All 4 of My Ivy-Qualified Students Got Into Harvard, Stanford or MIT — Lessons From an Admission Coach

4/1/25

I run a very small college admissions consulting practice and this year I worked with 4 seniors who were qualified for Ivies. By qualified, I mean straight As, 1550+ on the SAT, and extracurriculars at the state/ national/ international levels.

Three of my students got in early to Stanford, Harvard or MIT. The fourth got into Stanford and another Ivy League school last week.

Since the admit rate at these schools is 4% or less, these type of results Just. Do. Not. Happen.

I keep reflecting on what I did this year as a coach, and I want to share some insights I learned through the process.

Highlight Diversity

Colleges want diversity. 

As a journalist and coach, it’s my job to uncover what the student’s most unique attributes are, and what they will contribute to the college due to that uniqueness.

For some students, it’s their innovative perspective as inventors of multiple viable products in high school. For others, it’s their family history (i.e. difficult), gender (especially if it’s rare for a certain college major), ethnic background (under-represented), artistic skills (awards or stats to back it up), etc. 

Students often don’t realize their unique attributes, which I unearth with a lot of digging (and digging. And digging.) When we find these characteristics, I help students highlight them in their personal statements, using stories to illustrate the distinctive strengths they’ll bring. 

Oh, and I personally like helping students add a “twist” to their stories — as a journalist, I love surprising the reader in order to create a more memorable college application.

Show Vulnerability

No one wants to read the story of the perfect teen who scored the winning touchdown.

What people do want to read about are tales of the teen who was mocked for being a female golf player and then took home the championship title, or the student who struggled to learn English and then became an award-winning writer. 

All of my Ivy-bound students this year shared stories of overcoming adversity. It’s the best way to relate to readers – and demonstrate the character of these teens.

I guide my students in writing essays that capture a balance of confidence, humility, vulnerability and wisdom, to help them stand out. 

Who wouldn’t want these teens – with such heart – on their campuses?

Apply to a LOT of Schools

Admission results are incredibly unpredictable and just because teens are denied somewhere does not mean they’re not qualified. In many cases, they’re over-qualified and colleges want yield protection (i.e. they admit students who are likely to attend, because that drives up their rankings). Or, teens just don’t fall under institutional priorities that year (a.k.a. the college wants to recruit an oboe player from Wyoming.)

For example, I’ve had students get denied from mid-tier UCs and get into Stanford.

In recent years, I’ve also coached students who ended up getting into multiple Ivy-level schools. (Extraordinarily rare, but it does happen.)

The commonality between those students? 

They each applied to a lot of top schools. 

Like 20 Ivy-level schools.

Pre-Covid I encouraged students to apply to around 5 reach schools to maintain sanity, but post-Covid, college admissions have become a lot more competitive. Now when my students want to apply to 15-20 reaches, I explain it will be a ton of work, and I give the green light.

I also advise them to craft applications in order of priority so if they don’t finish, they will at least submit polished applications to their top choices.

It’s an extraordinary amount of work but it does seem like applying to a lot of schools increases chances of admission if a teen’s already a qualified candidate, since the admissions landscape is so unpredictable. 

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I am thrilled about where my students were admitted this year, because I know how extraordinarily difficult it is to get into these schools. 

But more importantly, I know that they grew so much stronger through the process of writing their personal essays. They discovered who they are – their passions, their gifts, and their contributions. 

In going through the college admissions process, students examine their lives and create a vision for their dreams. 

They learn how to share their story and persuade others (and themselves) that their mission is important.

These are invaluable skills my students will use for their entire lives.

If you’re a parent whose child has yet to embark on the college application journey, know that no matter what the outcome, your teen will learn important life skills just by going through the process.

It is these skills, not just the name of the school, that will deeply impact your teen’s success in life. 
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Alice Chen is a Stanford graduate, professional journalist and top 1% college admissions coach who specializes in application strategy and essays. She values mental health, and helps high performing teens achieve their dreams while building lives they love.