For many high school freshmen and their parents, Ivy Day results are a rude wake up call—witnessing their school’s valedictorian and other stellar students get rejected from Ivy League and top 25 schools is anxiety-inducing. Ivy Day often leads parents to realize that the admissions process is starkly different than it was when they applied, and many are left wondering: if that top student didn’t get in, what are the odds that my child will get in?
The college admissions process is no longer a numbers game—a student’s grades, test scores, and class rank will not guarantee their spot if they haven’t distinguished themselves through extracurriculars, leadership, and demonstrated fit. In all likelihood, the star student you know who didn’t get into their first choice school wasn’t rejected because they aren’t smart or talented enough, but because they failed to showcase their unique perspective and candidacy for the institution. In other words, most students aren’t rejected because they lack skill; more often, it’s because they lack strategy.
In today’s admissions climate, students need to start preparing early, think strategically, and make every aspect of their application stand out. While college applications may feel like the distant future, freshman year is the perfect time to build a strong foundation for a standout applicant profile. The students who achieve success in the admissions process aren’t the ones cramming everything into their junior and senior years; they’re the ones who start planning and making smart choices at the beginning of high school.
If you’re a freshman (or the parent of one), don’t wait until it’s too late. Here are three key ways to start strategizing for college admissions now:
1. Lean into your weird interests.
Admissions officers at Ivy League and top-tier universities aren’t just looking for students who have participated in a bunch of extracurriculars; they’re looking for applicants who have a clear intellectual identity—those who can demonstrate expertise in a particular field while also showing curiosity and range across disciplines. This year’s admissions cycle, in particular, proved that top colleges are interested in students who synthesize their unique and diverse interests to bring a unique perspective to their field. MIT, for instance, notes that accepted students have interests in “cosmology and cosplay, quantum and quilting, agriculture and archery.” Cornell, likewise, highlighted admitted applicants whose interests braided together cryptography and disaster relief runs, air pollution research and volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity, and Crohn’s Disease research and efforts to save local pollinators.
What does this mean for freshmen? Given that the early years of high school are a prime time to explore your interests, try to do so intentionally. As you try different clubs and activities, pay attention to what you’re drawn to and how you might contribute something unique within that community. High school freshmen should also look for creative ways to combine their interests—rather than writing off your bird watching hobby as something that doesn’t relate to your academic goals, consider how you might combine that passion with your budding interest in evolutionary biology. Likewise, if you’re passionate about politics, don’t just join Model UN—study coding so you can analyze political data or create a platform that increases voter registration. If you’re an aspiring artist, you might learn about the business of art, study political movements through art history, or explore how digital tools can transform traditional media.
The more creative their interests, the more likely students will be to show colleges their dynamic and unexpected outlook on their intended field when they apply. By developing interdisciplinary interests, you’ll set yourself apart as a student who isn’t just following a formula, but actually thinking critically about how different fields intersect in surprising ways.
2. Start preparing for standardized tests early.
Standardized testing has made a comeback, particularly in the last two admissions cycles. Top schools are looking for students who have demonstrated their preparedness for rigorous collegiate coursework, and standardized tests are a primary metric through which they assess applicants’ skillsets. Because the content on the SAT and ACT is cumulative, meaning that the concepts build on themselves over time, establishing a strong academic foundation in the first years of high school is crucial for later success. Students who do not have a mastery of algebra should not expect to excel in precalculus. Freshmen should therefore devote significant time and effort to building their conceptual understanding of algebra, grammar, reading comprehension, and writing to ensure that they grasp more advanced concepts as they encounter them.
3. Don’t wait until junior year to consider your college fit.
Typically, students embark on college visits during their junior year of high school, at which time they begin seriously considering which schools would meet their needs and goals. However, in today’s competitive admissions landscape, students should begin considering what kind of school they would like to attend long before their junior year. Some students are drawn to the high-intensity, pre-professional culture of Wharton or MIT, while others prefer the intellectual, exploratory approach offered by Brown or the University of Chicago. Some schools place heavy emphasis on collaborative, close-knit communities, while others have a more competitive, sink-or-swim environment. Identifying right fit colleges and preparing for the kind of campus experience target schools will offer are key components of excelling in the college admissions process in the future for every student.
Considering whether you want to attend a liberal arts college or a state university, or an urban college or a rural college is not just an exercise in positive visualization—it is critical for building an intentional profile. For instance, a small liberal arts college such as Amherst or Williams will look favorably on a student with more diverse extracurricular involvements and coursework, while a large research institution will look more favorably on an applicant who is highly specialized with a demonstrated history of hands-on professional and research experience in their field. Of course, when it comes time to apply, students can emphasize different aspects of their experiences in their application materials for each school to which they are applying. However, the earlier students can be intentional about building a profile oriented toward the type of school they wish to attend, the more prepared they will be to articulate their unique fit on their applications.
The college admissions process is a marathon, not a sprint—and those who start strong will have the best chance of reaching the finish line with options they’re genuinely excited about. While thinking about college admissions during freshman year may seem overwhelming, taking small, thoughtful steps to discover their interests and goals and build their academic foundation can make a world of difference for a student’s odds of admission at their dream school. If you want to learn more about what you can do to prepare for college admissions now, check out Command Education’s complete timeline for freshman and sophomore years!
Originally published on Forbes.
