disclaimer: These are musings from a very heated dinnertime conversation, this article is not attempted to disguise itself as fact, I have no idea what it takes to get into 3 ivy League schools.
1. Vice President of her School (after having only been there for a few months, an achievement which, especially taken into context, would have spoken for her considerably.)
2. School newspaper (better to do two important school activities well than hundreds half-heartedly.)
Firstly, she was Vice President of her school, achieving this position within just a few months. This accomplishment, especially when considering the context, would have spoken considerably for her.
Second, she was involved in the school newspaper. It's better to excel in two important school activities than to participate half-heartedly in hundreds.
While it's true that she didn't engage in any other extracurricular activities (except for one day of community service), she did participate in town activities. Presumably, she had been involved in these activities since a young age. She gave back to her community by participating in various (questionable) attempts to raise money for Taylor's (sometimes questionable) endeavors. Her long-term commitment and resilience to these causes are far more impressive than simply joining the performative, once-a-month clubs that are popular in private Ivy League feeder schools like Chilton. By doing something different, she stood out in her application.
Furthermore, Rory would have had stellar recommendations. Adults loved her and would have gladly praised her. Her ability to connect with adults (I'm not a fan of the term either) would have worked in her favor during interviews. We witnessed her excellent rapport with the Harvard alumni and the Yale dean. She was designed to impress with her strong moral character, blue eyes, innocent disposition, and love of books.
I know you might argue that all Ivy League applicants love books. However, that's not entirely true. Many, especially at that time, would have been private school legacies whose parents forced them down a path they resented, driven by the desire for diplomas, university paraphernalia, football games, and insufferable 'friends from college' they had to endure throughout their childhoods. Rory's uniqueness in that regard would have been refreshing.
Now, let's consider the most important part of any college application—the essay. Rory had a unique story. She wasn't just born to a single mother; she was born to a 16-year-old mother. Isn't there a heartwarming college essay to be found in the story of a prodigious daughter who achieved the dreams her mother had to give up? It's not true that these were Lorelai's dreams. Did Harvard know that? I don't think so. Lorelai, despite engaging in small talk with every character we meet, wouldn't have disclosed this information to the dean of admissions. I understand this isn't canonical, and I'm not claiming that Rory fabricated something fabulous from an already interesting story (considering viewers had been watching for about a season and a half by this point, the story's interest is indisputable if you're reading this). I'm simply suggesting that it's a possibility.
Any well-written story about Rory's extraordinary life in her unusual town would have made her stand out. And as a journalism major, we can assume she wrote well. We don't have to rely solely on assumptions, though. Apart from hearing her speak eloquently (I understand the two aren't always equitable, but it's another fair assumption), we also heard her valedictorian speech (oh, and being valedictorian at a prestigious school might have helped too). The speech she wrote about her family was beautiful (some might even call it a tearjerker). It's exactly the kind of speech that could have been transformed into an impressive college essay.
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