Behind The Ivy Curtain: A Data Driven Guide to Elite College Admissions

This book uses real data from nearly 5,000 students to discuss what works and what doesn't for Ivy League admissions, and presents a plan that any student can use to maximize their chances of getting accepted to a top school. I analyzed SAT/ACT/GPA/test scores as well as qualitative things like extracurriculars and recommendations/essays from the College Confidential forums to build up a database of profiles and admission outcomes. The book is intended for high school students and parents who want to learn more about what happens "behind the scenes" in the admissions process and what things make an applicant competitive and what is just a waste of time. Professional college consultants charge thousands of dollars for this information, and here's your chance to get the same advice for just $5. Much of the information is available online buried deep in forums and comments over the years. I first found this world as a high school sophomore and soaked in as much knowledge as I could and became the first kid from my school to attend an Ivy League school (Yale). I was eager to share my information and advise other kids on the admissions process, and this book is my way to pass on that knowledge to the rest of the world. The three unique things about this book: 1. It discusses what happens after you submit your application, so you understand how you're evaluated. 2. It analyzes data from thousands of students (via College Confidential forum posts) to see what was effective. Some schools have systems to do this, but to date nobody has parsed data from all over the world to analyze outcomes over several years (2009-2014). 3. It summarizes all this up to give you clear, actionable advice on what to focus on to maximize chances of admission to a top school.