How do you get into Harvard or Yale?

[alekstra]

I tried to find people who went there on their facebook pages, but most people who comment are just people who WANNA go.

And then I found one guy. He seemed like one of those rich people who went there. He lived in Beverly Hills and all. I messages him, then he said to check on their website unless I can't read. Then he blocked me!

What do you have to do in high school? How do people get in?

And what if you're not rich? Do you have to be extremely more intelligent than the ones who do have the money to go there?

[Soccer Mom]

You have to be born wealthy otherwise it will never happen. They are crappy schools anyway. Got to Berkeley or Stanford. Harvard and Yale are never in the top 100 schools. They are just store bought degrees. Those are the kind of schools where people like George W. Bush gradeeated. You'd never see a politician from MIT or CIT, they always come from schools where their parents donate millions to overlook their childs poor grades. Many of Bush's college professors tell stories about him cheating and getting poor grades. He graduated with one of the lowest GPA's ever from an Ivy league school.

[Theevilhillbilly]

You have to get fantastic grades to get in, and have fantastic scores on your college entrance exams, also you have to write an awesome college entrance essay. I hear it helps if you have the money but they also take in students with low incomes. This one guy from my high school got in, but people said that he was brilliant.

[Tommy]

1. Strong GPA. Have all or almost all A's. Your course-load should be quite difficult, with a majority AP classes. All four years of high school should be marked with academic rigor and academic success.

2. High SATs. Your score should probably be greater than 2200. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need perfect test scores. As far as I can tell, a 2300 is pretty much just as good as a 2400.

3. Good extracurrics. Having lots of extracurrics is not necessary. Having several (2-3) meaningful extracurrics is definitely necessary. They want to see passion and dedication. If you have minor positions in thirty different clubs, top colleges will sniff out the BS and not let you in.

4. Strong essays. Write meaningful essays that show them what type of person you are.

5. Solid recommendation letters. Make sure you have good relationships with your teachers.

In response to previous comments:

It does not matter if you're rich. It's 2014, not 1973 when Bush attended. For instance, Harvard gives extremely generous scholarships. If they want you to attend, they will work with you to make it happen. Harvard and Yale are always ranked in the top 100 best universities. Maybe some people get in based on great extracurrics, but I doubt any of those people are dumb.

[PastaBella]

More than 65% of Harvard students receive "Needs Based Scholarships" because they cannot afford tuition. So, you do not need to be wealthy.

You should be your school Valedictorian, have a 3.95 to 4.0 in all honours/AP courses, 4 years of a foreign language, academic competition awards at the state or national level (Science Fairs, Mathematics Competitions, etc.), Leadership experience, a few hundred Volunteer hours, things like enrichment experiences in academic camps and summer programs at local Universities (Med Camp, Engineering Camp, Computer Camp, etc.), music/sports or other interests; and most importantly, something exceptional that will help you to stand out from the 35,000 brilliant applicants for which only 6% are accepted. Past successful applicants had already started successful business making as much as $1m or more in sales, started a national charity, invented something important, had their writings published, etc.

Oh, and lastly, you'll need a 2250 or higher SAT, with at least a 790 of two additional SAT II Subject Tests.

[City]

I went to Harvard.

I do not come from a rich background. I just had grades and test scores that were at the Harvard average, and I had some unusual experiences in life before applying (i.e., spending a lot of time in developing countries as an exchange student) and put them on my personal statement.

Wealth by itself has nothing to do with Harvard admissions; admissions are based on grades, test scores and personal statements.

Harvard is very generous with financial aid.

[Nathaniel]

These days, it may be an advantage to have less. Admissions officers at both schools are searching for the smart kids who overcame financial difficulties, a true indication of intelligence and work ethic. A guy from Beverly Hills whose parents are lawyers won't get away with a 2000 on his SATs. A girl from the inner city living in a one-room apartment? 2000 would be impressive.

That being said, if your father is a senator or your mother is CEO of a major company, your chances might be higher because of their connections and influence. In terms of wealth alone, however, less is more these days in Harvard and Yale admissions.