We all know that the American Dream is predicated on hard work and dedication. The same is true of the college admissions process! Some might cling to the comforting thought that getting into a school like Yale or Stanford is a shot in the dark, totally up to the universe’s randomness and a healthy stroke of luck. Unfortunately for those who buy into this idea, Ivy Coach can quantify any given student’s odds of admission to a surprising degree of accuracy based on the contents of their application.

Is the applicant a recruited athlete with perfect SAT scores? Chances are that they will get into their top choice of school. On the other hand, is the applicant a B student with little to say on their application? They can kiss Harvard goodbye (unless they’re a development case or a Z-lister, in which Harvard may make an exception). You get the picture.

So, how important is luck in the elite college admissions process? Suppose you’re born into a wealthy family of donors, alums of a particular school, or tall and robust athletes with immense talent that entices college athletic coaches. In that case, you will experience a lucky streak when applying to schools. As for the rest of us, college admissions odds are highly predictable. It all comes down to the particularities of a student’s academic performance and testing, the strength of their written material, letters of recommendation, alumni interviews, and the uniqueness and sincerity of their singular admissions hook.

Let’s unpack how the notion of luck has deceptively wormed its way into many families’ ideas about elite college admissions.

The “Luck” of the College Admissions Draw is a Myth!

In recent years, college acceptance rates across higher education have dwindled to record-breaking lows. Elite schools can’t roll the dice on a student who only meets some criteria. Will an admissions officer occasionally wake up on the wrong side of the bed and look at their applications that day with extra scrutiny? Sure. Will the admissions officer whose own son does Model UN look favorably on the world-class model UN applicant? Perhaps. But the rest of the admissions process cancels out these quirks in which bias and favoritism can come into play. 

At most schools, the most competitive applicants will only be admitted if a committee of officers has evaluated their application. The more hands an application reaches, the less likely the student will slip through the cracks and onto a campus they are not qualified to attend. One admissions officer’s compelling underdog might be another admissions officer’s unfavorable show-off. If a lackluster applicant is lucky enough to pass a single read of their application, they certainly will not make it past the watchful eyes of an entire admissions committee! Elite schools cannot risk the gamble on a lesser student when each slot in an incoming class is vital.

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Get into Top Schools Without Relying on Luck

We at Ivy Coach are nothing if not truth-tellers. That’s why we balk at the common misconception that those who get into the best schools in the country are the beneficiaries of a mystical lucky streak. Aside from the few exceptions we highlighted above, college admissions results are a direct product of the strength of the application. We at Ivy Coach would be able to predict — to a degree of accuracy that would likely startle those who buy into the idea of luck — the admissions outcomes of any student who shows us their complete application. After all, we understand the building blocks of a successful application. Luck has no place in our process!

If you’re interested in optimizing your child’s case for admission to a highly selective college, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll contact you.