It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a corporation! That’s how you should view selective universities if there is any hope of getting into your dream school.

I know this sounds a bit extreme but you have to ask yourself what the end-goal of these institutions are and why they choose certain applicants over others. 

These universities look for students who have the potential to bolster their reputation on the global stage through technological innovation, pioneering research, influential work, or political influence.

Better reputation means more applicants and more applicants mean more money so it’s not a coincidence why many of those accepted come from distinguished pedigrees or why world-renowned researchers, lawmakers, and business leaders are graduates from these prestigious institutions.

In essence, they are looking for the next Mark Zuckerberg, Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, and JFK. So when they accept you as an applicant they are hedging their bets that you have what it takes to make it big in the future.

Fun Fact: Did you know Harvard University produces the most US Presidents, members of Congress, and Supreme Court Justices?

My point isn’t to paint universities as corrupt (because they’re not) but to instead show that these institutions only want what is in their best interest – as with everyone and everything else.

To achieve these goals, applicants are evaluated on four benchmarks: academics, community service, leadership, and innovation.

Strong academics are used for quality assurance and proof of one’s ability to handle college work while community service evidences one’s compassion and commitment to his or her community, which can translate into future donations to the university.

Leadership demonstrates one’s ability to move and inspire others which can translate into later political office or position as a CEO at a Fortune 500 company.

Innovative thinking, on the other hand, is a special case and will likely be the deciding factor since age-old problems, such as curing cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, require creative solutions – so only having technical knowledge is not enough.

So what does this mean for you? What can you do now to make yourself a more appealing applicant? But more importantly, how can you use this to your advantage?

Be selective in your extracurriculars. I recommend using my “two birds with one stone” method so you can focus on the things that matter while maximizing your chances of getting that acceptance letter.