Profile building is basically the process of acquiring skills and qualities over time with the help of projects, internships, competitions, and extra/co-curricular activities. A strong profile is required for applying to top colleges in the world and can be reflected in the applicant’s resume/CV. It is a major task that is carried out in order to create awareness about the individual’s skills, qualifications, expertise, and achievements that he/she possesses.

Every project, internship, and co-curricular would help you gain different kinds of skills. You should build your profile in the domain that interests you. In this way, you would be able to do the things that make you happy, and eventually, it would lead you to build a strong profile.

Grades and marks are important when you are looking for Indian universities but for abroad education, a high school profile also plays a pivotal role. These days even in upcoming Indian private universities, high school profile plays an important role in college admissions. The overall profile of a student helps in determining the final selection of him/her into the Ivy League colleges. A student with good grades and an overall impressive profile has a fairly high chance than a student with high grades but not an impressive profile.

So, profile building is one of the most profound aspects for a student to develop in order to get admissions to the top Ivy League colleges. The profile building cannot be practiced overnight or in a couple of days. It takes years and months of time to build a solid profile in order to pass all the rounds with flying colors.  

What are Ivy League colleges?

Ivy League colleges are basically a group of private institutions in the Northeast region. The prestigious group consists primarily of 8 colleges. They are:

• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth college
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Yale University

Ivy League colleges are world-class colleges and the acceptance rate here is really low. So, if you want to get into the Ivy League colleges then definitely you need to work hard, be persistent, and have a strong high school resume. Though your grades and SAT/ACT scores are extremely important but they won’t be enough to qualify the rounds and secure a seat.

How to build the profile for top Ivy League Schools?

There are various ways through which you can build a strong profile, like excelling in a particular sport or practicing dancing, singing, painting, etc. Time is really crucial and it waits for one. You need to take every decision with utmost clarity and each decision can act as either a make or a break chance.

Let’s now, move on to the steps required to build an excellent profile.

• Start a little early and try to identify the subjects that interest you

Starting early also gives you some advantages. You would get the time to spend on identifying the interests. You should introspect and do a thorough study as to what subjects or topics interest you and then you can proceed with them in order to grow and develop as an individual. Building projects are an intrinsic part of profile building and it needs a lot of time to come up with unique project ideas and execute them.

• Exploit the opportunities coming your way

When you mention in your CV or in the statement of purpose, the strengths you possess. Then assisting it with a real-life example is important. It would further tend to validate the point that you made. If you get the captaincy of the football team of the school and become successful in getting your team towards victory, then it becomes self-explanatory that you possess the required leadership skills.

You should nurture the skills like leadership, problem-solving, and decision making and participating in the various clubs in the schools and further look to create the opportunity to develop your leadership and management skills.

• Find the internship opportunities

It is difficult for a high school student to get an internship, if you succeed to get one, then definitely you would be having an edge over others and could show the interviewers the skills and the dedication you possess. It would also show the quality of yours to create opportunities and also that you are able to manage things simultaneously without affecting either.

• Focus on extra/co-curricular

Extra-curricular activities play a major role in profile building. Your grades and test scores are not sufficient. If you have excelled the extracurricular then you stand a fair chance in front of the other candidates. Just remember, you do not try to run after the extra-curricular. If you are good at sports then try to reach the highest possible level in it. Keep in mind that “Jack of all trades is a master of none”.

• Participation in the International Competitions

Participating in international competitions can also help you gain an edge over others. You can participate in the various competitions and Olympiads organized by the Indian or the Foreign institutes. The platform provides you the opportunity to present yourself on a global platform and showcase your skills and qualities. You can even do some personality building and relevant courses from websites like edx; it can help you add value to your profile.

• Network building

The top Ivy Leagues schools are known for the network of corporates and business leaders. If you possess any kind of network with the alumni or any other expert then you should not be hesitant and definitely reach out to them and seek their advice regarding the profile building and the other important aspects. They could provide you the valuable advice which would help you to get into the top Ivy League schools.