How Can I Stand Out in Today’s Hyper-Competitive College Admissions Process

In this episode of the Just Admit It! podcast, IvyWise admissions experts Tasha and Kayon dive deep into one of the most common questions students ask: How can I stand out in today’s hyper‑competitive college admissions landscape? Drawing on years of experience as former admissions officers, they unpack what “standing out” truly means and how students should choose classes and extracurriculars that align with what truly excites them.

Key Takeaways

• While strong grades and test scores clear the academic bar, they rarely differentiate applicants at highly selective institutions; qualitative components play a central role.
• Students should reflect on what genuinely excites them — academically and personally — and use that understanding to guide their coursework, activities, and application narrative.
• Modern admissions values “pointy” applicants with a focused passion over those who spread themselves thin trying to appear well-rounded.
• Meaningful involvement — whether joining, revitalizing, or starting a club — helps demonstrate initiative, leadership, and real-world impact.
• Independent initiatives, from building an app to conducting research, help students showcase their interests, skills, and ability to complete a project from start to finish.
• Students “write” their recommendation letters by how they show up in class — curiosity, kindness, collaboration, and effort influence what teachers later highlight.
• Research universities, liberal arts colleges, and conservatories each look for distinct traits, so tailoring the application to institutional culture matters.

Episode Transcript

Tasha:

Hi there. Welcome to semester 12, episode three of the IvyWise Just Admit It! podcast, where former deans and directors of admission give expert insight into the complex college admissions landscape. I’m Tasha, your host. I’m an admissions counselor at IvyWise, a former international admissions officer at USC, and former Assistant Director of International Admissions at Boston University.

This season on the show: FAQs and college admissions. We’ll be spending each episode focused on a frequently asked question, breaking it down, and answering it thoroughly.

On today’s episode. What can I do to stand out in the hyper competitive college admissions process? And here to help me answer this question is my colleague, Kayon.

Hi Kayon. Could you please introduce yourself?

Kayon:

Absolutely. Happy to chat and happy to be here. I am also an admissions counselor here at IvyWise. Most recently I was at MIT in their undergraduate office, really having to dig through our domestic and international pool to figure out who’s gonna be in our class, giving me great exposure to the world of engineering and computer science before ultimately shifting gears to the graduate world and going to MIT Sloan School of Business. I have a lot of focus there as I manage their deferred admissions process, AKA, their 2+2 program.

Tasha:

Thank you, Kayon, a wealth of experience there to help us tackle this question. Thanks again for being here with me today.

We’re gonna get into it. I know already that the idea of standing out is something that’s a little bit contested in our field — some of us might like that phrasing, some of us might not. So, before we tackle the question itself, let’s talk about the language in that question. What does it even mean to stand out, or why do you think students are using that kind of language?

Kayon:

I think as we think about competition and shaping of a class and really getting admissions into your top school, you’re thinking: how can I make sure it’s me? That’s the question I think folks are trying to figure out.

I want to be the one who is opening that envelope with the confetti and the excitement, and they think that standing out and being the most unique person may just be that answer. In some ways that is an admirable goal. We want to talk about what makes you special, but I don’t want students to feel the immense pressure of bringing something to an admissions office no one in the world has ever seen before.

I often joke about how some of our deans and directors have been there for 30, 40, or 50 years, and so writing an essay they have never seen might be too tall a task. But you can, however, write one that is thoughtful and funny and really showcases your voice and what you’ve done. That’s the focus I want to have as we talk about the idea of competitive admissions.

Tasha:

Yes, absolutely. I think that’s very real. There are definitely folks who have been reading for many more years than most students have been alive. It can be tough to pretend that you can be 100% unique, right? But you are unique — there’s no one out there like you.

So, it’s interesting to hold two truths at the same time: You will likely have a difficult time creating something completely different from anything the reader has ever seen before, but you are also still yourself, and there’s no one else out there exactly like you who has had the exact same experiences.

Okay, so now that we’ve worked with that terminology of “standing out,” let’s talk about the second half of the question: the hyper-competitive college admissions process. What is the state of the hyper-competitive admissions landscape? What do we mean by “hyper-competitive” compared to a less selective process or even the landscape when we were applying to college, say, 15 years ago?

Kayon:

Well, let’s not say the exact number of years! But you’re absolutely right; things have changed. It has gotten trickier for students and families because when we talk about “highly competitive,” we’re focusing mostly on admit rates. We’re looking at the top 20 or 30 schools — those with admit rates in the 10% range or even lower single digits.

At that level, denial is statistically the norm, not the exception. Because these places have huge international reach and high rankings, they get tens of thousands of applicants each year for only a handful of seats. Students are now trying to figure out how to rise above the crop and get through the noise.

Tasha:

Yeah, that’s right. And I think something that we say all the time, and I think it begs repeating, is this idea that if some of the top universities —”top” in quotation marks, because there are so many — if those universities were to make their selections just based on quantitative aspects, like GPA or standardized tests, they could fill their classes many, many times over.

I think that’s really what’s changed: the supply of highly capable and prepared students academically has far outgrown the number of seats that many of these universities have. Then there has to be another framework through which to evaluate students. That’s where qualitative elements really come in. Not that those were not in play 15 years ago for us, but there were just fewer students applying overall. The volume has just grown so much.

Students are trying to “stand out.” They understand this is a highly competitive landscape and they feel nervous. That’s part of why this is one of our FAQs for the season. Students are asking this particular question because they want to be better than some of the people around them who are competing for the same spots. So how should a student, knowing all of this, first approach the process? From a high-level perspective, what advice would you give a student who’s feeling nervous?

Kayon:

Though it was many moons ago, I remember the anxiety and the unknown. Let’s talk about that. I love that you touched on quantitative versus qualitative because that’s how the admissions process ends up shaking itself out.

When we talk about quantitative pieces, we’re asking: “Can this student do the work?” That’s where I’m looking at the transcript and the test scores. That is a yes or no question. I want our students to understand that I am looking at academics as a bar to be cleared. That’s not often the differentiator. That 10 to 20 points in the SATs after a certain point is not really what’s going to move the needle for you. We are just ensuring a student is talented at math, history, biology, or whatever it is they want to tackle.

But beyond the quantitative, we have holistic admissions. It drives the U.S. admissions process. We’ve already decided you can tackle the work, but who are you? The tricky part is that I’m asking you, at 15, 16, or 17, to know who you are. The first part of this approach is setting your specific goals, and that involves looking inward. What excites you?

Your immediate thought might be, “I love biology.” And I’m like, “Yes, but why?” Is it the problem-solving piece? Is it the content? Is it the way that it was taught? It’s really helpful for you to understand what you are drawn to and what strengths are being highlighted. You might say you love history because you have an exquisite memory for facts and an innate ability to connect them.

Deciding what excites you shapes what you choose to do. When we talk about the hyper-competitive landscape, we’re talking about you positioning yourself as the best historian or as someone who can really elevate that classroom discussion. When we talk about standing out, we’re looking to understand how you will impact our campuses. That doesn’t mean you have to be the only person in the world who can yo-yo in space while drinking water upside down. You want to be showing yourself as a thoughtful person who is coming to campus with an evolved sense of what you’re going to do and the impact you’re going to have. That is your first step: a true understanding of yourself.

Tasha:

Now that students have a good base level of knowledge, how do they make that happen? How do they launch into a mindset where they think about what they want admissions folks to understand about them while being genuine and being themselves?

Kayon:

Oh, the easy part, of course! I’m joking. It does come with a lot of moving parts. I want to talk about the idea of being “well-rounded.” Back in our day, that was common parlance. These days, the college admissions process is actually asking our students to be “pointy”— having a sharp and narrowed focus earlier and earlier.

You should build your profile around the things that excite you. If you are a historian, a biology major, or a computer scientist, the expectation is that you are targeting those courses where available — pushing yourself to take rigorous opportunities like dual enrollment, AP, or IB courses because you love this area. Once you are showing your total domination over your academic space, then I’m looking to understand how you spend your time outside of class.

Is that economics club for you because you want to be in economics research? Are you the president of the history club? Have you initiated a new competition? A big piece of why extracurriculars are important is because it shows me your intrinsic motivation. You want to spend time on athletics because you are a team player and have those different skill sets. We want to make sure you are thoughtful about the spaces you’re entering and how it will help you create that “point” and really fine-tune what it is you’d like to do moving forward.

Tasha:

Great. Now I want to talk about initiatives. What concretely can students take if they feel like they might not have that much to work with within the framework of their schools or community programs? This depends on the year of high school the student is in and whether or not they have time to take new initiatives.

Kayon, how can students show initiative?

Kayon:

It’s always about how you are going to impact our campus. You are the driver of your own life. I’m looking at the choices you have made and assuming you’re going to make similar choices once you get to our campus.

Let’s start with the most common way: joining clubs and activities that already exist. That’s a great way to join a group of like-minded peers and take on a piece of that pie. Maybe you are running the mentorship program or one of the marquee events. You can show that even within a situation that has already been created, you can take something, run with it, and have an impact.

If a student says, “I joined a club, but it’s not very active,” that is another way you can show initiative. You can be responsible for rejuvenating that club. Maybe you brought a new idea or a competition and got four or five friends to pull it together. That shows initiative because you have taken on a leadership role whether you had the title or not.

Then we can go up another level where you are the one initiating a club because it didn’t exist and you saw a need. But I don’t want students to feel like the only option they have is to start their own club. You can join and have an impact without feeling like you need to take on a whole new initiative.

Another way is taking on personal projects. If you don’t have the infrastructure at your school, this shows what you’re able to do with the resources you have and your own drive. I want you to be thoughtful about completing a project from start to finish. If you’re a future CS major, create an app and post it on the App Store. If you are a historian, do a literature review and try to get it published. I want you to be thoughtful about taking on something you can finish, rather than starting four or five things that sounded cool but don’t have that final piece.

Tasha:

I really appreciate that reminder that students do not have to start new clubs at their high schools. High school administrators would thank us for that!

Moving on, students are in high school with teachers and counselors who guide them and who are a part of the process through recommendation letters. Kayon, how can students stand out through recommendation letters? To what extent do they have control over what is being written?

Kayon:

I do love reading recommendation letters because this lets me know who you are day in and day out. It’s a little trickier for you to manufacture this because this will just be a true reflection of who you are as an academic.

If you are an eager participant, always willing to contribute a well-reasoned thought, I will hear all about that. It doesn’t always have to be academic. If you are a math wizard but you finish your problems 10 minutes into class and then turn to those around you to offer help, that is a win.

If you are quieter and don’t love group spaces, I encourage you to follow up with your teacher after class. Tell them you really loved a specific point. I’ll get that feedback as well — that this student is someone who will sit with the material and come back 72 hours later with profound outcomes. I want students to know that when it comes to letters of recommendation, you’re really writing them every single day that you’re interacting.

One thing you can do to help jog your teacher’s memory and exert a little influence is what we call a “brag sheet.” In your request for a letter, remind them why you’re asking. Maybe it was a meaningful class and you include an anecdote where you were being a fantastic team player. You can’t write the letter yourself, but you can help your teacher remember why you would be a highlight. In addition to your resume, add context about what you do outside of class.

Tasha:

The brag sheet — and I think “sheet” is the operative word. Ideally one page. You don’t want to hand over a report to your teacher because they have other students they need to be writing letters for as well.

Lastly, students are applying to different kinds of colleges — research universities, liberal arts colleges, or arts conservatories. How can students stand out at different kinds of schools?

Kayon:

Great question. I’m going to charge students to think about school research as a tool for figuring out “fit.” If you are looking at a small liberal arts school that uses the Socratic method, it’s a very discussion-based classroom. You want to highlight all your best traits that would elevate that discussion. You might talk about your experience on the debate team or how you love to bring philosophy into economics. You are telling them you’re an interdisciplinary learner.

If a school brands itself as committed to community service, and you have 200 hours of volunteering, you want to highlight that. Not to be somebody you are not, but to see which elements of these schools are a good fit for you so that you can highlight them. At a large research institution with 40,000 students, you might talk about your ability to build community and navigate such a large space. Doing your research on the school and hearing how they brand themselves is going to be your best strategy.

Tasha:

Absolutely. My last reminder to students is going back to the beginning: Two truths can exist at once. You can be one in a crowd of many who have done similar things, but you are also your own person. It’s about striking the balance of not trying to be some super-powerful person who “stands out,” but finding how you can highlight the best version of yourself.

Kayon:

I want to second that. I want students to feel confident sitting in their truth. One of my favorite essays I read as an admissions officer was about a student taking piano lessons. That was it for the content, but it was a beautiful piece of writing — a masterclass in creativity that showed me how they think.

I’m not asking you to be anything other than who you are. Authentically show up. Lean into your love of math. Lean away from activities that you don’t find exciting. Do what you are excited about, not what you think colleges are looking for. They want to be able to relate to you as a student and see the ways you can impact their campus. I believe in you, you’ve got this, and good luck in the process!

Tasha:

Thanks so much, Kayon. That just about wraps up this episode of the Just Admit It! podcast. If you have any suggestions about what we should be covering, please email us at [email protected]. In the meantime, you can catch up on all our previous episodes by visiting our podcast page. From IvyWise, I’m your host, Tasha, and this has been Just Admit It!

Learn More