Many schoolchildren, students, and parents also dream of becoming a student of one of the highest-ranking Northern American universities, be it Harvard or anything else. And the path to such a university is not so unattainable or unfeasible.

Today we’ll dwell in more detail on the opportunities for education in the most prestigious universities in the world and show you a step-by-step model of turning dreams into reality. For the sake of having an example for the article, let’s imagine we’re trying to get into Harvard.

Step 1. Academic Performance

What do you think are the most students are busy with at Harvard University? Of course, with gaining knowledge! It means that today and now, you need to show that you know how to learn. And proof of this is your academic performance.

And so, your first step is to show the highest academic performance. At the same time, remember that the submission of documents takes place one year before the start of training. When submitting documents, you must show your academic performance over the past three years! This means that you always need to study well and be the best in all subjects.

Step 2. Passing Exams

Whether it’s SAT, ACT, or AP – the exams will be waiting. The exam results will force the members of the selection committee to consider your application form more carefully. So, study hard and ace the finals!

Please note that the results of all tests must be sent directly to the admissions offices of your future university. Unless you’re using the Common App, the process of applying won’t be automized. So, be extremely careful with which files you’ll be sending to the university.

Step 3. Awards

The best universities are waiting for the best. Prove it! Prepare all your awards for participation in academic, extracurricular activities, victories in subject Olympiads, diplomas that awarded your scientific work. Show that you have participated in international competitions or subject conferences and that you have always learned more than others.

Step 4. Social Activity

There are numerous possibilities for you to show off your community drive. Here are the options:

1. Work in various kinds of circles or clubs, research school laboratories – this is how you show the university how you invest your time in your personal development. And here it is not the number of important circles, but your personal contribution to the development of this or that activity.
2. Show that you are a leader, that you have done more than others, and that your peers have appreciated you by being elected president of the school or head of the school parliament.  Whatever you do, you are a leader, and others follow you. You are the one setting the path for others.
3. Actively participate in debate clubs. They are great for your social fulfillment. Also, they’ll help you develop strong reasoning abilities. The admissions committee highly appreciates this feature.
4. If you like to write – great! Create a school newspaper and become its main author and editor. Organize a theater club, join a social city project. Anything where you can show your creative talents is suitable.

5. “Being physically active is critical nowadays!” – Under this slogan, feel free to engage in your favorite sport. Fighting for Olympic gold is optional, but the very fact of participating in sports life is a big plus for your portrait.
6. Music is a great way to show your all-around development. Participation in international competitions is not the end result in itself, but a couple of diplomas in your baggage will give you an advantage.
7. And now the most important point in the aspect of social activity – volunteering. Here you must show the dynamics of volunteer work – the more, the better. Learn to receive pleasure from the process of serving other people, learn to give joyfully and with love. This will help you grow spiritually, as well as make your application stronger. This is the practice of leaders!
8. It is also great if you can show that you have already worked during the summer holidays in the professional field of your dreams, or participated in specialized summer camps, or worked in laboratories, took preparatory courses at other universities.

All this together creates an image of a versatile person, and more importantly, a leader who serves as an excellent example for others. This is the main purpose of this part of your application.

Step 5. A Good Essay

Here are some of the top, universal recommendations to make your application essay better:

1. Be original; show what makes you special.
2. Keep your writing style and academic vocabulary consistent.
3. Show that you are well-read by using quotes.
4. Show your strong character. Tell a story that was a real challenge for you. What did you learn, what conclusions did you draw from your own mistakes, how persistent and hardworking you were.
5. Be brief. Be able to reveal your uniqueness within the framework of the requirements of the admissions committee. Make me finish reading your essay to the end. You usually have only 250-650 words of writing room.
6. Share your essay with your family and friends, your teacher, or your fellow students. Get feedback from a variety of sources. Conclude. And only then, you once again write the essay that they want to read to the end.
7. And, of course, remember about grammar – proofread your work more than once.
8. As an option, you can employ professional essay editingassistance to perfect your letter. It’s a popular choice for the students that apply to highly prestigious establishments.

Step 6. The Application Form

1. The first thing you need to fill out is the recommendations of your teachers. Pick the two with whom you have the best relationship. Ask them to discuss your talents and tell you who you are as students and leaders in the class and what kind of student they see you.
2. There may be a recommendation from your coach if you show outstanding results in sports. From your teacher in music or from another club, if you know that your achievements in this direction can really surprise the admissions committee.
3. Here, you can prepare additional materials to reveal your uniqueness. Do this only if you know that your video or additional description of your success will present you as a talented and extraordinary leader.
4. Fill out your application form carefully. Answer all questions as fully as possible. Try to impress with your achievements and accomplishments, not be afraid, and not be shy!
5. Check how correctly and completely all the items of your form are filled in and attach the documents according to the list:

• Application form.
• Your essay.
• Your SAT or ACT score.
• SAT II result.
• Two recommendations from your teachers.
• Harvard supplement documents.
• Your application for financial assistance (if you are eligible).
• Academic transcript of current progress.

Step 7. Keep Track of the Dates

The most important dates for you will be:

• Start-end of admission of documents.
• Posting of the list of applicants.
• The last day of acceptance of applications for consent to enrollment.

Note that the beginning of admission of documents to universities usually remains the same; however, the deadline for submitting documents to budget places remains floating. It depends on when the exams take place.

And now about the main thing – you must send all your documents for admission by November 1, a year before your enrollment. The university’s admissions committee recommends sending documents by October 15! In this case, by May 1, you will receive the desired answer. And it depends on you and your long-term efforts what it will be like.

Don’t Give Up on Your Dreams

Remember, anything is possible if you put your everything into achieving that goal. So, no matter the university you chose, you will pass with a smart and structured approach to the application process. Of course, you’ll have to invest a lot of your time and effort into preparing an impressive track record of activities and accomplishments.

Some more weakly comforting statistics. For the 2016 academic year, 34,303 application forms were submitted to Harvard University, and only 2,706 students were enrolled, but that shouldn’t stop you on your way to your dream. You will be exactly one of these 2,706 students! And you are the one who knows about preparing for admission in advance.