Hey everyone! I'm starting my college search and wondering, which schools have the most demanding application process? I hear a lot about Ivies and Stanford, but are there others to look out for? I appreciate your insights!
Stanford, MIT, and the Ivy League schools certainly have demanding admissions processes, given their highly selective nature. Their application components often include rigorous supplement essays that require deep thought and planning.
A school you may not have considered is the University of California (UC) system. While not necessarily more rigorous in content, they have a unique admissions process that requires different essays from many other schools. The UC system requires responses to four out of eight Personal Insight Questions, and crafting unique responses for each of these can be a substantial task. Luckily, CollegeVine's blog has a comprehensive breakdown of how to tackle them: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-california-essays
Similarly, the University of Chicago has traditionally been known for its eclectic supplement essays that encourage a great deal of creative thinking. These essays are far outside the bounds of what most schools ask, or indeed questions you're likely to be asked at any point in your life. For example, one recent prompt was: “Where have all the flowers gone?” – Pete Seeger. Pick a question from a song title or lyric and give it your best answer.
Lastly, military academies (United States Naval Academy, West Point, Air Force Academy, etc.) and special programs like 7-year BS/MD programs (like Brown PLME, Northwestern HPME) often have very rigorous application processes. They not only require elite academic and extracurricular achievements, but also things like comprehensive fitness testing (for the academies), extra interviews, and commitment to military service or a medical career.
Always remember: you'll perform best when applying to schools you're genuinely excited about. So rather than seeking out the 'most demanding' applications, consider what matches your goals and interests best. And if those happen to be schools with highly competitive admissions processes, don't stress out too much about reputation - just focus on putting your best foot forward in each area. Good luck with your college search!
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