Ivy League Accepted Extracurricular Activities | Harvard, Cornell, Columbia Student Profile!

Summary

In this educational video, Salon, a Cornell University alumnus, explains the distinction between securing a scholarship and gaining college admission. She emphasizes the importance of a holistic profile that demonstrates academic excellence and extracurricular involvement. Salon highlights the competitive nature of Ivy League admissions, with only about 300 international students accepted annually out of tens of thousands of applicants. She advises on crafting a standout profile through activities that showcase personal development, community growth, and academic resilience. Salon dispels myths about tailoring activities to a specific major and stresses the value of authenticity and commitment over a broad range of interests. She also introduces resources like the Research Boot Camp by Incognito Blueprints for enhancing academic credibility and encourages viewers to make the most of their unique situations.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Getting a scholarship and getting accepted by a university are two separate processes that occur sequentially, not simultaneously.
• 📚 To stand out in college applications, students should have a well-rounded profile that showcases their uniqueness beyond academic achievements.
• 🏛 Ivy League universities are highly competitive, with only about 300 international students accepted on average out of tens of thousands of applicants.
• 📈 A high GPA, preferably above 3.75 (equivalent to around 90%), is common among students who get into Ivy League schools.
• 📊 Extracurricular activities are crucial for standing out, especially when many applicants have excellent grades. They should demonstrate personal development, community growth, and academic resilience.
• 🏅 Leadership roles, academic competitions, volunteering, and passion projects are examples of activities that can enhance a student's profile.
• 🚫 Avoid tailoring all activities to align with the intended major; a well-rounded profile is more appealing to admissions officers.
• 📅 It's better to have fewer, long-term commitments in extracurricular activities rather than many short-term ones, as it shows dedication and consistency.
• 🌐 With the rise of virtual opportunities, lack of school-provided activities is no longer a valid excuse for not participating in extracurriculars.
• 📄 Certificates for extracurricular activities are not always required, but having proof of participation, such as a letter from an organization, is important.

Q & A

What is the primary difference between getting a scholarship and getting accepted by a university?

Getting a scholarship and getting accepted by a university are two separate processes. One must first be accepted by the university before they can receive a scholarship.

What does the transcript suggest is essential for a student to stand out when applying to colleges?

The transcript suggests that showcasing a wholesome profile with extracurricular activities, research, volunteering, internships, and passion projects are essential for standing out in college applications.

What is the approximate number of international students accepted by Ivy League universities on average?

On average, approximately 300 international students are accepted by Ivy League universities each year.

What is the average GPA of students who get into Ivy League colleges, according to the transcript?

The average GPA of students who get into Ivy League colleges is above 3.75, which is roughly equivalent to a 90% score.

How does the transcript categorize extracurricular activities that can help students stand out?

The transcript categorizes extracurricular activities into three types: personal development, community growth, and academic resilience.

What is the significance of academic credibility in college applications, as mentioned in the transcript?

Academic credibility is significant in college applications because it showcases a student's ability to learn and engage in academically competitive environments, which is a key aspect of college life.

Why does the transcript discourage students from tailoring all their activities towards their intended major?

The transcript discourages this because colleges expect students to explore various interests and not have everything figured out during high school. A well-rounded profile is more appealing.

What is the advice given in the transcript for students whose school does not offer many activities?

The transcript advises students to find virtual opportunities or online courses to participate in, emphasizing that the school should not be an excuse for not engaging in extracurricular activities.

Why is it important for students to participate in activities outside of their school, according to the transcript?

Participating in activities outside of school adds diversity to a student's profile and demonstrates initiative and commitment beyond the classroom, which is highly valued by colleges.

What is the role of virtual opportunities in building a student's profile, as discussed in the transcript?

Virtual opportunities, such as online courses and research programs, play a significant role in building a student's profile by providing access to a wide range of activities and experiences that may not be available at their school.

How does the transcript suggest students should approach choosing extracurricular activities for their college applications?

The transcript suggests that students should choose activities that showcase their personality, character, and interests, rather than simply copying what others have done to get into college.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Understanding the Scholarship and College Admission Process

The speaker, Salon, clarifies that obtaining a scholarship and being accepted by a college are separate processes. To be accepted, students need a well-rounded profile that highlights their uniqueness. Salon shares her own experiences, such as research at Harvard, volunteering, internships, and a passion project, which contributed to her admission to Cornell University. She emphasizes the importance of standing out among the approximately 300 international students accepted by Ivy League colleges each year. The summary also touches on the significance of a high GPA, typically above 3.75, and the role of extracurricular activities in demonstrating a student's passion and commitment beyond academics.

05:01

📚 The Importance of Extracurricular Activities and Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Salon discusses the significance of extracurricular activities in a college application, suggesting they can be categorized into personal development, community growth, and academic resilience. She advises against tailoring all activities to align with a prospective major, as interests can evolve. Instead, students should engage in activities that genuinely interest them. Salon also addresses the myth that students must participate in school-provided activities, arguing that with virtual opportunities, this is no longer a valid excuse. She stresses the importance of having proof of participation, such as certificates or letters from organizations, to substantiate extracurricular claims.

10:03

🌟 Examples of Successful Extracurricular Activities and Academic Credibility

The speaker provides examples of students who were admitted to prestigious universities and the activities that contributed to their success. These include participation in MIT's Beaver Summer Program, getting published in a research journal, and involvement in Yale's Young Global Scholars Program. Salon highlights the value of academic credibility, which can be achieved through participation in research opportunities, group projects, and programs led by renowned institutions. She also mentions the Research Boot Camp by Incognito Blueprints as an opportunity for students to gain academic credibility through research and publication.

15:03

🚀 Crafting a Unique Profile and Encouragement to Pursue Personal Interests

Salon concludes by emphasizing the importance of academic credibility and the value of participating in activities outside of school. She advises students to find virtual or online activities if their school does not offer suitable options. The speaker also encourages students to be authentic and pursue activities that reflect their personality and character, rather than copying others' profiles. She invites viewers to share their favorite after-school activities, highlighting the importance of personal interests and well-roundedness in college applications.

Keywords

💡Scholarship

A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students based on academic merit, talent, or other criteria. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes that securing a scholarship is separate from being accepted into a college, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between these two processes. The video aims to clarify that while a scholarship is a significant achievement, it comes after acceptance into an institution.

💡Profile

In the video, a 'profile' refers to a student's comprehensive academic and extracurricular record. It includes grades, test scores, research, internships, and other activities that showcase a student's abilities and interests. The speaker stresses the importance of having a 'wholesome' profile to stand out in college applications, using their own experiences and examples of activities that helped them get into Cornell University.

💡Ivy League

The Ivy League is a group of eight prestigious universities in the United States, known for their academic excellence and selectivity. The video discusses the competitive nature of admissions into these universities, with only a small percentage of applicants, particularly international students, being accepted. The speaker uses the Ivy League as a benchmark for the high standards and rigorous competition in college admissions.

💡Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are pursuits outside of a student's academic curriculum that can include sports, clubs, volunteering, and other interests. The video underscores the significance of these activities in demonstrating a student's passion, commitment, and well-roundedness. The speaker categorizes these activities into personal development, community growth, and academic resilience, and provides examples of how they can enhance a student's college application.

💡Academic Credibility

Academic credibility in the video refers to the recognition and validation of a student's academic work, often through publications, research, or participation in prestigious programs. The speaker mentions that activities that provide academic credibility, such as getting published or participating in research boot camps, are highly valued in college applications as they demonstrate a student's dedication and ability to contribute to their field of study.

💡Test Optional

Test optional is a policy adopted by some colleges where standardized test scores are not required for admission. The video mentions that many colleges went test optional in recent years, which shifts the focus from test scores to other aspects of a student's profile, such as grades and extracurricular activities. This policy change emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded application.

💡Leadership Skills

Leadership skills are abilities that allow an individual to guide and influence others towards achieving a common goal. In the video, the speaker includes leadership skills as part of the extracurricular activities that can strengthen a student's profile. Examples given include holding school positions or founding clubs, which demonstrate a student's ability to take initiative and lead.

💡Research Boot Camp

A research boot camp, as mentioned in the video, is a program designed to provide students with research experience and mentorship. The speaker discusses a specific boot camp by Incognito Blueprints, where students work on research projects that can lead to publication. This type of program is highlighted as a way for students to gain academic credibility and stand out in their college applications.

💡Citizen Scientist

A citizen scientist, in the context of the video, is an individual who participates in scientific research outside of a formal academic setting. The speaker mentions a student who was a citizen scientist at NASA, which contributed to their profile and eventual acceptance into Cornell University. This term illustrates the value of hands-on involvement in scientific endeavors, even for those not yet in a formal academic research position.

💡Quantum School

The Quantum School for Young Students, as referenced in the video, is an educational program that offers advanced courses in physics and related fields. The speaker uses this as an example of an extracurricular activity that can enhance a student's profile, showing their initiative to pursue advanced studies and their dedication to learning beyond what is required in school.

Highlights

Understanding the difference between getting a scholarship and getting accepted by a college is crucial.

A holistic profile showcasing your uniqueness is essential for college acceptance.

Salon's personal experience includes research at Harvard, volunteering, internships, and a passion project that helped her stand out.

Ivy League universities are highly competitive, with only about 300 international students accepted annually on average.

A high GPA, typically above 3.75, is common among students admitted to Ivy League colleges.

Extracurricular activities are critical for standing out, especially when many students have outstanding grades.

Activities should demonstrate personal development, community growth, and academic resilience.

Avoid tailoring all activities to your intended major; a well-rounded profile is more appealing.

Colleges prefer students who have demonstrated long-term commitment to activities rather than last-minute additions.

Lack of school-provided activities is not an excuse; there are many virtual opportunities available.

Certificates for extracurricular activities are not always required, but proof of participation may be necessary.

Academic credibility is important, and participating in research or other academically rigorous activities can help.

Involvement in school-based activities should be balanced with external activities to avoid a repetitive profile.

Participation in competitive and prestigious programs like MIT, Stanford, or Yale can enhance your profile.

Research opportunities, such as the Incognito Blueprints Research Boot Camp, can provide valuable academic credibility.

It's important to choose activities that reflect your personality and interests, not just what others have done.

Transcripts

now before you get that 100% scholarship

or even any funding from any University

the first thing that actually needs to

happen is you getting accepted by a

college now many students fail to

understand that getting a scholarship

and getting accepted by the college are

two separate things and they happen one

after the other instead of both at the

same time so to get accepted by the

university you have to have a profile

that showcases a wholesomeness and

things that help you stand out now for

those of you that are new to the channel

my name is salon I'm currently working

in New York and I studied at Cornell

University now a lot of things that

helped me get into Cornell at the time

which I feel kind of helped me stand out

from the other students included my

research at Harvard that was published

in a pretty good Journal before I

applied to the colleges um my

volunteering experiences some

internships that I did over the summer

and also a passion project where I

created a hand Tremor suppression device

everything done without it being like a

part of the school curriculum now there

are eight IV leagues in the US and they

are considered one of the most

prestigious universities to study at

across the world so it is every

student's dream to actually get admitted

into these now each year all of the

universities not just these eight IV

leagues they release a set of data that

helps students understand what kind of a

profile actually got admitted so looking

at some numbers that kind of worked for

these eight IV leagues so approximately

40 to 60,000 students applied each year

to these eight colleges and the numbers

kind of vary here and there but this is

like a good ballpark to be in now out of

these thousands of students

approximately I would say on average 300

international students are accepted so

you can just see how rigorous and

advanced the actual competition is so

you need to be one among these 300

students that catches the eye of the

admission officer now looking at some

stats and breaking down what kind of

grades students who got into these Ivy

Leagues look like most of the students

that got into these colleges had a GPA

of above 3.75 now if you're wondering

roughly 3.75 equates to 90ish per so if

you have that grade you are in a good

standing to actually get admitted by

these top colleges other than that some

other stats were most of the colleges

went test optional now this happened in

the last few years and a few of them may

bring this back however as you can see

if more than 90% of students have like

outstanding grades what exactly can

other students or even you do to help

yourself stand out from the crowd

because that is what is super important

imagine 10 different students have 95%

in their board exams which two are going

to be picked by the top colleges and

that brings us to the extracurricular

activities now most of the colleges

consider these to be very important if

not they consider it as a supplemental

information that they use to determine

how a student's profile looks so outside

of grades what other things have you

done to Showcase your passion to further

your interest or to learn a new skill

these activities in my opinion can be

divided into three categories there's

personal development Community growth

and academic resilience and if we were

to like break this down further this is

basically what it looks like you have

your leadership skills these can be like

School positions where you're like the

captain of your school or you founded a

club you're the president of a club we

have academic uh options like science

olympiades where you're competing in

something like a science exhibition or a

hackathon uh volunteering experiences

cultural and sports again this is

optional based on what your interest is

Community Development environmental and

a passion project now in no way does

this mean that you need to have all of

these type of activities in your profile

but in my opinion I think it's a good

idea to have maybe three or four

different types and the reason I say

this is it showcases is that you're

doing more than just studying and

passing an exam in your school it shows

that whatever your interest is it can be

anything it doesn't have to be related

to computer science if you're going for

that degree you're going outside and

wanting to learn more about a skill that

you're interested in now let's bust some

myths or things that students do wrong

and I've seen this over all of the

comments in a lot of the YouTube videos

and the biggest one out of these is that

students try to tailor all of their

activities towards the major that

they're applying for and I think this is

one of the biggest misconception out

there because think about it you're just

in high school colleges don't expect you

to have everything figured out just

because you want to study maybe a

biology major and going to Premed that

doesn't mean that all of your activities

are tailored towards something that is

science related you have to have a

wholesome profile what they care about

is that you want to learn something

something and that you're actually going

out there and doing the learning rather

than just streamlining yourself in one

specific subject because at the end of

the day you never know after you go get

into college maybe you want to pick a

minor that is completely different from

biology maybe Finance or after the first

year of college you just want to change

your major altogether because after

studying it for one year you just don't

think that this is the right career path

for You activities should be done in

class 11 or 12 now this I kind of

understand where students are coming at

they realize that maybe towards entering

Class 12 you need to have like a good

profile you don't have anything to

Showcase so you start doing all of these

new activities to put on your college

application now here's the thing if a

student has five activities that they've

been doing for the last four years and

another student has 10 activities that

they did in the last one year colleges

would prefer this first student because

it showcases that you've committed to

some something for a longer period of

time your school doesn't offer any

activities now this is a pretty old

excuse that I think has gotten very very

overused and at this point with internet

with a lot of things being virtual this

can no longer be your excuse now later

on in the video we're going to explore

some ways in which you can actually get

involved virtually to build your own

profile lastly you need certificates for

all of your extracurricular activities

you don't exactly attach these

certificates when you're filling out

College applications but this doesn't

mean that you can just write whatever

you want if colleges ask for proof If

you don't have a certificate you can

always get a letter from that company or

that organization um mentioning that you

participated in a certain activity and

the dates that you were involved in this

is more than enough again this doesn't

mean that you just outright start lying

on your college application but at the

same time you don't have to worry so

much about not having the certificates

on hand so to sum it up I think you and

put it in a very nice way that there are

no right or wrong extracurricular

activities you just have to do what's

best for you and what you can make best

of with the resources that you have

available now again these activities

doesn't mean that you have to spend

thousands of dollars and just because

someone doesn't have that budget or the

financial stability to do that won't get

into a good college you just have to be

smart about how you approach this entire

activities part on your profile so

enough with me telling you what to do

because this is kind of getting really

boring I want to show some examples of

students who got into some really cool

universities and some pretty cool

projects or activities that they had on

their profile the first one we're going

to look here is mit's beaver summer

program this is a very competitive

program and this particular student here

designed an autonomous underwater

vehicle got into carnegi melon and is

currently studying computer science now

this is what creates credibility a few

things that stand out here is the fact

that it it was mit's program so that

itself creates academic credibility and

as you can see it's not directly related

to computer science he's still kind of

like exploring what he wants to do he's

involved in something that's fun but at

the same time it's academically

competitive and this is the type of

activity that should be on your profile

as well the second one on our list is um

getting published in uh online Journal

this particular student was the

principal author for a research paper uh

that focused on comparative analysis

between government expenditure and

inflation this student got into Cornell

under the Tata scholarship so it was a

fully funded scholarship and this was

just one of the many activities on his

profile and as you can see this is a

huge deal because getting published into

a journal is difficult enough like I've

done it it takes a really long time to

do this on top of that doing this as a

high school student before you've even

entered college is a huge deal when when

you publish your work in a journal it

just doesn't happen right away when you

submit your work it typically gets

reviewed by the editorial board they may

reject it they may ask you to make some

changes and it takes a really long time

so the fact that you do a research

project you get it published in a

journal shows academic credibility and

it also shows that you have that

dedication and that perserverance to

work for that end goal there's a huge

misunderstanding out there that to get

your research published you have to be

affiliated with a university or spend

thousands of dollars or even go to a lab

to actually do the research work now

there are virtual opportunities

available like the research boot camp by

Incognito blueprints which is going to

open up in just about one week where

you'll be working in a group of three to

six students in a span of two months um

there are different mentors advisors I'm

one of them and you get to work on an

individualized group research project

now the these research projects are not

10 years old or something that you learn

in your science book none of that boring

stuff they're cutting edge with today's

technology and a lot of the students

that participated in this research boot

camp last year even went on to publish

their work so this academic credibility

that I was talking about earlier getting

your work you know furthered and into an

online Journal this is where it all

starts being involved in a research

opportunity like this is going to be

huge for your profile enrollment is

going to open up in a few days and I'm

going to put the link in the description

so definitely sign up to get the early

bird pricing the next example we're

going to look at is yygs which is Yale

young Global Scholars Program now this

is a very popular program and it's open

to all students the one that we're going

to look at today we have a student from

Carnegie melon and Columbia University

again the point is you get to work in

separate projects these projects can

really highlight your profile and the

fact that it's conducted by Yale

University and IV League puts that

academic credibility that we're looking

for here now the yygs program does have

an annual deadline so make sure you head

on over to their website and see when

the applications open so you don't miss

out on that as well the next one we have

is a student who got into Cornell

University specifically the early

decision round now getting accepted into

Ed especially for an international

student is a huge deal because the

acceptance rate is extremely low now two

of the things that he had on his profile

was taking a couple course at the

quantum school for young students by the

University of watero and being a citizen

scientist at Nasa now again these are

huge names shows that he was working in

a group of people led by specific

projects and he also worked in these big

name companies all of these things

together is what helps elevate your

profile the next one is a student who

took a couple courses at Stanford's

summer Institute got into Dartmouth

University again one of the eight IV

leagues and we have another student who

did a shadowing sort of like an

internship at McKenzie and Company who

got into Brown University now these are

just some of the examples that I took to

Showcase what the most elite students

have done and again like I'm in no way

trying to discourage a lot of you or

demotivate you when you kind of look at

these examples and be like well I don't

have anything close to what these

students have point is you need to make

the best of what situation you have

available so this is just a starting

point and remember that these are just

like the top 10 universities out there

maybe you can still aim for this and get

into some other good colleges that

you're trying to achieve as well so

let's slow things down a little bit we

looked at all of these examples and I

want to kind of share my opinion around

the whole extracurricular activities

topic the first thing is I feel academic

credibility is super important and the

reason I say this is at the end of the

day you are going to college to study

something so the fact that you're able

to study and learn something new right

now and showcasing that is extremely

important the best way to do that is in

a group setting because ultimately in

college or even later on in your career

when you're working in different

projects you will be expected to work in

a team or a group so trying to do

everything by yourself is not really the

way to go especially in your activities

next make sure that these activities are

somewhat outside of your school because

once it's related to your school colle

just kind of think that it was like an

easy route that you took opening a club

in school has gotten very overrated

getting getting involved in school-based

activities it's good to a certain extent

but if you have your entire profile

filled with that it kind of gets really

boring and repetitive at the same time

now with a lot of these summer programs

like MIT Stanford Yale they can get very

competitive and sometimes even very

expensive so you might think how would

the research boot camp by Incognito

blueprints produce academic credibility

and the point is when you're working on

a project for a span of those two months

after that you go on to publish your

work in an online Journal that is your

number one credibility secondly with

this summer cohort the mentors that

actually work with the students for

example myself I have a background

graduated from Cornell University I have

a master's degree there are other

mentors who are currently working as

research scientists in Manhattan and

many more this is where your credibility

comes from you get to work alongside

subject matter experts and then go on to

publish your work this is something that

you cannot do alone and it again ties

back to that whole thing that you have

to be involved in some sort of a

teamwork and a group activity to really

showcase that academic credibility next

school should never be an excuse that

you are not able to do an activity find

something virtual or something you can

do online if it's even as small as

taking a course and expanding your skill

set something is always better than

nothing and lastly you decide what

activities matter just because your

neighbor or your friend or your senior

from your school got into a really good

University doesn't mean that if you just

copy all of the activities that he or

she did you'll also get into that same

University if anything you're just

making yourself an identical copy of

another student which is something

colleges never want you actually have to

do something to stand out so you have to

draft what kind of activities you want

to be in involved in that showcase your

personality and your character all right

so that's all that I had for this video

I hope that you found this helpful and

it kind of showcased what you can do to

elevate your own profile and we're going

to get the random question of the day

back I want to know from you guys what

is your favorite after school or after

college SL workor activity that you like

to do at home don't make it boring like

you go to tution or your studying no

leave all that stuff aside what do you

actually like to do after a long day of

work for me personally it is playing

FIFA on my PS5 it's something I do very

you know religiously for an hour every

single evening no matter what happens

what's yours put it in the comment below

other than that like the video if you

haven't already subscribe to the channel

and I will see you guys next week don't

forget to enroll in the research boot

camp

[Music]

bye

woo