Everyone certainly knows how to get into Carnegie Hall: Study Hard. But how do you let me get into one of the top universities in the world?
For high school students who are ambitious, the trick to get into top universities certainly seems simple. The common rule for you to be accepted is to focus on the qualifications that the University asks so you can be successful. This makes the admission of school organizations more difficult and makes classes that followed feels like an afterthought. Outside of school hours students must have spent his time in order to create the perfect CV, by following student organizations or commonly known as Student Council, National Honor Society, captain of the football team or volleyball, and join a dozen other student organizations. Of course, it does not mean that a perfect score is not important.
If we do all of the above, would we be able to be accepted at Harvard? Well …
As arguably the president of Harvard, Drew Gilpin Faust audience at the Aspen Ideas Festival, “We can fill our classes twice with the valedictorians (students who are usually the highest grade in the class and give a farewell speech in graduation ceremony)” That means the committee of the new admissions see the criteria for their prospective students from such things as interesting essays or unusual letters of recommendation to decide who should be one of the 5.9% of applicants are accepted at Harvard.
Top tip Faust to parents is “Make your children interesting!”
For parents and students, of course, it is good news and bad news. The bad news is of course much easier to say it than to make it happen, though Faust encourage parents to motivate their children to follow their passion as a way to develop an attractive personality, but much easier to complete the entry requirements, although frightening, rather than being personal interest.
But, the good news is when colleges using these criteria, the kids can focus on shaping their adolescence in a way that is not just to create a CV more interesting, but rather to a deeper understanding of themselves, which seems to be a way which makes much more sense to spend the high school rather than trying too hard to get a position that makes the students cannot concentrate.
On the other hand, there is still other good news. If you are accepted at Harvard University, there is a chance you do not need a side job. According to Faust, 60% undergraduates of the Harvard students receive financial aid, and they only pay an average of US $ 12,000 per year from the normal cost of US $ 60,000 per year for tuition, dormitory, and dining. It is now a common trend in elite universities. Over the years, some students say they have met 100% requirement needed to receive educational assistance, but in recent years, some universities have begun to offer free tuition to students with family incomes that is below the average. That means despite the higher cost of education, the more students can go to college without having to worry about their tuition.
Both of these changes indicate that the elite college is not as always as we think it is, which is costly and not affordable.