73 Questions With A Former IVY LEAGUE ADMISSIONS OFFICER | New York Times Published Author

[@Domonique_Cynthia]

73 Questions with a former ADMISSIONS OFFICER!! Ahhh, so thankful for this opportunity and I learned so so much! Becky has created an admissions video for folks who are interested in her BEST college admissions advice! It's basically her masterclass in college admissions! For access to the video is is only $19 and can be found using the link: www.beckytalksadmissions.com/ What was the biggest thing Becky said that shocked you or you took note of??🤔 *** Becky is not for hire as an individual college counselor.

[@allaboutroy7399]

Oh my gosh this was so helpful THANK YOU!!!

[@zainahefia7174]

She was very clear. It was a nice interview!

[@muskanmahajan04]

The fact that I am getting such valuable info for FREE, and viewable at my own pace..Thanks a lot Dominique! :D

[@rainyheartzhang2248]

Hi, Cynthia~ This is Rosa, an individual college counselor in China (graduated from Emory)~ Becky's book is really informative and it will help a lot of Chinese students and parents to understand the actual process of college application and admission in the U.S. I am wondering if it is possible to connect with Becky to maybe translate the book into Chinese. I know it is a far reach:)

[@johnbrown-um3lf]

THESE 73 QUESTIONS WERE ON POINT !!!! THERE IS SO MUCH TO LEARN FROM THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS

[@pearcup362]

My biggest takeaways -Make the most of your opportunities -Do something and follow authentic interests -Don't check boxes, instead find a way to best present your existing list -Be thorough in presenting the best case for yourself -As for your course load, don't drown but prepare yourself -If you get waitlisted, make it heard that this school is your number one choice and keep the school updated

[@isaiahdoble4182]

And FIND THE RIGHT FIT SCHOOL! Not the highest ranked one!

[@ml09394]

and be rich

[@fauxdauteur]

Imagine being friends with her kid. You go over their house and she sits you down and gives you the blueprint on how to get into any univerisity in the United States of America. Every tip, suggestion, hack, or embellishment, she got you covered.

[@carsonfu9315]

ikr😭

[@kiran-thetributechannel]

She wrote a book, Read it.

[@v21aaron]

@@fauxdauteur she said it at the beginning bozo

[@samairasood_]

better yet being her kid

[@mariamtarek6014]

Imagine being her kid instead!!

[@prakharsingh6807]

I have seen more college videos than you can imagine, this was undoubtedly the most helpful.

[@allaboutroy7399]

IKR! It was so real! Like a lot of answers are disappointing just because the fact that there isn’t one formula of admissions is just TRUE

[@estebanacebedo6706]

I've already seen you in more than one video.... lol

[@Nn.65juk]

@@allaboutroy7399 i was born in 2002 and got into MIT at aeroesoace engineering. In 2023 i will end my degree. I came from brazil

[@lionheart4529]

You know the Western world with Western ideologies is failing horrifically right? 😂

[@NewYorkNevada]

I agree. I've seen lots of these and this was full of new bits of info I hadn't heard before. Very worthwhile video!

[@FrankDCaicedoOficial]

I listen to her advice one year ago. Today, I got into Dartmouth college MPH thanks to her. The impossible is truly possible.

[@MohHarith]

Can you tell your stats please. I am from india and I am really confused how students have so many international achievements. We don't even have opportunities or information to us

[@JeffSmith-pl2pj]

The admissions officer at Yale when asked if it is better to have an A in a regular class or a B in an AP class said it was better to get an A in an AP class.

[@shrijitasgable]

Absolutely brilliant. What a lovely lovely woman. So cute that she was carrying her book in the bag! This is exactly the kind of marketing I would go for instead of bragodisio, overcompensating/forceful marketing. So idyllic and pretty. Loved her answers too! She’s going to be a career role model for me!

[@bpxl53yewz29]

I hope admissions officers remember that most learned remotely for 18 months and could not take part in extracurriculars or volunteering during that time. Even when things slowly reopened, some had to think about vulnerable family members living with them. Not every student had a choice.

[@GR-gk5xs]

Same here. It’s crazy to see people that somehow still have like 16 extracurricular activities even during COVID

[@Abdul-bk5fj]

As long as u mention that, u’ll be fine. Tho there are students with even worse circumstances and still doing more. It’s all about the applicant pool. U are definitely right in saying u have family members to take care of but if some other kid did that AND did a shit ton of ec’s, they gonna take him

[@yukiqiuu]

Same I wasn’t able to do anything until junior year. I did not do any extracurricular, sports, or join clubs (my school didn’t gave club).

[@neilbrons529]

@@avajayne7250 Just make sure to let them know, they'll be understanding

[@jaredtgriffinatyahoo]

Lol I like how she smoothly dodged some of those sensitive questions, and the interviewer let her get away with it 😁

[@susiepeters8]

i thought this was an actual vogue video-YOU ARE SO AMAZING AND TALENTED i really needed this as i’m applying to college!

[@jackpumpunifrimpong-manso6523]

She is so clever and professional

[@aksharaagrawal6647]

I think I got the best peices of advice I would ever get from anywhere else about this holistic approach of college's admissions process. Thank you so so so much Domonique for putting out this incredible video ☺️✌️

[@frederickhunter9007]

You hit a homer with this one! Informative, thorough and concise. Great video.

[@mylanoel3136]

I’m a sophomore in high school, looking into to applying to ivies and other colleges! My school doesn’t offer APs and I’ve been worried about it for this process! We do have dual enrollment classes, which I plan on taking whenever I have the opportunity. Thank you for making this video! In the coming years when I have to go through this process, this information will definitely help!

[@brearagu9949]

To escape hell believe in Jesus he shed his blood for your sins, he rose again for you to be in heaven.

[@paulinar8166]

literally same! abt the aps & stuff & i’m a sophomore. wish you the best of luck too!!

[@KaElSah]

You're on a good path. Get the college experience while in high school. :)

[@daquonsimmons8240]

Why does your school not offer APs? that is very limiting

[@angelina8227]

I promise you AP classes do not even matter, the college exam is kind of a scam considering it only matters on how good you do on the exam at the end of the year, If you truly want credit college early think about that dual enrollment!

[@toxicyasuo2897]

Admissions officers are really good at dodging questions lol

[@victorbrown932]

She reminds me of my guidance counselor from years ago - lovely woman. The interview is useful not only for students, but for parents like me who have so much invested in their children's success in the college application process. Thanks!

[@someone-zp7lr]

An actual useful college video , THANK U SOOOOO MUCH FOR THIS VID IT’S INCREDIBLY USEFUL . Especially bc u talk abt things that aren’t really talked about , and hearing it from an actual former administration officer made me more sure of the information

[@scottonspruce]

She has a very good personality.

[@madiantin]

This was so helpful, and so painful to watch. Dartmouth is my son's first choice...but I doubt he'll even apply. We just can't afford it, which was a very disappointing and painful thing to realized once we crunched the numbers. He has a goal now to go to the local state university and apply to Dartmouth for graduate school. Fingers crossed that works out for him. I'll save this video and send it to him when he starts thinking about applying to Graduate schools. Really helpful info on admissions, thank you so much. I would love to see a video on the differences between undergrad and grad admissions.

[@AshutoshK-w4e]

hey... dont worry. The Gods have a plan, and whatever is happening will turn out to be amazing in the end. I will pray for yall. He'll definitely get in. I just want that you pray that I get into my dream school too!!

[@madiantin]

@@AshutoshK-w4e This is such a kind comment, thank you so much. He ended up going to the local state university, and it has actually worked out really well for him. It has been a revelation to realize it was the best choice for him all along. Who knew?! Well...God did I suppose. =D. So it's all working out well. Who knows what the future will bring post-graduate, whether it will be Dartmouth or somewhere else.

[@AshutoshK-w4e]

@@madiantin That is amazing to hear! I wish him all the best in his future endeavours!

[@madiantin]

@@AshutoshK-w4e Thank you!

[@anita34d]

This was very insightful and helpful, Domonique. It cleared up some questions and myths of what is important. There is so much to think about when applying. Just the thought of it is overwhelming. But this video brought everything into perspective and will make it easier for us to focus on what the true tasks at hand will be. Thank you!

[@chessplayer0106]

She's excellent at dodging and giving non-specific answers!

[@---zg7ex]

i love this style of interviewing with passion questions

[@edmond_HFX]

Great interview! I read her book which is also quite informative.

[@iHope2inspire]

Very informative. Dom, you killing the game fi real!!

[@bridgecross]

I'm sure dealing with admissions at Ivy League level has it's own challenges, but for the most part these schools have it made. Every school district in the country has kids applying to your school. Every kid with a 100% GPA or higher and near perfect test scores has been told "you're so smart you should go to Harvard" all their lives. You get 50,000 applications, need to admit only 2,000 so you've got 10,000 or more utterly qualified to attend. Wading through them must be tedious, but it also must be like a kid in a candy store. You almost can't go wrong.

[@chishark]

I ❤this interviewer- so upbeat and didn’t interrupt!!

[@michaellakouadio6133]

That was so useful. I’m looking into the ivies for my master. So thank you!!!!!🧡🧡

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

Go elsewhere because the sheer Numbre of Applicants might deny you Admissions,

[@georgegreen442]

I really enjoyed the energy you and Becky demonstrated. A good set of insightful and just plane fun questions. Very nice job. My two takeaways from Becky was not to be a box checker and find a college that is a great fit.

[@msshana3292]

Thoroughly enjoyed this interview it felt honest.

[@sabrinae.6361]

I love your style of interviewing, sounds very warm and professional at the same time! Def subscribed

[@Moosie3]

Interviewer has great EQ & what a delightful and authentic admissions offer. Sending to my niece, a Sophmore

[@maureenb3892]

This was amazing!! Her energy is absolutely radiant and this was so helpful.

[@boutin3319]

Could you do 73 questions with a Vanderbilt student? Great job with the videos, thank you for providing us with so much info!

[@Kareem_Alcindor]

Invaluable advice provided in a concise and thorough manner.

[@Kunda.Create]

Love Becky! One of the first faces I met in my early days at Dartmouth. An amazing human!

[@jean-christophetates-lecle9960]

There are no dislikes because this video....... is useful.

[@jsum6598]

THANK YOU! I'm a senior applying to college right now and this video was so helpful!

[@felicitasosborn9146]

Very informative I bought her books and ended listening to amazon audible.Highly recommend thanks Becky !!

[@ohiowoodburner]

This is an excellent, high-value vid. Excellent job by both Dominique and Becky! Thanks for both of your contributions!

[@Quintupletwist]

I had a rough freshman year, though I was grateful to be on the privileged side of the pandemic, I still struggled a lot, earned some not-so-impressive grades, and accomplished a lot less than I am capable of. Now I am bouncing back and I hope to pursue a top tier school in the future. This video is great, though the admissions process often is not!

[@onon8909]

i've been WAITING for this one

[@chipochuumpu6602]

Dommmm you’re amazing!!! Thank you sooo much! 😊

[@daniellerussomanno188]

I found this video extremely informative. Thank you for posting it!

[@michaellakouadio6133]

We definitly need more of this from other ivies

[@Glenn-Glenn]

Would be great to revisit this conversation with the rise of AI and how it changes essay writing :) Thanks for the work!

[@danielrivera1833]

3:18 little John with a handler bucket attached with a spreader maybe ? She’s beautiful driving on those backroads.

[@drewbraaten8692]

she is succinct but informative. great video!

[@brearagu9949]

To escape hell believe in Jesus he shed his blood for your sins, he rose again for you to be in heaven.

[@kiribati1719]

@@brearagu9949 what the fuck

[@Engelhafen]

What a gracious woman - nice representation of Dartmouth

[@blueberry8011]

Thank you so much for this😭♥️

[@Abigailleigh123]

As an upcoming freshman this was helpful for me. Thank u! ❣️

[@scottjackson163]

This lady is great. I love her story and her attitude. I had my Ivy opportunity (acceptance for graduate school at Brown), but I took Stanford instead. I’ve often wondered if I made the right decision.

[@saanvibapu960]

This video was so informative! Also I love your voice and laugh!

[@saaramohamed8921]

I hope admissions officers remember that not everyone studied from developed countries. developing countries don't normally offer apa classes or extracurriculras. Getting a basic highshool eductaion is hard enough.

[@aanya1899]

YOU AND GOHAR KHAN ARE THE ONLY LEGITIMATELY HELPFUL COLLEGE ADVICE YOIUTUBE CHANNELS fight me abt it

[@mvslimes5513]

YESSS KING GOHAR

[@jayking8277]

Excellent excellent interview. I am a parent of a junior and I find this video extremely helput. Spot on questionnaire and the answer is really great especially one about the admission officer being a lawyer and the students should I provide enough evidence to make their case. Thank you.

[@ZimbaZumba]

So different from the UK in the 60/70s when you could leave school at 14. The school system was so rigorous that there was virtually no one still left in grade 12 to apply. Your standardised test grades, ie A levels, then decided the university you went to The school system itself was the selection process.

[@andreaweber8059]

We do not usually leave school at 14 in Germany (at least not nowadays) but the rest is as you said. Our grades at Abitur (comparative to A-Levels) decide which subjects we can study at which universities, and that is that. Usually no extracurriculars, essays or recommendations required. Exceptions are subjects like music, performing arts and Art, there you will usually have to have extra exams to get in or hand in some work.

[@franciscojaviermunoz252]

wow she is so amazing!! Now I am adding into my essays that I want to meet her

[@sarahrobison7075]

I loved this video! The questions were so helpful and diverse ❤️ loved it

[@ashleyb5642]

You asked some great questions and her answers were very helpful and insightful. Thank you.

[@huzaifaimam7252]

What a lovely woman, she really knows her stuff.

[@david-liorusa6422]

9 days before the deadline.

[@Yes-ls3wk]

This is extremely insightful! Thank you so much for making this.

[@ese6967]

where should we elaborate on what is available within our specific school system (for international students)?

[@Kyle-cj5fj]

I think the additional information section could be used!

[@math_the_why_behind]

Maybe in a side note in an essay? Idk

[@lynn3570]

@@math_the_why_behind absolutely do not do this! there's not enough space in the essay to put in anything other than the prompt. use the additional info section

[@math_the_why_behind]

@@lynn3570 Thanks for your suggestion.

[@math_the_why_behind]

@@ro.3645 I'm definitely not an expert on this, but I think in this video the former admissions officer said the opposite.

[@Samuel-co9wm]

Thank you so much for this video and for your authentic replies! I am 43 and looking into Grad School and I appreciate the information :)

[@elaine_shi]

Planning on applying to ivies for the class of 2024!!! Wish me luck!!

[@junkurera1651]

class of 2024 wtf?

[@AriiWatson]

🤣

[@JustAnotherLokiStan]

You mean Class of 2026? Lol

[@bxnjxmxn2942]

Be nice you all, she probably means ‘class of 2028’.

[@bxnjxmxn2942]

@Your Grace it actually is, only a one number difference. it’s also called giving people the benefit of the doubt. be nice, dude

[@stt5v2002]

She seems so nice for a person who has destroyed the dreams of innumerable young students. On the serious side though, I hear this same speech in all of the college admission videos I run across. They always use the same vague platitudes about "do what you are interested in" or "don't try to construct the perfect application" or "find a good fit for you." None of it rings true. The applicant wants to get into the school. That's why he or she is applying. It's not some journey of self discovery. It is a process with a binary outcome and only one outcome has any value. No one is applying to Harvard because they are curious about what the admissions committee thinks of them. They are applying because they want to get into Harvard. "Do what you are interested in" is only good advice if that happens to be exactly what the admissions officer wants to see in an accepted applicant. Everyone knows this, and I don't see the point of pretending otherwise. Here is some real admissions advice. If you want to get into school X, find out what the successful applicants to school X did and do that. Get the grades they got, get the scores they got, exhibit the qualities that they exhibited, and write an essay like the one they wrote. Its feels lame, I know. No one wants to feel like they are an assembly line product. But this is the best strategy by far. Do not forget that luck plays a role. There are sometimes 10 or more rejections per admission. Do you really think that only one out of ten applicants is clearly and always the best? Do you really think the process is that precise or organized? The truth is that on Monday admissions officer Green rejects strong applicant John, on Thursday admissions officer Grey accepts equally strong applicant Jim, and on alternate Fridays admissions officer Orange is in such a good mood that he accepts someone with a much lower than average GPA.

[@kristinanance7100]

No, they can tell when you are just checking boxes. I've worked in higher ed for years. You are giving terrible advice, really. Obviously students should to do well in classes and get a SAT score in a given school's typical range, but almost 90% of the applicants will have the similiar grades and scores. What she is telling you is to actually get involved with things **you like** outside of class, be a real person and not a machine off an assembly line. I can not tell you how many applicants are the captain of some team and/or head of student government because that's what they think gets them in an elite school, and they end up looking like a clone of the rest of the applicant pool. It's one thing if you are really passionate about it because that tends to come through, but if not... nobody wants to admit those kids. They don't even know who they are and when they get to an elite school, you're not even sure if they can handle the transition from being top dog to being average in a sea of high achievers becaus they have no motivaton to be there besides chasing prestige. Plus, these schools have their own unique cultures, after the grades they are looking for personalities who are actually good fits, and they can't judge that without getting a sense of who you really are. Box checkers are the worst, don't be that kid.

[@stt5v2002]

@@kristinanance7100 I’m not talking about checking boxes. I’m talking about strategy. The best strategy is not “just be yourself” because you probably aren’t what the admissions committee wants. The best strategy is “present yourself as someone the committee wants, to the greatest extent possible.” It’s absurd to believe that the committee can really know much about you. They have almost no information and almost no time to evaluate what little they have. As recent scandals have demonstrated, they don’t even know if you are actually participating on their own school’s athletic teams or if you took your own ACT. I’m not suggesting lying. I am suggesting targeting and tailoring your applications. Choose activities and projects that have a better chance of working for you. If I wanted to get into Harvard and I knew that they accepted 87% of people who are good at table tennis, I would be practicing table tennis today. This is the mindset. You do what is working for people, not whatever cute idea you came up with on your own.

[@lijohnyoutube101]

@@stt5v2002 I think people taking that route are going to be miserable as adults. Like the doctors I know who became doctors because you do that or are a lawyer. It shows, many are sucky doctors. They have no passion, little empathy or compassion. They are there for prestige and paycheck. There is a far better way to lead life.

[@sharaimcintosh2477]

This was really great feedback. I loved it.

[@michaelterry1000]

The average cost for a 4 year Dartmouth College degree (assuming no financial aid and completing the degree in 4 years) is $320,000. For the past 40 years 1981-2021 the annualized S&P 500 Return (Dividends Reinvested): was 12.226% Over the last 40 years that $320,000 would have grown to: $32.276 MILLION. Am I missing something? How can this possibly be worth it?

[@michaelterry1000]

@@TheDelusionalOne You are correct, I did do that but historically the S&P 500 has had an annualized return about 10% (in this 40 year period it was 12.2%). Still, I don’t see at all how it could be possible for the pay differential between those with and without university degrees would be anywhere near enough to overcome the simple return of the stock market. Don’t forget, the University option loses 4 years of income by just attending. This is just getting worse. University costs are far outstripping inflation.

[@michaelterry1000]

@@muadhnate YEP, 100% true, and if someone wants to go to college regardless of the cost then great, UNTIL, UNTIL that person turns around and wants / demands student loan forgiveness and wants to pass on that debt to the taxpayer, then I have a real problem. Most people go to college and get a degree for financial reasons and to those people I say, crunch the numbers, it probably isn’t worth it.

[@ThePOP1403]

Love love your videos. Can you please do more videos for ivies grad schools? I know it's a lot to cover, but it would be so much helpful. Cheers!!

[@brearagu9949]

To escape hell believe in Jesus he shed his blood for your sins, he rose again for you to be in heaven.

[@calimom21]

These are such great questions and she answered them in a very helpful way. Thank you for doing this interview.

[@janechiu370]

Dartmouth was one of the schools on my wishlist. But at the time I didn’t want to go out of state and till this day I still wondered what it would be like. I wish I can do college all over again. And I did go to a school that was perfect for me and love my time there.

[@suem7500]

Subscribed less than a minute in. Lovely interview style, so engaging

[@davidsmeglap4023]

Well done. Great questions and direct answers. I am sure applicants are burnt out and skim the supplemental questions.

[@xoafrin]

whatever I say comes true and that is permanent for me

[@ameliafargnoli9541]

LOVE THIS!!!

[@nicoletaboada9377]

Can you add closed caption (not the auto CC) for deaf viewers (like me for example)? It should be accessible

[@olereabdul-saliu7314]

Your channel is awesome and immensely helpful. Thanks!

[@xxoffsightxx3962]

Wish this was published last year, when I was applying for college.. lol.

[@felicitasosborn9146]

Book must read in 2021 before your daughter apply to college.Very informative thanks Becky for dos and don’t and other infos Goodluck to your book

[@starscapesss]

Not me literally watching this on October 21, 2022. I'm a high school senior aiming to get into UF, Vanderbilt, and/or Yale. I'll try to update when I receive my decisions!!

[@trollymoo]

Update?

[@cirquemagic]

Update?

[@arodisatool]

This was a great interview. Impressed that you did this walking!

[@billlyl3725]

Helpful video with excellent questions. Thanks !

[@OLee-uh8rr]

Omg. This video presented everything what I wanted to ask and more! Thank you Domonique Cynthia! I subscribe your channel!

[@imianco8079]

this was awesome! subscibed & hello from milwaukee !!

[@MS-lh4rg]

The fact she brushed of feeder schools as it so happens and is not an intention is a lack of authenticity that she is preaching! There is no way all the kids in the feeder school are not checking multiple boxes and are highly privileged.

[@ryanrowell8860]

Thank you so much for these videos!

[@genemambo5747]

Wow this actually helped so much

[@faithriccobene3437]

Thank you! This is amazing

[@brearagu9949]

To escape hell believe in Jesus he shed his blood for your sins, he rose again for you to be in heaven.

[@chaseferguson7380]

You should do some of the Northeastern Sub-Ivies. It would help a ton!

[@mimicnature-naturalwayoffa3972]

Great interview, fantastic & relevant questions and wonderfully answered to the point...thank you so much.👌👍🙌

[@oneartsychick1]

I loved everything about your video! Thank you so much to both.

[@bombdottcom111]

Wow that was so interesting, and I loved the walk. Thank you both!

[@Maria-kg1nh]

super helpful. thank you and God Bless!!!

[@math_the_why_behind]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@kyleytrimm7277]

Really loved this! Learned a lot.

[@michellerosa2133]

The biggest difficulty is not being able to afford to go to college. Even with scholarships and financial aid.

[@gabbysalren1531]

Yesss!

[@arinagarifullina9247]

Try out questbridge! It's an organization for low-income high-achieving students that can cover a full ride into top colleges like Yale, Stanford, UPenn, etc

[@deepakbathija6770]

Try scholly

[@tiffanydekel9751]

I know a lot of top universities talk today about taking a holistic approach to applications. But, are those holistic approaches taken after weeding out those who don’t have a 4.0?

[@harjindersinghx-c2270]

✋🏻 why is 73 so special?😁 I mean the story behind choosing 73 please 😊...

[@Moon-ox4il]

This is so helpful already

[@msscreenwriter]

Very good interview!