The University of Pennsylvania, often called UPenn or Penn, is one of the eight schools of The Ivy League. It is one of the oldest colleges in America. It boasts a historic campus, a world-renowned business school, the only undergrad nursing program in the Ivy League, and a spirited undergraduate community. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Penn offers a great mix of city and campus living. While it isn’t the most competitive of the Ivies, make no mistake, it is still an extremely hard-to-get-into and elite institution. Applicants who are serious about getting into Penn need to consider applying early decision.
Early Decision Strategy for Cornell 2025-2026
Early Decision Strategy for Duke 2025-2026
Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is a private research institution known for academic excellence, strong school spirit, and sports teams with a serious following (hello, Cameron Crazies). The university has built a reputation as one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Duke is especially well-regarded for its programs in public policy, biomedical engineering, and pre-law, and with acceptance rates dropping each year, it’s only getting more competitive. In 2025, their regular decision acceptance rate was under 5%, while ED acceptance sat at 12.8%. These stats put Duke fully in competition with Ivies, with schools like Yale having almost identical numbers.
Early Action Strategy for the University of Texas at Austin 2024-2025
Located in the heart of Austin, the University of Texas at Austin is a top-tier public research university known for academic excellence, school spirit, and a culture that blends innovation with tradition. Founded in 1883, UT has grown into a national powerhouse, especially renowned for its business, communications, engineering, and computer science programs. With its rising prestige and increasingly competitive admissions, UT Austin isn’t just a Texas favorite, it’s quickly become one of the most popular colleges among our clients.
Early Decision Strategy for Yale 2025-2026
How to Get into Harvard as an International Student: Strategy
If you are an international student eyeing the Ivy League, we understand the allure. However, if you are considering Harvard there are some things you absolutely must plan for in advance. That is where we can help, as we’ve assisted international students in gaining acceptance to the Ivies, including Harvard, for over a decade.
How to Get into UC Berkeley
University of California Berkeley, often just called Cal or Berkeley, is a public university in (you guessed it) Berkeley, California. It is the founding campus of the UC schools, the state’s nine-school university system. The school is famous for research, and in 2021, the funding for research and development exceeded $1 billion. Cal is also a large university with over 30k undergraduates across five undergraduate schools (The College of Letters and Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Design, Natural Resources, and the Haas School of Business). Some schools are more competitive than others, and some majors have strict enrollment caps, so it pays to do your research into the school and program you hope to attend.
How to Get Into UT Austin
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the flagship university in the University of Texas system, UT Austin. The public research institution in Austin, Texas, has over 40k undergrads. UT Austin is popular with students for many reasons, including research opportunities, great sports, school spirit, over 170 majors, its purposely “weird” home city, and being the #1 public university in the Lone Star state.
How to Get into Stanford
Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California. With one of the largest campuses in the US, Stanford watched Silicon Valley grow around it. Fittingly, Stanford is known for its connections to and funding for start-ups, and many companies have been founded on campus and by alumni.
How to Get into the University of Michigan
There are actually a couple of Universities of Michigan… or rather, they have multiple campuses. However, when most people say the University of Michigan or U Mich, they mean the flagship campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Ann Arbor campus is one of the oldest colleges in the state and one of the oldest American research universities (it was founded in 1817.) U Mich is a large school with over 30k undergrads.
How to Get into Northwestern
Northwestern is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The University has several undergraduate schools and is especially known for its Journalism and Music programs. The school is also popular with students looking to double major or complete multiple degrees (they have many dual degree options.) From Big 10 Sports to specialized programs, Northwestern has a lot to offer. However, that has also made them competitive to get into.
How to Get into UNC Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, sometimes just called UNC, is a public research university. You have probably heard of their Basketball team, the UNC Tar-Heels… Come on, Michael Jordan went there. But there is a lot more going on at UNC. It’s one of the oldest public universities in the US. They offer over 70 courses of study for their about 20k undergrads. The school is also serious about research and is part of the North Carolina Research Triangle with Duke and NC State.
10th Grade College Strategy for Engineering
If you dream of building buildings or fancy mechanical structures, inventing the next lightbulb, or creating the next life-saving medical device, you’re probably interested in studying engineering. Or maybe you don’t even know that you want to study engineering, but you think that you might be! No worries; you’re in the right place.
How to Get into Duke
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke offers its 6,500 undergrads great research opportunities, challenging academics, and a fun social experience. Duke is a favorite for students looking for a work-hard/play-hard college experience. So whether you are looking for so-called “Southern Ivies,” North Carolina Research Triangle schools, or even just really great basketball opportunities, Duke is a great choice.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Vassar
Vassar College in the city of Poughkeepsie, New York is a small liberal arts college in the heart of the Hudson Valley with the resources of a small city and only two hours north of New York City by train. It’s a college that is the best of every world. You have a small liberal arts school with a tightknit community, the arts and culture resources of a city, and the ability to hop on a train nearly any hour of any day to get to a concert, event, or museum in NYC. There are 50 majors to choose from, including the option to “design your own” major. The school collects about 2400 students in “a diverse community of scholars, artists, writers, scientists, musicians, and thinkers.” There is an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio on a stunningly beautiful 1,000-acre campus. The Open Curriculum encourages creativity, and attracts students from around the world.
How to Get into USC
The University of Southern California, usually just called USC, is California's oldest private research university. Don’t let the name fool you. While it might sound like a UC, it is not a part of the University of California system. USC is one of the most popular schools for students looking for an Urban mid-sized campus experience. Located near downtown Los Angeles, USC is especially known for its film and media majors. However, the school offers over 350 degree paths. So, whatever you want to study, they probably have it.
How to Get into Penn
The University of Pennsylvania, often called UPenn or Penn, is an Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, PA. The university has been around longer than the US, making it one of the oldest schools in America. Penn is only one of two Ivies with an undergraduate business school, the Wharton School of Business, and the only Ivy League school offering an undergraduate Nursing school. Penn also offers undergraduate tracks in engineering and, of course, liberal arts. Penn has around 11,000 undergrads, making it one of the largest schools in the Ivy League as well.
How to Get into Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. It has always been a top school, but over the last few years, it has exploded in popularity, which makes sense. From great academics to a very lively campus in the heart of Nashville to elite athletics, there is a lot to love about Vanderbilt.
How to Get into Yale
Yale is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale is the third oldest university in the United States and was actually founded before George Washington was even born. Yale has excellent research opportunities, outstanding academics, and unique programs, such as its multidisciplinary academic programs and special divisional major. Plus, their aid meets 100%of demonstrated financial need (regardless of citizenship status), which we love.
Applying to Middlebury as an International Student
The idea of going to college in rural Vermont in the far northeast of the United States where the winters are long and cold may sound like a hard pitch for exceptional international students. Surprisingly, it’s not. Middlebury College is one of the most prestigious colleges in the U.S., and one of the most popular among international applicants. In this post, we’ll break down why Middlebury is so popular for international students and how you can increase your chance of acceptance if you apply.