How to get into top US universities, by a Harvard alum

Part 1: The Myth of the Well-Rounded Student

Why “doing everything” no longer works

For decades, the conventional wisdom was clear: if you want to get into a top university, you need to do it all. Play a sport, lead a club, volunteer abroad, ace your APs, and still find time to start a nonprofit. The idea was simple — the more boxes you check, the stronger your application.

That era is over.

The most selective universities in the world no longer want students who do everything. They want students who are deeply excellent at something. Students who have found something they genuinely care about and pursued it with focus, depth, and intensity.

What Top Schools Are Really Looking For

When we talk to admissions officers and analyze successful applications, the same pattern appears: the students who get in are the ones who can clearly articulate who they are, what they care about, and how they’ve made an impact in a specific area. At Acera Prep, we call this your Signature Strength — the thread that ties your entire application together.

Think of it this way: every part of your application — your essays, your activities, your recommendations — should point to one compelling theme. Your Signature Strength isn’t just what you’re good at. It’s what you bring to a campus that no one else can.

Part 2: Building Your Signature Strength

Start with what matters to you

We know it sounds obvious, but most students skip this step. Instead of chasing resume fillers, start by asking: What genuinely excites me? What have I invested time in — not because I had to, but because I wanted to?

From there, build outward. Use your activities, coursework, and even your summers to reinforce that interest. This doesn’t mean you can’t be multidimensional — it means your application should have a clear center of gravity.

How to Make Your Application Stand Out

Your Signature Strength doesn’t have to be dramatic. It just has to be real — and it has to be yours.

Part 3: What Acera Prep Does Differently

We don’t just review applications. We build them with you.

Most admissions consultants focus on polishing — fixing grammar, reorganizing paragraphs, making surface-level edits. That’s not what we do. At Acera Prep, every student is paired with a dedicated mentor who is an Ivy League graduate. Our mentors help students:

• Identify their Signature Strength early in the process
• Develop a strategic narrative that runs through every part of the application
• Write and refine essays that are authentic, focused, and powerful
• Navigate the application process with confidence and clarity

Built for students aiming at the very top

Acera Prep is designed for students targeting Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, UChicago, and similarly elite institutions. We keep our cohort small so we can go deep — because the students we work with aren’t looking for generic advice. They’re looking for a strategic partner who understands the modern admissions landscape and knows how to navigate it.

We’ve been through it. We know what it takes. And we’re here to help you craft the application that gets you in.