During our complimentary consultations, designed to answer questions about Ivy Coach’s services posed by prospective clients, we are sometimes asked, “Do you guarantee admission?” The answer, of course, is a resounding no. We have never guaranteed admission to any of our clients, nor will we ever. All we have is a track record built over three decades. For example, we have helped 100% of our package clients (who come to us before their college admissions cycle begins) get into Brown, Columbia, and Dartmouth in the Early Decision round over the last five years. But would we ever get conceited and guarantee future clients a golden ticket into Dartmouth? No. And anyone who does offer such a guarantee is attempting to exploit your good intentions — plain and simple.

The Applicant With the Golden Ticket

However, there are exceptions to every rule. Perhaps the best example we at Ivy Coach can point to of a college applicant who could have known the outcome of the admissions process before it even began is William Kamkwamba. He’s the most outstanding college applicant ever if you ask us. For those unfamiliar with this breathtaking story, William was born into a small Malawian village with few energy resources. With just his resourcefulness and some spare bicycle parts, scrap metal, and lumber, William created a working wind turbine from scratch while he was still a teenager. After that, William co-wrote a New York Times bestselling memoir about the enterprise.

William’s is a story of the resilience and resourcefulness of the human spirit. We’ll concede that he went into the college admissions process with a Golden Ticket that made his admission to Dartmouth a foregone conclusion before he even sent out an application. If you’ve gained international recognition as an inventor and author who changes the landscape of your hometown with unmatched ingenuity, you will likely have your pick of elite colleges. 

William’s story underscores the fundamental principles of the admissions process that we’re always trying to instill in our students: a compelling story highlighting how you’ve changed the world by pursuing your passion is the most effective way to optimize your odds of admission. Admissions officers at places like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of students with good grades and glowing letters of recommendation. They’re looking for students who can be thrown into a resource and opportunity-rich environment and do great things. In other words, they’re looking for students who can make windmills out of bicycle parts, scrap metal, and lumber. 

A Golden Ticket Isn’t Necessary When You Have a Powerful Singular Hook

While there isn’t (usually) a surefire way of securing admission to a highly selective school, there are plenty of ways to optimize your chances and ensure you’ve put your best foot forward. That’s where Ivy Coach comes in. Our team of former elite college admissions officers know how to craft a competitive application — after all, they evaluated such applications in admissions offices at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and more. With a compelling singular admissions hook demonstrating how your particular and wonderfully weird pursuit, passion, art form, or cause provides a roadmap for engaging with everything your future campus has to offer, you’ll prove to admissions officers that you’re worth the gamble.

However, we’re not advocating for a college application filled with brags and boasts. This will only render you unlikable and less admissible. Instead of listing your achievements like a laundry list, focus on telling a personal story that causes admissions officers to root for you. If your resume is full of groundbreaking innovations like Mr. Kamkwamba’s, let these activities and honors speak for themselves so you can focus on sharing your personal journey and how it has shaped your aspirations.

Not sure how to strike this balance? Fill out our complimentary consultation form to learn more about how we can help you optimize your child’s odds of admission to the school of their dreams.