We were recently talking with a UC Berkeley staff member who said, “Well Berkeley doesn’t do legacies, but who the heck knows what’s going on at Stanford?” Well, we do… To be fair, we make it our business to know everything there is to know about admissions at top schools, and recently, due to a California law, we know quite a bit about legacy status at Stanford. We work with children of alums all the time and the same sort of questions come up again and again. So today we wanted to break down some of the most asked questions when it comes to being a legacy applicant at Stanford.
Best Colleges for Autistic students
Neurodiverse students deserve to go to college. If you want to go to college, you should. However, if you are autistic, you might want to find a school with a specialized program that can better support your integration into college life. Many autistic students decide they don’t need this and that’s fine too. But if you are nervous about college and want a college that has a program for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, we wanted to compile a list of your best options.
Duke Legacy Guide
We work with legacy students every year and parents always have questions about legacy admissions. It might seem simple, but at top schools like Duke, it can be more complicated than you think. We have been doing a series on legacy admission and wanted to break down legacy admissions at Duke and answer some of our most frequently asked questions.
Northeastern: Computer Science Major
Northeastern University has developed a reputation for its strong cooperative programs and commitment to practical learning, and its computer science department is no exception. Many aspiring CS students lean towards the most prestigious schools–those traditional paragons of education, the Harvards and Stanford of the world. We find that this is a mistake: many of the best CS programs are located at schools that don’t have the name recognition of Harvard. Northeastern is one of these schools–their CS program is one of the best, specifically for students looking for hands-on learning and real-world work experience.
What is the Cornell Transfer Option?
Cornell is absolutely the most transfer-friendly Ivy in the bunch. Its transfer acceptance rate (estimated at 17%) is higher than its standard acceptance rate (10%) and they let in between 500 to 700 transfer students a year. The infrastructure and support for transfer students at Cornell is nuts and truly unlike any other school. Compare Cornell’s 17% transfer acceptance rate to Princeton’s 1.2% (or to put it simply, 16 students), or even to a school like Duke which has an approximately 5% transfer acceptance rate.
MIT Legacy Guide
Parents ask us all the time about legacy admissions. Usually, they help… however that’s not always true. Some schools simply don’t consider legacy admissions. And if you are an MIT grad whose kid is hoping to go, legacy really isn’t going to help them. This can shock a lot of parents so we wanted to break down a bit about why this is and what it means for your student.
University of Washington: Computer Science
Top 7 Colleges for Dyslexic Students
Being dyslexic in college can be hard. There can be a lot of writing, reading, note-taking, etc at a much faster pace than students had in high school. It can be scary for students with dyslexia. Many dyslexic students may not need extra help, but some will, so we decided to list some of the best colleges that have specialized services to serve students who might need extra help due to their dyslexia.
Most Unique Programs at Princeton
As an elite school, Princeton requires not only excellent grades and scores, but a stellar resume and a clear mission. You can perfect-score exams all you want, but without distinct and straightforward goals, you won’t be able to successfully pitch yourself to Princeton. One of the ways you can communicate your goals is by diving deep into what Princeton has to offer and see which programs, majors, certificates, etc. fit into what you want to do.
Most Unique Programs at Brown University
Brown has a totally different vibe and feeling from the other Ivy League schools, and it has a huge emphasis on creativity, discovery, and intellectual curiosity. Not to say other Ivies aren’t intellectually curious, but Brown takes it to a whoooole other level. This means when you’re applying, you’re going to need to get super duper specific. It’s not enough to say you like math. What do you like about math? What kind of math? How does your interest in math tie into other programs at Brown? How will going to Brown make you the math all-star you were meant to be???
Yale Legacy Guide
You went to Yale and now your kid is dreaming of following in your footsteps. That’s great. However, you might be wondering to yourself, “Since I went there, is that going to help their chances?” We hear this all the time from alumni parents. It’s not as simple of a question to answer as you might think. We do a ton of research every year. We talk to admissions officers, compile data from class statistic reports, we read alumni newsletters and school papers. Even with all that, the weight of legacy in admissions can still be a difficult question to tackle. We wanted to break down everything we know about legacies at Yale and try to answer some of the most common questions we get from parents. So let’s dive in.
Georgia Tech: Computer Science
When looking into schools for Computer Science, we find that many of our students inevitably gravitate towards the ‘big name’ schools, prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Yale that have great reputations. While these schools are (obviously) good, there are a number of lesser-known schools that excel in CS, often outperforming their general reputations. Well, Georgia Tech is definitely one of those out-performers: they might not have the general name recognition of Harvard, but in many ways, their CS program is actually stronger.
Most Unique Programs at Harvard
Harvard is hard to get into. More like HARDvard, am I right?? Sorry. Anyways, you’re thinking about applying to Harvard and you want to find anywhere and everywhere you can to get ahead on your application. One of the ways you can do this is by familiarizing yourself with programs, labs, and research opportunities that fit into your personal niche. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting majors and minors… uh… we mean “concentrations” and “secondary fields,” at Harvard to help you along with your research and eventual essay prep. Anyways, here’s a list of some of the coolest concentrations (sigh), secondary fields (eye roll), and other programs at Harvard
Princeton University Legacy Guide
“I went to Princeton so I’m pretty sure my kid will get in.” This is something we tend to hear from time to time and it always makes us nervous. Mostly because it’s not necessarily true. Legacy admissions can be a lot trickier than 80s teen movies seem to always suggest. We are constantly looking at admissions numbers and class breakdowns so trust us when we say, not all legacies get into a school like Princeton. Because of this, we wanted to break down legacy admissions to ensure that parents and students know what to expect when applying as a legacy to Princeton.
Most Unique Programs at Columbia
Columbia is an elite school, and elite schools want to see you get specific on your applications. They want you to have developed a specific niche, have done your research, and know how your niche fits into their niche. We know, it’s a lot of niches. Like if your brother has a lot of daughters. Wait, that’s nieces. Gosh we’ve been looking at the Columbia site for too long.
Legacy Admission Guide for Harvard
We hear it all the time. “I went to Harvard… does that mean my kid will get in?” It’s an important question for a lot of the parents of students we work with and it’s a harder question to answer than some might think. Every year we work with legacy students whose parents have realized that simply being a legacy isn’t enough to get into a top school. Being a legacy isn’t everything, but it can help. Your next question is probably, “But how much exactly does it help at a place like Harvard?” We wanted to break it down and talk about the ins and outs of legacy status at Harvard.
Best Colleges for Students with ADHD
Almost every college says they are accessible to neurodiverse people. Most will have a page on their website about how everyone is welcome and how much they respect the ADA. However, colleges range wildly when it comes to actually providing services and accessibility. Not all schools are the right fit when it comes to students with ADHD. Having the right mix of culture and services can be essential for students who are worried that their ADHD might hold them back from a degree. Many colleges have programs to help students who struggle with ADHD and/or other disabilities. We think it’s important that every student that wants to go to college can go to college and feel safe and supported. That’s why we have compiled a list of our top schools for students with ADHD.
The 10 Most Unique Programs at UPenn
Ivy League schools are selective and competitive, and UPenn is no exception. And with them continuing to stay test-optional, it’s only going to remain competitive. If you’re thinking about applying to UPenn, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to study and why – and if you want to take it to the next level, you should also have a good idea of all the niche things you can study that will help you achieve your goals. Thankfully, UPenn has a ton of unique programs, degrees, minors, concentrations, and certificates that could help you pitch your case.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Computer Science
If you’re interested in computer science, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) could be the school for you. We’ve found that many students are unaware of just how good UIUC’s program is–sadly, the name ‘University of Illinois” doesn’t carry the prestige of a Harvard or Stanford. We’ve got news though–in the world of Computer Science, UIUC is way better than most of those schools.
The Most Unique Programs at Dartmouth
When most people think about what they want to study in college, they go too broad. English. Biology. Engineering. While it’s good to know what you want to do, as like, a genre, it’s not going to be enough when it comes to your essays. You need specificity. Especially at an Ivy like Dartmouth. When you write your “Why Dartmouth” essay, and when you’re making your college list to begin with, research is going to be your best friend. Dive in deep to the programs you’re interested in and see what Dartmouth has to offer and if it even fits in with your goals. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most interesting programs, majors, and competitions offered at Dartmouth to help you jumpstart your research.