We’re back with another episode where Elias finds your spike! If you’ve heard Elias's signature catchphrase "spiky beats renaissance," and been completely baffled as to what that means, then join Elias as he walks you through CollegeVine's best advice on approaching extracurriculars (so your "spike" can beat someone else's "renaissance").
Elias will give you a rundown on how to cultivate a strong narrative through your extracurriculars, and administer plenty of tips and tricks you'll need in order to find your spike and make your profile stand out to admissions officers.
Elias’s advice is like finding a celebrity’s spam account on your FYP — a rare and valuable inside scoop. So don't miss out on this opportunity and come prepared to drop all your admissions-related questions in the chat, and learn how you can be the spikiest candidate of them all.
Undergrad College: Harvard University '17
Major: Music
Graduate College: University of Michigan, M.M.
Work Experience: Now in my fourth year at CollegeVine, I have helped dozens of students gain acceptance to their top-choice schools and have also advised and mentored thousands more through my livestreams. Apart from my work at CV, I am also a professional conductor and a multi-instrumentalist. I currently serve as the music director of the Apollo Ensemble of Boston, and I have led symphonic concerts and operatic productions throughout the United States.
My Admissions Story: Initially interested in pursuing a career as a performing cellist, I applied almost exclusively to music schools with dual and double degree options and ultimately enrolled in the Tufts University/New England Conservatory Dual Degree Program. Unhappy with the combined program and worried I'd never feel like I was fully a student at either school, I logged back into CommonApp.org in October of my freshman year. I can't say I went about the transfer process in the smartest way (I only applied to two schools!), but Harvard miraculously accepted me (or 'excepted me' as I wrote in a celebratory Facebook post that day - no one ever let me live that one down), and the rest was history.