How can I increase my chances of getting into "elite" universities

Answered

Since you only have 5 months and a 1 week before EA/ED applications are due, you really can't change your GPA, course rigor or ECs much in semester. But you can improve your odds with a high test score. Too many people have made the wrong assumption that a lack of a test score doesn't impact your admissions but it does.

To my knowledge there are only 2 situations where a test score doesn't matter.

1.) If you are a legitimate prodigy or certified genius that has empirical evidence of superior intellectual vitality/curiosity that makes you a "1" score at Stanford or any other Ivy school. Why? Because you have proven that your academic narrative is so far beyond the norm, that adding a test score, is like adding another layer of icing on the cake....not necessary.

2.) If you come from a legitimate marginalized background where your location (city, country), low income, health (mental or physical), have prevented you from getting the necessary test preparation and test taking opportunities. So if you are a Int'l student living in 500 miles from Mumbai, India or a poor BIPOC American whose family can not afford you have technology or access to SAT/ACT test prep, test centers, then not submitting a test score will not harm you.

For everyone else, submitting a high test score, improves your chances. I wrote a post about this almost a year ago and it still remains valid.

https://www.collegevine.com/questions/17393/does-applying-with-an-act-sat-improve-your-admission-chances

Also this post from 6 months ago is germane to your question:

https://www.collegevine.com/questions/22386/if-99-of-colleges-are-test-optional-why-are-act-sat-scores-of-admits-going-up

Good luck with your decision.

Even if they don't require it I would take the SAT and ACT as getting a good score on them looks great on your application. You are already doing a lot to boost your application, I would recommend for next year trying to get straight high A's to try and increase your GPA even if by a little bit, because while it is an amazing GPA it only helps for it to be higher. Having an internship if possible related to your areas of interest looks really good on applications. If you don't already I would try to be in more clubs related to your areas of interest because having clubs and extracurriculars related to them really shows your interest in learning more about the subject. Hope this helps!

I would do two things. First, consider what school you are currently attending. Is it known for turning out Ivy-League students? If not, consider doing extra classes outside of school or joining a school known for having higher-achieving students. Secondly, I would take the SAT and ACT, and I would start a passion project. You do not have to submit any of these things if they are unsuccessful, but if they are, it is always a great thing to list.

I'd say that you should take the SAT or ACT at least once, since there is a chance that you could earn a competitive score for Stanford - this would be between 1550-1600. In a test optional world, submitting a score in that range is even more of a boost than it used to be.

Besides that, you can increase your chances by writing exceptional essays. I have seen through my own experience and my applications consulting work that reading well is the key to writing well. I recommend reading these examples of college essays to inspire your writing, and feel free to schedule a 1:1 session for personalized help with the writing process. Hope this helps!