Opinion: Why was a Tech Wiz with a 4.0 GPA, 34 ACT Denied Entry into Ivys??

If you’ve been working in the admissions space as long as we have, this is going to sound like a tale as old as time. 

“I know a student with a 4.0 GPA, a near perfect ACT / SAT, with an insane profile who was DENIED entry into Ivy League schools. If that kid can’t get in, who on earth has a shot??”

We want to start off by reminding you that no one has a GOOD shot at getting into an Ivy. Even the seemingly “perfect” students who look like they are bumped and set to skip right through those iron gates don’t get in every cycle. While difficult, it’s not impossible to get into these top programs but you have to know your audience…which we feel is the number one reason this student was rejected across all Ivy Leagues. 

When we first heard about this student’s general profile, prior to reading his statement, we will admit that we were also shocked that not a single Ivy League took a chance on him. It’s not like these schools all get together and collectively decide what to do with candidates. His application was evaluated by all the Ivy Leagues and each one separately decided against accepting him. 

Before we dive into the student’s profile (we’ll call him “Joe”), keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that we are not privy to. Although Joe did post his personal statement on social media, we don’t have ALL of his application materials so we are aware that we’ll have to write this opinion with a large grain of salt. 

Let’s start with Joe’s Personal Statement. In his personal statement, he dedicates a significant amount of real estate to the argument that he doesn’t need college. The essay actually begins with this sentiment. If I were an adcom member and I were seeing this narrative being carried more than halfway through the essay, which it does, I’d be thinking, “Okay then, don’t go to college. Peace.” 

Outside of that, I hate to say that this essay simply has an undertone of arrogance to it. I don’t know Joe, but I hope this wasn’t his intention. He compares himself to Steve Jobs and he alludes to chasing money and fame. While it’s right to be proud of and showcase your accomplishments in your essays, there’s a vibe to the statement that just didn’t hit right with us and our guess is that adcom members got the same whiff of arrogance that we did.

The overall statement wasn’t really that compelling or captured our attention in the way that one would need to when trying to stand out amongst thousands of other applicants. The topic choice could have been better and some humility would have done wonders for his statement.

In terms of things that Joe did well in this essay: We do believe that a high school student wrote this so kudos to him for what appears to be genuine work, but we’d be surprised to hear that he had true professional help with revisions. Joe also answers the prompt, somewhat, but if realizing that he wants to go to college is the strongest argument he has for a personal growth essay it’s simply not going to cut it. The schools already know that you want to go to college because they are reading your applications - so find a better argument. 

If this statement is genuinely who Joe is, we appreciate his honesty, but perhaps “who he is” is simply not what Ivy Leagues are looking for at this point in our history. 

After Joe was not accepted, he took to social media about his results and posted a call to action to “Make Admissions Fair Again”. He went on to rant about college admissions departments prioritizing diversity against merit and excellence.  

Now, whether you want to admit it or not, most top institutions are not going to appreciate this sentiment. Joe’s rhetoric is not going to do him any favors, nor is his outcry against diversity. If any of the admissions committee members saw this posting, we’d bet that they are saying to themselves “And this is exactly why we didn’t want you.” Sorry, Joe, but your chances for a transfer into those schools is slim if you keep this up. 

But while we’re on the subject, let’s discuss Joe’s diversity complaint. Joe’s argument was that college admissions departments are prioritizing diversity over merit and excellence. That may very well be his opinion but it’s simply not true. Just take a peek at the recent class profiles at any of these Ivy Leagues and you’ll see that merit and excellence is very much apparent. 

Let’s take Harvard as an example. Harvard’s average ACT is a 35 (a point above where Joe landed). Harvard's average GPA is a 4.2, while Joe had a 4.0.

When we look at Harvard’s most recent demographics data,, it’s true that over half (69%) of the applicants who were accepted come from a background that is not simply “white or caucasian”. It was reported that 37% of applicants were Asian American which is the largest bucket of candidates who were accepted. The next bucket would be White / Unknown / or Chose Not To Disclose at 31% of applicants. So while there is one demographic that has a 6% higher acceptance rate over what we assume is a predominantly white demographic, it’s not an overwhelming number. Given Harvard’s averages, it also certainly does not point to them accepting diversity over merit.  

Let’s look at Yale next. The largest demographic accepted at Yale is that of White / Caucasian students at 46% - nearly half. Yale also boasts an average GPA of  4.13 (Joe had a 4.0) and a 34 ACT which is right on track with where Joe was. Sorry, Joe, but the diversity argument doesn’t work in this case. Mostly white folks were admitted to Yale given the most recent class pool data. 

Furthermore, given the recent supreme court rulings on how diversity can be used in admissions, the ability for admissions committees to filter out students based on background is less prevalent than it used to be. It’s still possible, but much more difficult. Candidates are still very much assessed on their merit and excellence at Ivy Leagues, no matter their backgrounds

Now, we’re not much into conspiracy theories but there is an interesting take that NOT getting accepted into Ivy Leagues could have been Joe’s plan all along. We don’t know Joe but he seems like a smart guy. Smarter than to write a personal statement like the one we read. Multiple news outlets wrote stories about him after him not getting into top programs. He likely gained followers and attention for this. For someone who has been told he doesn’t need college (and maybe he doesn’t), perhaps gaining attention from not getting in was his strategy in the first place. For a young adult who has been told he doesn’t need college, my hunch is he’ll be just fine no matter where he ends up. 

Now, assuming that a nefarious plan to NOT get accepted was not his intention, and Joe truly wants to apply as a transfer student;  my advice to him would be to put your head down and do the work. And not just class work. Get curious, be humble, and do some self reflection. While you’re at it, do some volunteer work and spend time with folks who come from diverse backgrounds. Clean up your social media accounts and take off disparaging remarks about admissions committees being unfair. Show growth, maturity, and humility in your next application and your results might be better next time around. 

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