Our focus at X Factor Admissions is provide the essential insight to help applicants prepare for the challenging admissions process to the 61 most selective colleges in this country with acceptance rates of 25% and below. The preparation needed to gain admission to one of these 61 colleges will be just as valuable for an application to any less selective college with a higher acceptance rate.

Excellent Academics are the Baseline for Admission

Excellent grades, AP courses and outstanding SAT/ACT scores represent the baseline to gain admission to a selective college. With too many applicants meeting this bar for academic excellence, top colleges now look for something extra from an applicant.

Standing Out at One Special Thing is Just as Important

Top colleges admit “superstars” in one special thing. When you nurture your child’s talents, interests and passions early, it helps them develop that X Factor and puts them on track to a top college.

While academic performance is a pre-requisite, demonstrating qualities that elite colleges value is what gains admission for the applicant.

How to demonstrate these qualities is probably one of the most misunderstood and confusing parts of the application process.

An applicant’s choice of activities demonstrate the qualities they possess, just as much as the essay enables an applicant to showcase who they are and demonstrate that they embody the desired qualities.

At X Factor Admissions, our research and data shows that methodical advance preparation enables an applicant to deliver what the selective colleges want.