As high school seniors and graduates gravitate towards college selections and applications, almost everyone comes across two portals: the Coalition and the Common Application. Both are online platforms that enable application submissions to multiple colleges. They help students save time by streamlining and saving critical information, such as contact details, extracurricular activities, grades, and essays, in one easy-to-access portal. As a centralized college application system, the Common App and the Coalition App save students the stress of multiple individual submissions, giving back valuable time for other activities. However, each portal has pros and cons, and determining which is better for you can be tricky. It comes down to personal choice, but knowing a little bit more about each goes a long way in helping students decide. Lets get to know more about Common App vs Coalition App in this blog: Understanding the Common App Fun fact: Did you know the average high school senior applies to six to seven universities? Others may apply to upwards of 10, with an ambitious few targeting 15 or more colleges. While a lot comes down to a student’s choice, subject preferences, and personal circumstances, the Common App is the more popular portal. It lists more than 1000+ universities in the US and the world. Most students also find it easier to use. Moreover, since the Common App platform has been around for longer, more people, from teachers to college counselors, are familiar with it. With easy submission processes for transcripts, grades, references, and essays, the Common App is most student’s portal of choice. The application’s interface is easy to use, and even better, the portal sends timely reminders and prompts to keep students on track! However, there is one caveat. Some schools, like MIT, Georgetown, and all 10 of the University of California colleges (including UCLA and UC Berkley), among a few other universities, use their private portals for student admissions. So, students may need to double up with a parallel portal. The upside is that schools with their portal are still relatively few, with most partnering with the Common App portal. Another thing to remember is that the portal sometimes runs slow due to sheer numbers near application deadlines. However, this is not an issue for the organized student! Understanding the Coalition App One of the biggest plusses of the Coalition App is the portal-member schools’ capacity and willingness to provide financial support and resources to low-income students. Better still, it opens these options to kids as early as ninth grade, enabling students to track and upload academic records and wins. The depth and description of extracurricular activities are also more than what’s offered on the Common App portal. And while the number of total activities listed is less than the Common App (eight vs ten), students can write more about each extracurricular to create a more insightful and wholesome picture of their strengths. Lastly, the platform allows access to parents, mentors, counselors, and advisors, enabling more collaboration between all parties. However, some Coalition App limitations need serious consideration. The pool of colleges accessible through the Coalition App portal is as small as 150, narrowing college selection and submission choices. Also, as a relatively newer platform, fewer people are familiar with the interface, and it can seem daunting for first-time users. Common App vs Coalition App: Which one is better for you? It all boils down to this question. The Common App is a broader and more universal portal, but the Coalition App is a more financially supportive route to college admissions. And while the Coalition App has been around for a shorter period, it must be acknowledged that its list of member schools, though smaller than the Common App, is supremely impressive. It makes a compelling argument with Harvard, Columbia, Caltech, Princeton, Penn State, and Stanford, among other premium schools, making the Coalition App list. Additionally, the app’s built-in features automatically connect students with financially supported programs, opening many opportunities for first-generation applicants from low-income and under-resourced backgrounds. And that is a big deal! A lot eventually comes down to personal choice and priorities, but planning and organization is never wasted! Getting started early, staying the course, and not stressing, see a student go the distance. If you need help figuring out which platform works best for you. So, contact Eye on Ivy’s experienced college admission editors for insightful, oriented advice to guide you in writing college applications that land your dream university.

Almost every student gearing up for college comes across Ivy League universities at some point. These eight universities (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, and Dartmouth) have set the bar very high regarding quality of education, student experience, and holistic learning. While there are other distinguished universities in the United States, the Ivy League remains crème de la crème with an acceptance rate of just 3% to 9%. The Ivy League admissions attract some of the highest-achieving and high-performing students. Similarly, these universities can maintain their top standing because of the quality of their faculty, which has included Nobel Prize Winners and world-famous names. This blog outlines some of the things students can do to improve their chances of getting into an Ivy League university. Understanding The Traits Required by Ivy League Universities A great promise for the future attracts a great pool of applicants from which universities must choose. As a student, the first thing to do is to start early. Because the process can be complex and overwhelming, college applicants often seek admission counseling or profile-building counseling. Being strategic about this task allows students to build their profile on a sturdy pillar, increasing their chances of acceptance into their desired schools. Passion: Getting into an Ivy League university Back in the day, universities were on the lookout for students who appeared to be jacks of all trades. However, this trend has changed. Universities, including the Ivy League, now have their eyes peeled for students who are passionate about their subject and field. They believe this is how they can construct and uphold a diverse student body with varying interests and passions. Therefore, instead of attempting to participate in several different extracurricular activities for profile building, finding an activity/extracurricular or two of interest that aligns with the student’s career plans is more beneficial.  Being Community-Minded College admissions have become increasingly competitive, so students must present a clear picture to universities regarding what they can and will contribute to their community. One of the most effective ways to do this is to display active engagement with the community around you. Showcasing compassion, dedication, and empathy are values that every university wants its students to possess. Therefore, the student’s profile should reflect such values through extracurricular or community-based activities. When options are limited for communal activities that align with the student’s interests, creating a community-building activity is a great way to display dedication and commitment. The Ability to Overcome Challenges It is a misconception that a student’s profile should be spotless and only display an upward trajectory. Ivy League universities look for resilience. And there is no better way to display resilience than to highlight some setback or unique experience. One way to showcase courage and the ability to overcome challenges is how the student picked up the pieces and returned stronger. Mistakes and setbacks teach us valuable lessons. If the error or failure is related to the student’s academics, the student must pause, reflect on where they went wrong and map out a strategy to come back stronger. Seeking admissions counseling helps in bringing the student back on track.  Academic Excellence When aiming for the Ivy League, one must be realistic about their academic achievements and focus on maintaining a high GPA. While college admissions are about evaluating the student holistically, you stand on solid ground if your academic performance is sturdy. Taking Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and appearing for the SATs are essential admission requirements. No specific score requirements are published, but from past admission trends and records, it’s clear that higher-scoring students are better positioned to secure their admissions at competitive universities. This is you can get into an ivy league university. Understanding Application Components The US college application consists of several key components, including sections for personal essays, letters of recommendation, transcripts, activities and awards, and interviews. The only way to tackle all these sections successfully is to start early and give each section attention. College admission counseling is something students and their families can consider as college admissions become increasingly competitive. Universities and colleges look at thousands of applications regularly. Therefore, while it is important to have strong grades, it is equally important to stand out. Your unique experiences, setbacks, and passion can help you do that. The next step is to start early and identify which schools/colleges align with your requirements and aspirations. Although this process can be lengthy, it mustn’t be stressful. You can use the resources around you and take advantage of our college admission counseling services if you seek pertinent guidance and reduced stress. We will help you get into an ivy league university.

Students today are occupied with books, quizzes, and exams as per the demands of the academic world. This often leaves little to no room for extracurricular activities. As education is transforming and the concept of profile building is taking up significant room, it has become important to realize that extracurricular activities also play a crucial role in developing a student’s holistic education. Universities worldwide, not just universities in the United States, are moving towards recruiting students who present a good balance between academia and purposeful extracurriculars. This blog will attempt to evaluate and logically justify the significance of extracurricular activities and their life-long benefits on a student’s overall profile and educational journey. Academic Activities Students who are looking to build their profile on a solid foundation must consider intellectual activities first. Clubs and societies, such as the National Honor Society, Model United Nations (MUN), study-abroad programs, or debate clubs, are some options students can choose to enhance their academic weightage. These activities impart important life-long skills, such as public speaking, organization, communication, and presenting oneself in front of an audience. Sports Activities Students who excel in physical activities and sports must not shy away from fully participating in such clubs. Participating in team or individual sports and indoor or outdoor adventure clubs imparts discipline, perseverance, and leadership skills. These skills can get you those Ivy League admissions in today’s competitive world. It is not necessary to be an outstanding athlete to participate in sports-related activities. What is important is that you show that you are a team player. Universities usually have sports clubs and teams; therefore, your previous sports-related experience can convince them of your dedication. Arts and Cultural Activities A creative mind will find creative solutions to life’s problems. Therefore, students with creative flair should distribute their time effectively between such activities. Painting, sculpting, theatre, dance, or language clubs are productive avenues to showcase your skills. College admissions are attracted to skills such as creativity, confidence, cultural awareness, and talent. On the rare occasion that there is no club or activity of interest to a student, it’s a great idea for a student to start their own! Nothing shines brighter on a college application than saying that you proudly founded your school’s first pottery club. Community Service and Volunteer Work Ivy League universities and all other universities in the United States expect their students to have a global perspective and a passion for social impact. Community service and volunteer work can help develop these skills to make your application holistic. Organizing or participating in food drives, volunteering at hospitals, and assisting in times of natural disaster are some of the activities that students can undertake. Universities like to see how a student spends their time outside the classroom and showing communal activities adds a lot of value to your profile.    STEM Activities Technology is the way of the future. Clubs focusing on STEM-related activities and fields have sprung up in school, and students should take full advantage. Robotics clubs, coding, hackathons, and Olympiads can make college applicants stand out. These activities show universities that a student possesses technical and problem-solving skills, the ability to work in a team and conduct research. At an early stage in high school, students must evaluate how they spend their time outside the classroom. Determining extracurriculars that align with your career aspirations will propel you further. It is important to remain authentic and focus on the quality of activities rather than just quantity. Right now, being a jack-of-all-trades is no longer what universities in the United States look for. It’s the era of the spike, and showing sustained interest sets up a stronger college application. If you are overwhelmed with extracurricular activity choices and don’t know how to navigate those waters, our college admission counseling team can be that guiding force. We fully understand that students and their time is precious. Getting help from our admission counseling team will save you time and present relevant options so that you can make informed decisions about your future. At the end of the day, the goal is to dress your CV in the best way possible to make you look good on college applications.