget your red spike. According to Google’s AI Overview (fabulous, by the way), “a red spike is A “spike” in college admissions is a term used to describe an applicant’s area of exceptional talent or commitment that makes them stand out from other applicants. Selective colleges often prefer students with spikes over those who are well-rounded in many areas.”

Find it, feed it.

#10: Straight-A Assumptions

Last, but not least, keep up your grades. On your resume, to have a high GPA is still a thing. Throughout the years, applicants say to me, “But, everyone gets straight A’s — how can I stand out otherwise?” While there are numerous ways, do not forget that grades still matter and that, actually, NOT everyone gets perfect grades.

Thank you for reading!

For more help, email Sarah O’Neill, Chester County, Supreme Editing @saraoneil3232@yahoo.com



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