Applying to a Range of T20s - More Than Recycling

If you're an ambitious high school student, you're most likely applying to more schools than the University of California system. However, during the application process, you must be aware of the different aspects of your character that these schools are looking for in your application and frame each submission accordingly. All of these schools demand rigor, but serve different purposes with their styles of education and thus assess students slightly differently. Today, we'll be looking at the main categories of T20 schools students are interested in and what they look for. The process is more than recycling essays you’ve written, it’s about showing why you belong at a certain school.

University of California

The UCs, particularly Berkeley and UCLA, seek students who make the most of what they are given. They want to know that their students will take advantage of the opportunities offered on campus independently, since they are too large to have advisors or faculty hand-hold the thousands of students they deal with. They are also public research universities focused on the public good; if you show a commitment to improving your community and explain what you can contribute to campus, a community, or California as a whole, they are likely to greenlight your application. You don’t have to be completely out-of-the box and innovative for these schools unless you’re applying for a very creativity-focused major; instead, you need to show that your actions have impact.

Ivy League

The Ivy League puts a premium on diversity; specifically, the diversity of perspectives and goals their students have. It’s great to have impact for Ivy League applications, but showing that extra layer of your unique perspective and background motivators to flesh out your narrative is key. That’s why many of their supplemental essays are much longer than Personal Insight Questions; they want to see your vision, not just your actions. The key difference between Ivy League essays and PIQs is the amount of reflection and philosophy expected. PIQs leave just enough room for a short growth reflection, but you will need to expand on this growth and insight in Ivy League supplemental essays.

Institutes of Technology

The Institutes of Technology such as MIT or CalTech take applications a step further. They appreciate impact and identity-based motivations, but they really ask is, “what have you created, and how will you create the future?” These schools are pushing the boundaries of what humans can do, and according to many students, they will push your brain to its limit in highly technical courses. They want to see how you’ve created innovative solutions to problems, preferably using science and technology, and they want to know what you will solve in the future. CalTech has even created a graphic detailing what they look for in your application:

Instead of being about your impacts or identity, you have to place yourself in the tradition of scientists and explain how you will contribute to human knowledge. A tall order, certainly, but necessary in the rapidly changing 21st century. An important thing to note is that these schools focus less on things like holding club leadership positions or raising a lot of money, but more on creative projects, even if they don’t turn out perfectly.

Here’s a clear example: The president of the chess team who raises money for underserved schools to teach chess is a great student for the Ivy League or UCs. Even still, unless they’ve also done something like built an app to teach chess to Alzheimer’s patients to prevent cognitive decline, they are still not fitting the vision that these technology institutes have of the “ideal student”.

 

How to Approach the Application

Based on your activities list, you should start by answering the UC PIQs first. These are a solid explanation of the impacts you’ve made and they start hinting at the growth you’ve experienced from these instances. Next, you should add more of a reflective element to the Ivy League supplemental essays about the lessons you’ve learned and your “big picture” and philosophical hopes for the future. If you are also aiming for a tech institute, you can take your PIQs and expand more on the STEM-related curiosity and innovation elements you began with.

When in doubt, ask these questions:

UCs: What have I done with my opportunities and what have I learned?

Ivies: What kind of person am I, and what drives my vision of the future?

Tech Institutes: What kind of problems have I solved, and how does this contribute to future innovation?

You can base your essays on the same activities or experiences, but how you discuss them changes. If you’re looking for help finding what experiences and activities to include in your essays, PIQs or otherwise, schedule a call with one of our counselors today!