Cool, I'll play along. Did you go to your Ivy for graduate school or as an undergraduate? What were the most important factors they were looking for admissions? Hint: You can't Google the answer for this one. Those who know, know.
I went to graduate school. I also attended a community college and HBCU for my undergraduate studies.
Regarding "the most important factors," every school is different. Grades do matter to a certain extent. Meaning you do not have to have a 4.0 but you also can not be sub 3.0. Legacy is import or having a LOR from an Alum helps alot.
Where it gets very different depends on the type of grad program you are looking to enter. For business school, most want a couple years of real world experience before you apply as well as top GMAT/ GRE scores. Medical school is stats strong initially then its about your story. Other programs such as PhD programs are interested in your research prior to arriving and your potential to conduct research while on campus. Getting in without prior research experience is a long shot. Law is strictly stats unless its Yale, because its the most Liberal of all. There its your stats and your purpose. Brown has a big diversity initiative going on. Because they are so removed from most black folks, most black folks won't apply. Columbia and Princeton are just as hard as Harvard to get into because of their location and so many people apply. Columbia has the largest black student population. UPenn is stats heavy as well. Harvard and Yale are the crown jewels so the one thing that matters the most is your story.
Both like the idea that their students will graduate and do big things. A person's back story is a good indicator of what they may accomplish. Inventing something, creating an organization, starting a business, running for office, etc. I was told that almost every student could be interviewed at anytime and it would be a great article. Most Ivys subscribe to this.
Regarding undergraduate. First, if you have children tell them to apply to EVERY ivy. Second, they need to not just be in clubs, they need to be the president or leader. Grades matter, but the story will matter more.
One thing that stood out to me while there was that its not that the students were super smart, although there are many that are, its that they are all overachievers. This is the key to being successful in anything. You can not do what everyone else is doing and expect to win. You can't just be average and expect to be on top.
Yep there are a lot of spoiled privileged kids at Ivys. However, most come from backgrounds where excellence is expected, so they already have an advantage over most black kids.
Obama's daughter is a good example. She got into Harvard more than likely because her dad and the prestige it brings to the school also, more than likely she will go on to do something notable in the future.
Again, if you have kids or relatives, tell them to apply apply apply to all of the Ivys!!