Former Ivy League admissions officer and author of Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students, and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize, Joie Jager-Hyman shares a few tips for suriviving the process and managing expectations:

If you’re a typical potential Ivy League applicant, you’re probably feeling more than a little stressed by the looming application deadline of January 1st.  In addition to all that senior-year homework you have to do and all the clubs in which you have to demonstrate leadership, you now have to answer tricky essay questions like “Write page 217 of your 300-page autobiography” or “Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant way.”

As a former Ivy League admissions officer, I know that the process can be stressful and confusing. Unfortunately, getting into a top college isn’t like Buddhism or Alcoholics Anonymous–there aren’t 12 steps that you can follow to enlightenment. That’s why I’m often surprised by all the bad advice that’s floating around when it comes to gaining an edge in the college admissions process. There’s no secret formula for getting in, but understanding what doesn’t work will save you time, money and, possibly, some tears.

–Don’t take easy classes just to get good grades. Admissions officers don’t just look at your grades, they also look at the courses you took in high school. A straight-A student in easy classes is like a minor leaguer with lots of potential. You’ve never competed against the major leaguers–those terrific students who challenged themselves in high school–and you’re not sure how you’d do. Colleges can’t be sure either, which is why it’s really important to push yourself (within reason) when it comes to your high school coursework if you want to get into a top college.

–Don’t believe the hype when you hear admissions officers at competitive colleges tell you that SAT (or ACT) scores don’t matter. It’s no coincidence that the average SAT scores in the Ivy League are sky-high and climbing. They are a convenient tool with which to compare students from different high schools with inconsistent grading criteria. Plus, it’s hard to justify accepting an A student with mediocre SAT scores when you are faced with another A student who also excelled on all of his or her tests. Be sure to look at a college’s average SAT scores when trying to assess your chances of getting in.

–Don’t pass up the statistical advantage of being an Early Decision candidate. Several Ivy League colleges offer students this option whereby they may submit one application to their first choice school by early November (as opposed to the Jan. 1 deadline for Regular Decision) and agree to enroll if admitted. Studies have confirmed that colleges prefer to admit students who commit to matriculating. So, if you fall in love with a college before Nov. 1, show it your love by applying Early Decision–and it will be more likely to love you back.

–Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the “perfect” essay will make up for less-than-perfect academics. The college admissions process is primarily an academic evaluation and students’ personal characteristics are only considered after their scholastic performance has been appraised. In my experience, students tend to latch onto the essay because–unlike the three years worth of grades on your transcript–the essay is one of the few things you have control over during the fall of your senior year. Though the essay is important, it’s also important to have realistic expectations of what it can do for you. No one gets into an Ivy League college just because he or she wrote a good essay.

–Don’t ignore the role your teachers and guidance counselors play in putting together a great Ivy League application. Most Ivies ask for two teacher and one counselor recommendation, and these are read with great interest in the admissions office. Remember, the process is primarily an academic evaluation, so what your teachers and counselors say about you counts as least as much as what you say about yourself.

Finally, one more piece of unsolicited advice: Don’t stress about college so much that you ruin your high school experience. Driving yourself and everyone around you crazy won’t change any outcome other than possibly inviting a breakdown or burnout. Remember that college is just four years of a (hopefully) long life. So pace yourself. Many of you will get to do all this again when you apply for graduate school.

- Joie Jager-Hyman was a former Assistant Director of Admissions for Dartmouth College, where she worked from 2000-2002. During that time, she read and evaluated over one thousand applications for undergraduate admission and interviewed hundreds of prospective students. She also traveled extensively, speaking to large audiences of students, parents, and counselors about the undergraduate admissions process. She is a perfect speaker for high schools, parent groups, and corporations seeking to demystify the college admissions process.