Wow this is rlly eye-opening, I'm also a Christian and I always thought implementing religion into a college application was taboo like politics but now I'm re-considering it. Thanks.
Omg, I'm from Brazil and I also want to study biology, but my ecs are also related to communication, politics. I was feeling so insecure and your video helped me so so so much. Thank you, Tyler, and good luck in college!!!!
This was very insightful, I really enjoyed how you incorporated christianity into your application, you are well rounded. Congrats on harvard (and every other amazing school that you got accepted to) God bless! 🖤🙌
Loved the vid. I really liked your advice on how the truth is that college is a means to an end, a tool to get you to where you ultimately want to be in life. I like to shoot high for the top schools in the world, and give my best effort in high school, because I know that anything I set my mind to is possible. Nevertheless, for those that somehow see getting into a top college as a measure of their happiness, they have the wrong mindset. Now, to talk about your EC’s and stats. I’ve taken away that you’ve really focused on the skills that are essential to life, such as leadership and communication. You took on many activities related to these subjects and cohesively tied it into your app and intended major. Another takeaway that I’ve gotten is to have a “wow” factor or some spike in my application. I will pursue 1-2 areas of interest and really flow my resources into them and take them to the next level. The only problem is deciding what those areas are going to be. I know that I can just go ahead and reflect on my experiences and ask people in the area for their advice. Thanks for all the takeaways!
Congratulations Tyler. I loved seeing you with all your brothers and seeing how excited they are for you. Your stats and ECs are impressive and I appreciated your observation about creating a narrative that tied your ECs with your intended major. Well done. You will have great success at college and in your future! Can’t wdit yo see where you choose!
Top schools like Stanford have such a competitive applicant pool with such low enrollment rates, you never really know what's gonna happen. Schools want to build a well rounded class, so I just might not have had the type of interests/credentials they were looking for. I've seen kids with seemingly lower prereqs than me get into Stanford but I've also seen kids with seemingly better prereqs than me get denied at Harvard. You never know what you're gonna get, I guess.
This was super encouraging to see since my background, stats, courses, and ecs are nearly identical to yours and I've been stressin a little bit about my application, so thanks!
Congrats on all your acceptances (Especially Harvard)! Sounds like you've got some tough choices ahead! I'm a BYU alum and honestly it was a great experience (as I'm sure you can imagine). I have tons of friends who did Pre-Med at BYU and have since gone on to really great schools for Med School (Columbia, Johns Hopkins, etc.) plus the no debt graduation is nice!
Hey man, this was an amazing video for me, as it connected to me so much. I am currently a rising sophomore, and am also a Boy Scout (Lost my SPL election, but will try again next year), involved in Model UN, and want to connect my public speaking with my CS passion. This video helped me so much, thank you! Good luck at Harvard, which is where I assume you are going to go.
Me too, a rising sophomore. See well I want to make a discord group for all sophomores this year; those who are interested in Ivy leagues. See, well I want this group mainly to help each other. Maybe Passion projects, creating an app, something that would assist us all. Pls tell me if you like the idea...pLsSS 💀 Oh and if you do, pls bring more people in the group.
@@alihabib1635 Its a great idea! Sorry for the late response, I just didn't see the comment until YT notified me that Tyler had commented. @Tyler Nilson, Thanks for the response!
I also have a lot of extracurriculars related to politics/business, despite being interested in biology: how did you talk about your interest in biology in your essays or etc.?
These days, there are too many one-sided applicants. Colleges think it's cool if you are interested in biology, but if that's all you've got going for you... you run the risk of fading away in the crowd. That's why it's awesome you have interests in politics and business. Use that to your advantage by explaining how a biology major would require proficiency in the political landscape as well as the business world in order to be effective. Want to improve healthcare systems as a doctor? Then it's a good thing you're building up your political/business knowledge. Keep up your good work, and craft a narrative as a dynamic, multi-faceted applicant in order to stand above the rest. Good luck!!!
Hey, personally I'm a Muslim and i love my religion just like you do. I like helping people too. My question is how do I find competitions that are related to my religion and stuff.
Quran competitions or you can just create Muslim club and help others learn about Islam. You can also get involved in your local mosque and start projects. Good luck.
That's amazing that you are an Eagle Scout that got into Harvard! I'm curious, what was your Eagle project, and which year were you senior patrol leader?
He created a really awesome therapy garden and sensory integration wall and activities for an elementary school in our area that serves children with special needs!!
I’m also a member of the church and planning on applying to some of the competitive colleges this fall. Did you have to explain what seminary is when putting it on your common app?
Yes. I feel like most adults will recognize "seminary" as a religious school/class but I briefly explained the daily commitment because it really does take dedication. Good luck with your apps!!
If you're interested in hearing advice from top college consultants, check out Bullseye! They offer personalized college admissions services, click the link for a FREE session: (joinbullseye.com/tyler-nilson)
I only had interviews at Princeton, Yale, and Harvard. Stanford does interviews, but they didn't offer me one bc they didn't have enough volunteers for the applicants in my area. The rest of my schools don't offer interviews.
THANK YOU for this video! Also how impactful is having a sport (with a leadership position) on your college app compared to other extracurriculars like speech and debate, Model UN, and Science Olympiads?
Congrats! I'd love to get to know you :) Might do an essay video soon. Mostly I referenced experiences within my extracurriculars and connected them to my themes of leadership/service and interdisciplinary (science/politics) interest
Hey Tyler I'm interested in applying for Harvard university,so I wanna know when should I apply if I wanna start in 2023?I am doing grade 11 this year,next year I'll be doing 12th grade.I live in South Africa but I'm Zimbabwean I need your help please.
Doesn't necessarily matter how many extracurriculars, but how engaged you are with each. If you can get some really in depth experience and leadership/service through a small cluster of activities, that could be even better than a bunch of shallow activities. Good luck!
Any tips on SAT essays for a person who hasn't written A SINGLE essay before( not even the normal format forget the response format)??? I'm not from the US btw...
When it comes to essays, nothing really prepares you like having a solid foundation in reading and writing. My best advice would be to take challenging, engaging English courses. Practice timed AP-style essays in your classes until it comes naturally. Personally, I favor the ACT essay (synthesis, personal argument) rather than the SAT essay (rhetorical analysis)
For most colleges, the admissions process is secular. However, involvement in any type of religion demonstrates commitment and colleges recognize that :) Plus, colleges are always looking for ways to boost the diversity (including religious affiliations) of their student body
Your schools aren't the one that hold SAT subject tests. It's like taking the ACT or SAT where you have to sign up to take it at another school I think.
Depends where you'd like to apply. Very few schools require sat subject testing, but a few have requirements for certain majors. You can find out if your colleges require it through a quick google search. If you need one and there aren't any in your area, check the College Board's website and see if you can request accommodations. Best of luck!
Hi I am an international student and i have a 1470 in my SAT (which is low) but I have a pretty decent profile in graphic design and i am also a game developer(check my channel for the trailer of my game and yes I made 97% of it alone with my coding skills),web developer and i am one of the best golfers(I won like 5 tournaments last season out the 6 and was runner up in one) in my city.I am the head of the IT department of the MUN that is going to happen in my school this year plus I also have been a freelancer in the past, taken part in marathons,developed websites for clients etc.Do you think my EC's can help me stand out in my application?
Absolutely! First of all, 1470 is a great score.That'll put you at or above the 50th percentile for just about any US University, so it will help your application. Your coding expertise and athletic experience should make for some very compelling essays. My best advice would be to find a way to connect those experiences for an interesting theme relating towards your desired major. Good luck!
@@tylernilson3127 Will i be able to have a decent shot at Harvard thou with my low SAT (due to corona i feel that the avg sat will drop) because Harvard is my dream school.Is it worth a shot at Harvard,Princetion or Yale? or should i work on some more EC's before i apply (after my AP's)
You can definitely use that to your advantage by crafting a narrative as a trailblazer in your applications. Talk about how you navigated a poorly established, small community by opening up new pathways (clubs, service, etc.) for others. I believe in you!
I am a going to be a junior who is also interested in bio/pre-med. I just started volunteering at a hospital but it ended due to corona. I also have been doing martial arts for 8 years but the last national award I won was before high school. I also am on the JV tennis since freshman year but corona ended it also. Is there any advice you could give me to make the most out of my junior and beginning of my senior year for improving my extracurriculars? I’m very stuck because I feel like I’ve run out of time.
Don't worry. Plenty of other people are in the same situation as you, and colleges understand that. If anything, you can try to make the best out of an unfortunate situation by finding ways to take online courses, render community service, do research, etc. while under quarantine. This would demonstrate enhanced initiative. If those aren't options for you either, still no need to worry. It sounds like you've been doing a great job so far!! Just do the best with what you can to continue the good work you've already built, and it will all work out in the end. Good luck!!
Tyler Nilson ok thanks for the advice, do you remember what you put in the description. I completed over 200 hours in boyscouts,completed many merit badges, and went to several camping trips.
I give you the opportunity to chance me for yale! 😗 International student, 1600 SAT, 5’s on all 5 AP’s i took (self studied), 800 on two subject SATs, glowing letters of recommendation (i guess), good essays (i hope), research at science uni nearby, choir for 4 years, dance team for 6 years, But a 3.3 GPA.😞 (Good luck with that⬆️.)🤔
It's always hard to give a solid answer, especially with the extreme competitiveness of schools like Yale. I'd definitely say your scores and EC's are hard to beat. If anyone has a shot, it'd be you. That being said, it's terribly difficult to make predictions for international students with all the additional factors at play for y'all. If I had to guess, I'd say you'll give Yale a run for their money :) Then again, I'm sure plenty of universities would love to have you--so regardless of the outcome an excellent school is in your future. gl!
Why did u only have 3.3 GPA? Tough teachers? Or what subjects that brought u down ? American schools give better gpa I supposed. U have got to be brilliant to get such SAT score and APs. What country r u from? I think u should try MIT because studying seems quite easy for you.