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The University of Chicago, or UChicago, is a private research university located in, get this, Chicago, Illinois. UChicago is ~quirky~, famously very hard, and attracts a specific type of student. If you’re that kind of student, you know it, and you probably really, really like UChicago, which of course is why you’re here.

If you are a student who loves the commercials more than that tv show, who relishes a good billboard campaign or who finds joy in a clever social media strategy, you may be looking towards a marketing major come college. Some of the best colleges in the country have exceptional marketing programs, including the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin, and UC Berkeley, just to name a few. But getting into these schools requires more than a strong transcript and a love for snappy marketing language.  

High school juniors interested in economics tend to have fallen in love with the subject through one of a few avenues. Either they had a teacher who emphasized economics or who taught an elective course fully focused on economics, and it was a fabulous class, or they are fascinated by the world of business and fell in love with economics through the lens of national or global markets. Possibly, it was both — a fantastic teacher and a penchant for following what’s happening in the markets and how policy and current events impact the economic landscape. And now you are a junior passionate about economics and only months away from writing your college applications. So, what do you do to stand out?

Sophomores are in a weird middle of their high school experience. Nothing all that big is happening yet towards college outcomes. It’s not time for most students to take the SAT or ACT. You aren’t in a leadership role yet for most of your activities, as that will come junior or senior year. Your grades are great, but you also haven’t been pushed to your limit yet with the most advanced courses on offer at your high school. At the same time, everything is building towards junior year and senior fall. Nothing that a sophomore does is inconsequential. Instead, it is a building block — and that includes college visits.  

Carnegie Mellon University, sometimes just called Carnegie Mellon or CMU, is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has many great programs, but it is mainly known for its STEM majors, including its engineering programs through its College of Engineering. CMU is competitive to get into. Last year, their acceptance rate was just around . However, if you are applying to popular programs like those offered by the engineering school, that number can be even smaller. If you are serious about CMU, you need to be an elite candidate, and there are a couple of steps you need to take to set yourself up for success.

Yale is a dream school for millions of students, but less than two thousand undergraduates make it into each graduating class. Most get in a first years, straight out of high school. However, there is another way in. Yale “enrolls a small number of transfer students” annually, accepting new students from both two-year and four-year institutions. Successful Yale transfer applicants community colleges, from the military, and from other well-respected universities.

Boston College is a medium-sized, private Jesuit college located in Chestnut Hill, MA – just outside of Boston. While the Catholic affiliation can scare away some students, we can tell you that Jesuits are pretty different than the mainstream image; they care deeply about education, social justice, and service. BC is known for their fantastic programs in Human-Centered Engineering, Econ, Finance, and Political Science, and is an all-around great school if you’re looking for a well-rounded liberal arts education.

Tufts University is a private research university located just outside of Boston in Medford, MA. While it’s a research institution, they’re also known for their stellar liberal arts programs and some of the most popular majors include computer science, international relations, and economics.

If you aren’t happy at your current college and are thinking, “maybe Harvard would do that trick?” you aren’t alone. Harvard is objectively awesome as an academic institution for nearly any field. Dreaming of a transfer to Harvard is very different than actually executing on that dream, however.