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Morganelli Method Benchmark
Morganelli Method Benchmark
Ivy Tutors Network
17-Point Model
1
Student
2
Academics
3
Engagement
4
Achievement
5
Context
6
Hooks
7
Review
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Tell us about the student. This information is used to personalize the benchmark report.
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Academic Profile
Grades, test scores, and course rigor form the academic foundation of your profile.
I follow an IB curriculum
Select this if the student is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Include senior-year courses currently in progress. Admissions readers use math sequence as an indicator of academic ability.
Select class rank, lowest grade, AP courses, AP performance, SAT or ACT, and highest math to continue.
Engagement & Achievement
At top-tier schools, engagement matters more than extra test points. These factors are calibrated per tier. Select based on what you can document today, not what you expect to add by senior year.
Engagement is about depth and connection across your activities, not the activities themselves. The strongest predictor of a higher tier is whether your involvement has produced something external to your school: a deliverable, a recognized mentorship, a published or shared output. If you're between two tiers, ask whether your involvement has produced anything a stranger could verify. Be honest, not modest. Underselling yourself here produces a less useful result.
Exceptional
Clear throughline, original work, external recognition. Connected engagement across in-school, out-of-school, and independent research.
What this looks like:multi-year independent research with university mentor producing published or presented work; founding and scaling an organization with measurable external reach; sustained original creative work on recognized external platforms.
e.g. Conducted multi-year independent research with a university mentor, published the work in a recognized venue, and built related school programming around the same interest.
Very Strong
Multi-context engagement with sustained independent research (6+ months) and an emerging deliverable. Research is ongoing, not yet completed or recognized.
What this looks like:university or professional mentorship spanning two or more semesters; self-directed research outside packaged programs; in-school leadership tied directly to outside research interest.
e.g. Working with a university mentor on a research question across two semesters and a summer, leading a school club in the same field, and pursuing related outside work. A paper or project is in progress but not yet published or presented.
Strong
In-school and out-of-school engagement converging on a single interest. Independent work has begun but no research mentor, deliverable, or external output yet.
What this looks like:school leadership in field of interest plus paid or competitive summer placement in the same field; structured exploration of a research direction without formal mentorship yet; consistent multi-year commitment to a single domain.
e.g. President of environmental club, summer internship at a sustainability org, independently reading and writing about a focused topic. Direction is clear but evidence is internal.
Above Average
Two or more activities with sustained involvement (2+ years) and at least one leadership role that produced concrete output. Activities may not yet share a clear theme.
What this looks like:multi-year membership culminating in elected or appointed leadership; self-started initiatives within an existing club; output that exists outside the school (event run, fundraiser organized, project shipped).
e.g. Three-year Model UN member who organized the school's conference, plus consistent tutoring through a self-started study group. Or: varsity athlete with a captaincy who also runs a robotics sub-team that competed regionally.
Average
Active across multiple activities without sustained leadership output or a connecting interest. Most students applying to college are here.
What this looks like:membership across several clubs without elected leadership; sport participation without captaincy or distinction; community service hours without a self-initiated project.
e.g. Member of several clubs, plays a sport, completes community service hours. Involved and reliable, but no role has produced something external to point to.
Foundational
In-school clubs only. Participation-level involvement. No sustained commitment.
What this looks like:one or two clubs joined freshman year and maintained passively; no summer activity beyond family time or unstructured work; no out-of-school engagement.
e.g. Joined a couple of clubs freshman year, attended meetings but didn't take on projects or roles. No summer programs or outside activities.
Minimal
Little or no structured engagement.
What this looks like:no consistent club, sport, or volunteer commitment; class attendance only.
e.g. No clubs, sports, volunteering, or organized activities outside of class.
Achievement
External validation of the work. Awards, competition placements, and formal recognitions.
Achievement is harder to self-assess than engagement because most awards don't come with a competitiveness label attached. Use the named events listed below as anchors. If your award isn't on any list and you're unsure how selective it was, select the lower of the two tiers you're considering. Admissions readers do similar triage. They recognize a small set of named competitions and treat the rest as school-level by default. Be honest about where your awards actually sit, not where you wish they sat.
National / International
Published research, national competition placement, or international-level recognition.
Recognized examples:Regeneron STS, ISEF, USAMO/USACO finals, Davidson Fellows, Coca-Cola Scholars, Presidential Scholars, Congressional Award Gold, National YoungArts.
e.g. Semifinalist or higher at one of the above, or recipient of a comparable national award with a published selection rate.
State + External Recognition
State-level competitive placement combined with recognition from an established external institution (university program, professional organization, recognized publication).
Recognized examples:state DECA/FBLA/HOSA placement paired with industry scholarship, Governor's School admission paired with university research invitation, state-level academic placement with external publication or fellowship.
e.g. Placed at a state academic competition and received a scholarship or formal recognition from an industry organization tied to the same field.
State Level
State competition placement or a state-level award.
Recognized examples:All-State (music, athletics, academics), state Science Olympiad placement, state-level NSDA placement, state writing competitions (Scholastic Gold Key at state level, NCTE), state-level art recognition.
e.g. Placed at state Science Olympiad, made All-State in music or athletics, or won a state-level writing competition.
Regional
Competitive placement at a recognized regional event spanning multiple schools or counties. Does not include district-wide certificates, multi-school participation awards, or "regional" branding on local events.
Recognized examples:regional NSDA placement, regional Science Olympiad, regional FIRST Robotics, large county fair placements, Scholastic Art & Writing regional Gold Keys.
e.g. Won a regional debate tournament drawing schools from across the state.
Strong School
Multiple meaningful school-level recognitions across more than one domain or year. If your awards are in a single category and a single year, select School+.
e.g. Departmental awards in two subjects plus varsity MVP, earned over multiple years.
School+
One or two school awards plus documented community involvement. If recognition is limited to a single honor roll listing or one participation certificate, select School.
e.g. Honor roll, one departmental award, and a community service certificate.
School
Single school award, honor roll, or participation-level recognition.
e.g. Made honor roll one year, or received a single club participation certificate.
Minimal
Minor participation acknowledgments only.
e.g. Attendance award or generic participation ribbon. No competitive or merit-based recognition.
None
No documented achievement or recognition.
e.g. No awards, honors, competition placements, or formal recognitions of any kind.
Personal Context
These factors shape how your profile reads in the admissions landscape. Ethnicity, major choice, and school type all influence competitive positioning.
Baseline — no notable obstacles or personal narrative hooks
Used for Women in STEM hook calculation
Institutional Hooks
These institutional factors can shift tier placement. Toggle any that apply to this student.
First-Generation College Student
Neither parent holds a bachelor's degree
Geographic Diversity
Student is from an underrepresented state (MT, WY, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, AR, MS, AL, WV, AK, HI, ID, NM, IA)
Sibling Currently Enrolled
A sibling is currently attending the target school
Legacy
A parent is an alumnus of the target school
VIP / Institutional Priority
Major donor family, recruited athlete, or faculty child
Review & Generate
Confirm the details below, then generate the full benchmark report.
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