the last year has been stressful for high school students and their parents it has been impossible to predict when various competitive exams like jee neet clat will be conducted additionally the board exams have been even more unpredictable with cbse icse and several state boards postponing and finally deciding to base their scores on internal assessments the uncertainty gets amplified when it comes to the university admissions with the existing high competition and multiple postponements it is difficult to say with confidence when a student will be admitted to their dream university in the last few months we have spoken with several students that are considering foreign universities as a credible backup for their higher education plans unlike a unidimensional admission process based on an entrance test the process for admissions to the ivy leagues and other elite universities worldwide is holistic and considers multiple factors at the highest level colleges want college ready students who will succeed in their studies and beyond if admitted will you be able to handle the academic rigor of their classes admission officers also assess your potential as a graduate of their school are you someone who could become a ceo win the nobel prize become a prime minister the top universities use your grades academic interests extracurricular activities application essays and your letters of recommendation to judge your ability focus and future potential the following factors are crucial for demonstrating your college readiness1 academic performance no surprises here since you are seeking admission to a higher education institution the top universities like to see your past performance and make sure you have the intellectual capacity to manage their curriculum this is a necessary and a crucial factor in a strong application 2 favorite subjects are you good in certain subjects how have you demonstrated your passion and interest in your favorite subjectss beyond what is taught in the classroom have you studied certain subjects at a higher level have you appeared for advanced placement ap exams in your favorite subjects have you secured a position in reputed events like the math olympiad have you differentiated yourself through research papers or college credit courses 3 standardized tests students preparing for admissions to us universities are well aware of the standardized achievement test sat this is a 1600point test of english and math it helps universities compare thousands of applicants from across the world on two subjects crucial for higher education 4 extracurricular activities any activity that you have pursued over an extended time period is a part of you extracurricular activities are not something you should pursue just for your admission applications these activities help you become a wellrounded individual and prepare you for life some examples are provided below leadership being in the student council prefect college captain sports captain etc holding a leadership position shows that you are respected by your peers andor teachers sports excelling in any sport basketball soccer martial arts cricket etc you should