Gaining admission to prestigious American universities is a noble goal for many students and their families. However, given the competitiveness and low acceptance rates, it is crucial to have a realistic perspective on the chances of getting into these top institutions. Viewing the chances correctly means having self-awareness, reasonable expectations, and being prepared to accept various outcomes. Most importantly, regardless of the application results, maintain enthusiasm for personal growth and academic pursuits, and continue to strive forward.

Many students are unclear about their current positioning, and parents often have unrealistic expectations. What is the number, depth, and development prospects of the current activities of the child, and how supportive are they for the application? What is the difficulty of the current course selection, course planning, and the number of advanced courses? We must review and adjust the above information at necessary points.

Universities typically look for extracurricular activities that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, persistence, creativity, or specific talents. They prefer to see students deeply involved and passionate about certain activities rather than participating in a large number of unrelated activities.

Standardized test scores and GPA are crucial in college applications because they provide admissions committees with a unified quantitative standard to evaluate and compare students' academic achievements and potential across different schools and educational systems. These indicators help universities understand applicants' performance in a broad academic environment and predict their success in college academic programs.

Admissions committees receive a lot of information directly from applicants, including transcripts, standardized test scores, essays, and lists of extracurricular activities. While these materials provide a comprehensive view of the student's academic abilities and personal interests, they are primarily self-reported. Recommendation letters offer a third-party perspective on the applicant's strengths and potential.

When applying to colleges, finding the right college is the most important thing. In many ways, it is even more important than just aiming for the highest-ranked universities. Different colleges have different majors, activities, cultures, student life, and career options after graduation. It is crucial to understand your preferences early and apply to colleges you like.

Writing impressive essays in college applications is key to digging deep and honestly presenting your unique experiences and qualities while showing your enthusiasm for the applying school and clear planning for your future academic and career goals. Applicants need to demonstrate critical thinking, leadership, creativity, or other important abilities through specific stories and examples, and how these abilities align with the values and resources of the applying school, making themselves stand out among many applicants.

According to authoritative surveys, 86% of students encounter issues while filling out the Common App. A well-prepared Common App can help present your application materials more effectively.

Interviews, as part of the admission process for top universities, share the same logic as the importance of recommendation letters: in most applications, it is the applicant who provides reasons why the university should accept them. However, for the school, obtaining an external perspective is equally important. In other words, they want opinions from someone familiar with the school's learning environment, such as alumni or other relevant individuals.