Top universities & the right mindset

A strategic overview of top universities and what it takes to get in.

Includes pro tips on the right mindset, first steps and common mistakes.

Top Universities across the world

In the United States, people talk about Ivy League universities to refer to the most prestigious universities in the country. The term dates back to the 1930s, when a sports journalist used the term “Ivy colleges” to describe the inter-college rivalry which existed between eight historic schools and their sports teams. Today, the top universities are not exactly those eight, but close enough - just add the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, the University of Chicago, UC Berkeley, and you are almost there.

Every country has its own Ivy Leagues. In India, for example, these are the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), and so on. You can find these lists in global rankings like the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings or the QS World University Rankings.

Different names, slightly different recruiting processes, but the same underlying implications of being (or not) a student there. Attending such institutions signals to the market a very strong commitment to quality education and a desire to achieve high standards professionally. A certified quality stamp.

Not everyone can afford, wants to attend, or will be accepted to these universities. And you can succeed in your professional life without them.

So, why talk about Ivy Leagues here?

First, because they set the highest standards in university recruiting. In the United States, the acceptance rate to these universities is between 3 and 8%; in India, it is well below 1%.

If you understand the recruiting process, how they make decisions, and the mindset needed to succeed, you are ready to get into many good universities across the world (Ivy League or not).

Second, they are at the heart of academic excellence, and they lead university ranking systems. These systems create good and bad choices and disproportionally reward the people who make it to the top ones (the winners take all theory). Getting in requires resources (i.e. time, money, and/or sponsorships) and connections. That makes it much easier for young people exposed to well-connected families and schools.

The right mindset

Getting into a top university in any country requires at least three things: determination, networking, and strategic thinking:

Determination

I often hear people saying the following:

"Depending on my GMAT score I will decide where to apply"

"I will apply and see if the bell rings; if not, I will try next year"

Nothing wrong with this. But there is a very high chance they won´t make it. Not because they cannot meet the requirements, but because they lack the most important thing: determination.

You need a lot of determination to spend many hours preparing the tests (GMAT, TOEFL, etc.), drafting applications and essays, finding dozens of people to network with, and figuring out how you are going to pay back USD 100k-300K. If you do not feel the drive or it just sounds like too much work, perhaps it is not the right time for you. You need to get to the point where you speak more like:

"I won´t stop until my GMAT is good enough"

"I know what I want and what I have, and I will work hard until I get in"

Networking

Networking does not come naturally to many people. Like most things in life, it is something we learn, practice, and become more comfortable with over time (even if we still don´t love it).

Getting into top universities requires you to network to get at least three things:

First, credible reasons for why you want this MBA or university. You can do a lot of research online, but the best applicants´ responses come from those who are genuinely excited about the university and have specific details that come from hearing the experiences of alumni.

Second, having referrals from alumni. You may not know anyone from Harvard or MIT now (and that´s okay), but by the end of the application process you need to. And these people will have to write referrals about you. For the university, it is important to know that someone who made it in the past thinks you should also attend the same university. Networking here is about connecting with them (and following up) to the point where you feel comfortable asking for help and them giving it to you. Not everyone will be willing to do it, so you will have to work hard to ensure two to four are willing to do it. Sometimes, people will start the conversation with “Just to be clear: I will not write a referral for you”, and sometimes, when you have a good chat and generate a good connection, the same person will change their mind and say “OK, I will write it for you”. It is really about connecting with many people, until you really connect.

Third, knowing the recruitment process by heart. The advice in this website was built together with MBA and Master´s students in top universities in the USA, so it is a solid starting point. But there is always space for more digging, so you can feel in control of the whole process.

What sort of KPIs do recruiters have for their end-of-year bonus and how does this affect you?

We give you an answer here. But there are many other questions like this you need to find on your own as part of the learning process.

The earlier you start the networking, the more efficiently you will use your time. Don't wait until your resume is drafted and you have the right GMAT score to start.

One of our mentors for this platform was initially in the waiting list for his dream university. It was only when he realized that he was missing a strong push in the "why this university" question that he began focusing on networking. In a few months, he spoke to 50 people (most of them alumni), improved his application, and changed how he was approaching the communications with the recruiters. Soon after, he received a call welcoming him to the school in the summer of 2025.

Strategic thinking

The more you learn about the recruiting process, the more you realize that few things are random or do not matter. Every decision should be exactly that, a decision, not just the result of choosing the same as the majority or picking the option that is left.

• Decisions like in which continent/ country the university is located affect costs, your visa (and your family´s if you have a spouse or a child) and your chances to work there afterwards (ex. some countries give you a one or two-year postgraduate visa to stay)

• Decisions like when to apply, which GMAT score to settle for, or which English test you prepare for can restrict which universities you can apply to

• Decisions like waiting for a sponsorship or having more savings versus applying for a loan will have financial implications for the next few years.

Own the process and your decisions. There are no perfect/ right choices, but there are informed vs random decisions. Usually, we make fewer mistakes with the former.

Now you have a better sense of the sort of mindset that is needed to approach the recruiting process of these universities. So, how does the process look like and what to do in each step? Read the recruitment basics here.

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