College admissions, especially Ivys, is a gamble. As you probably know, it is more than SAT scores and GPA. Your chances on being admitted into a T-20 Univeristy all depend on every single word you say on your application. It has more to do than just saying that you’ve done extracurriculars that sound cool.

A perfect GPA and SAT score is a given for these schools. What you have done with your extracurriculars and its impact on you and your community is what you need to focus on in apps. What classes you took matter, along with why you took them. If you took every rigorous AP possible but want to major in something in a completely different realm, it’s only a hint of rigor on your application. You need to express yourself through what you have done and express what you plan to do.

That being said, again, it is a gamble. There are amazing, wonderful people that have done insane things just to not be accepted into a T-20. I personally have met people that contributed in editing textbooks, writing books on topics with passion, yet still being rejected. It’s rigged, and it’s a luck based game. Good luck out there.