From the Office of College Counselling
• Keywords
Even if the applicant gets a high score, imagine how
• Authentic experiences • Community service be for top universities. From the perspective of a
• Common good top school, students admitted with high scores may
many other high-performing applicants there will
be aplenty but there will still be a few of their peers
• Recommendations
who enter without high scores. This shows that
•
Quality, not quantity
• Discouraging overcoaching from
test scores are not the sole and crucial selection
criterion for university admissions. We also need
parents and outside resources
to ask, how many applicants receive high scores by
• Do not overemphasize
spending all their time studying for the exams? The
standardized test scores
general assumption is that most of these students
have distinctive qualifications. This means that if
Top universities are particularly concerned about
an applicant focuses their energy and time on being
the spirit of service in applicants and the contribu- well-rounded and on committing to developing
tions they have made in their communities. It goes and exploring their character, they get a better
without doubt that quality, or, in many cases, the chance of being admitted to a top university.
question of “who you are”, is the most important
selection criterion for these universities in addition In that case, only one question remains: How
to an applicant’s academic history. can applicants achieve holistic development and
Recently, Huffingtonpost.com published an article from other applicants to attract the attention of
titled “Are you a rebel? The Ivy League wants top schools, Ivy League universities, and other
you”. The author opined the Ivy League schools famous institutions alike. Of course, if others
build their character? The key is to be different
are bored with standardized test scores and the participate in Model UN, or dedicate time to
homogeneous body. volunteer, or take part in competitions, or run for
The article points out that an over-emphasis on the student council, you can definitely do it. All of
standardized test scores and the pursuit of perfect those could make you an excellent applicant but
high-performing
student
scores actually reduce an applicant’s chances of certainly not an outstanding applicant. In fact,
being admitted to top schools. In my opinion, the the key is to try to learn about yourself and your
author is not trying to say that it is wrong to seek relationships with the people and environment
perfect or high scores on standardized tests or around you, find out what you are truly interested
that you should deliberately go for a less ‘perfect’ in and enthusiastic about, and devote yourself to
score. The real message is that applicants shouldn’t making a real impact.
make ‘scoring’ the main goal or allocating time
and energy to achieving top scores a priority. Most At Keystone, several platforms for self-exploration
importantly, when an applicant spends too much already exist, from the requirements of the IB such
time on scoring, they are bound to devote less time as CAS (Creativity, Activity, and Service) to the
and energy to other areas, including accumulating rich boarding program to Weekend Exploration
valuable personal and life experience. Programs to global international educational
exchanges. During a recent panel discussion for
If an applicant’s only objective is to achieve a
Grade 12 students about university applications,
near-perfect standardized test result, it will be very many students and parents discussed how they
difficult for the university to see them as a well- have challenged, improved, and learned more
rounded, competitive, and distinctive applicant. about themselves, and how they have formed their
The Keystone Magazine 96