Perfect Grades Aren't Enough: What Ivies Really Look for in Applicants

Skyler Adams spent years on the admissions committees at Northwestern and the University of Chicago, reading thousands of applications before becoming a consultant himself. Jessica Ferraro was admitted to Harvard and six other selective schools as a student, then spent decades helping families do the same through Cambridge Prep. Avi Lidgi focuses specifically on Ivy League and Top 25 applicants, building a narrative strategy around each student's real story rather than a generic template. This panel is for juniors and seniors applying to highly selective schools who want a clearer picture of how admissions committees actually read a file once grades and scores are already strong. Expect direct talk about essays, extracurricular narrative, and the judgment calls committees make that a transcript alone cannot explain. Bring your own application questions.