Humans often rely on overly simplified explanations or irrational beliefs to comfort themselves in challenging situations. The misinformed belief that college admissions is a random process that no one can predict has arisen from this basic need. In other words, it’s untrue, yet it gives students and families who have faced rejection by the school of their dreams a way of coping with uncertainty. But just because elite college admissions can be disheartening doesn’t mean you should buy into misguided ideas.

Our team at Ivy Coach, comprised of former elite college admissions officers, possesses the expertise to assess the odds of an applicant’s chances of admission to any top school. We consider every aspect of the application (and we help shape those aspects!), from essay topic choices to letters of recommendation, alumni interviews, grades, and test scores. This is how we consistently help our students secure admission into the most selective schools in the country.

Don’t Buy Into a Myth When You Can Have Faith in the Process

College admission isn’t random. The misconception that the A student with perfect SAT scores always gets into Harvard and Princeton is just that — a misconception. These students are often rejected from schools like Harvard and Princeton because their applications aren’t robust in other areas. A strong hook, great essays, and terrific letters of recommendation also factor into a student’s application. To suggest that college admissions — or highly selective college admissions — is random is misleading and erroneous.

And, yes, we can predict if a student has a genuine shot of getting into a school like Duke. With top grades, ACT scores, and an essay about learning what it’s like to grow up poor through a service trip in Uganda, we predict this student will not gain admission to Duke based on this evidence alone. And, since the grades and ACT scores are top-notch, our prediction has everything to do with that terrible choice for an essay topic. Showing interest in a university is also a variable to account for. If a student never shows interest in Dartmouth and Dartmouth believes the student will get admitted to Harvard, there’s a very real chance that the student won’t get into Dartmouth in spite of getting into Harvard. Dartmouth wants students who intend to enroll, positively impacting their yield statistic. 

It’s Our Job to Curb Your Child’s Admissions Expectations, So You Don’t Have To

Our team of former elite college admissions officers can’t work magic. We can’t get a C+ student with a disciplinary record into Harvard. We can, however, optimize their odds of admission to the most highly selective school that is within reach. We will give your child a healthy sense of what is impossible and possible so you don’t have to bear the burden of letting them down on their own. We’re able to do this because college admissions is highly predictable.

This all contributes to our broader point — college admissions isn’t random. It’s not a “crap shoot.” And it’s pretty easy to predict if a student will get into a specific highly selective college if you account correctly for all variables. And, at Ivy Coach, we consider all variables, including the things you might overlook. For example, have you ever thought bragging and boasting make you an unlikable applicant? What about how enrolling in a pre-college summer program will only serve to make you seem privileged? How about the many ways Asian American applicants can circumvent discrimination by framing themselves in a competitive way? There is strength in knowledge — resigning yourself to the supposed randomness of admissions is just a way of phoning it in.

Ivy Coach’s team of former elite college admissions officers is here to teach you every trick in the book and get your child into a highly selective school. So, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.