Dartmouth is the outdoor Ivy. The most rural member of the Ivy League, it’s where brilliant students and outdoor enthusiasts meet — and are the same people. If you have stellar grades and palpable drive, but also daydream about being a ski bum or hiking a mountain or fishing in a river, Dartmouth may be your perfect fit. But you probably already know that which is why you’re reading this post.
What Is a College Consultant?
During the fall 2021 application cycle, the average acceptance rate for Ivy League schools was just under 6%. Applying to college has become incredibly competitive and as universities drive down their acceptance rates by increasing marketing campaigns, high school students are now in completely uncharted territory. And as the adage goes, “high tides raise all ships.” In other words, schools that used to be considered “safeties” for top contenders are also becoming increasingly competitive. Having a perfect GPA, excellent test scores, and being president of the student body used to almost guarantee admission into one of the world’s best schools. No longer.
What to do if you're waitlisted by Penn 2023
The University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, is an extremely prestigious school and member of the Ivy League, and so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s very hard to gain an offer of admission. Students at Penn are known for being brainy and business-minded, whether they are studying economics or anthropology, political science or, well, business. It’s also the only Ivy League school to offer an undergraduate degree in Business.
What to do if you're waitlisted by Cornell 2023
The Ivy League schools are all extraordinary and prestigious, but they aren’t all the same. Each has their own unique offerings, quirks, and eccentricities that make them stand out from the pack. We think of Cornell as the technical Ivy, or the practical Ivy. The is the only Ivy League school with a hotel administration program or an agriculture program, and they are a leader in information science, engineering, architecture, and even offer an undergraduate program in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
What to do if you're waitlisted by Stanford 2023
Stanford University isn’t just one of the best schools in the world, it’s also one of the hardest schools on planet earth to get into. The acceptance rate is minuscule, and applicants are competing against the best students in the world. With an acceptance rate of only 3.68%, Harvard is the only US undergraduate college with a lower acceptance rate.
What to do if You're Waitlisted by Brown 2023
Brown is the Ivy League school preferred by creative, humanities-minded students — or STEM students with a humanities approach — who want to be among the best of the best in a flexible setting. Rooted in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown is known for having the most open curriculum (i.e., the fewest required classes) in the Ivy League, allowing for students to focus in on their passions. Brown is also known for offering an intimate education. They have a student-to-faculty ratio of just 6:1, and 69% of undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students.
What to do if You're Waitlisted by Columbia 2023
Columbia University is a prestigious member of the Ivy League and receives over 60,000 applications each year for a place in its first-year class. Of those 60,000, less than 4% are accepted. That’s approximately 2,300 students each year. Unfortunately, far more than 2,000 students are completely qualified to go to Columbia. They have the grades. They have the activities. They have the experiences…but there just aren’t enough spots.
What to do if You're Waitlisted by Yale 2023
Yale is an iconic American university and member of the prestigious Ivy League — but you already know that if you’ve been offered a place on the waitlist. First off, we’re sorry to hear that you’re in limbo. It’s an unpleasant place to be. You should know, however, that you aren’t alone. You should also know we help students get off waitlists every year. Before we tell you what to do next, let’s start with some stats.
What to do if You're Waitlisted by Princeton 2023
Princeton is a member of the Ivy League and one of the most selective schools in the United States with an acceptance rate under 6%. If you applied to Princeton and were notified that you are being offered a space on the waitlist, you should know that this is not a ‘soft rejection.’ They aren’t waitlisting you because they don’t want to reject you. The Princeton Admissions Office isn’t mean, but they also aren’t trying to protect your feelings or soften the blow. To put it simply, it isn’t personal. It’s an offer to be on the waitlist, and now the ball is in your court. The question is: what will you do with it?
What to do if You're Waitlisted by Harvard 2023
Barely more than 3% of applicants get into Harvard. As of the 2022 application cycle, the most recent one we have statistics for, of over 61,000 applicants less than 2,000 were admitted. It is excruciatingly hard to get into Harvard, but hundreds of applicants — or more — don’t receive an acceptance or a rejection. Instead, they’re stuck in the middle. They’re waitlisted.
Best Colleges for Geology
Geology is the study of rocks, but it’s also a lot more than that. Students who earn a degree in geology or a related field can go on to work for mining operators, in the fossil fuel and alternative fuel industries, for ecological groups, for engineering firms, as educators, and for governments. Understanding rocks is literally understanding our earth, and so there is a lot you can do with it.
College Athletic Recruiting at Bowdoin College
Bowdoin. It’s a top liberal arts school in Brunswick, Maine. Their crest is made up almost entirely of a creepy-looking sun. Their mascot is the polar bear. Last year, their acceptance rate went up .3%, from 8.8% to 9.1%. Basically a cakewalk now. They’re also known for having a pretty sporty campus, with 45% of the student body participating in varsity athletics. If you play a niche sport like women’s ice hockey or nordic skiing, you might want to take your skills to Bowdoin, and you might think your involvement in sport could give you a leg up in the admissions process. Not necessarily, but let’s talk about it.
Best Colleges for Social Justice
If you’re interested in current events from a human rights perspective, the history behind major human societal challenges, or are considering going into the legal field, you may be thinking about studying social justice or a related subject in college. A major, minor, concentration, or program in social justice sets you up to better understand the challenges the world is facing — and how to address them — whether from a nonprofit, advocacy group, governmental agency, or private practice.
Best Colleges if you Want to Start a Business
If you already know you want to start a business, where you go to college really matters — especially if you want to build a big business with investors, dozens or even hundreds of employees, and a big fancy office with a big fancy chair. Even if you aren’t eyeing that comfy chair behind a big desk, if you want to start a business in the next few years you should plan to build up your entrepreneurial credentials while pursuing your undergrad.
Cornell Legacy Strategy
All schools are at least a little secretive about legacy admissions. They don’t give exact facts or figures, but you might get some hints at information. Cornell is more secretive than most. They publish almost nothing about legacy admissions or their policies around it. This is why we get a little cautious when alumni parents start saying things like “oh course my kid will get into Cornell, they are a legacy!” We understand why parents think this, but especially at a super secretive school like Cornell, it isn’t backed up by data. So we wanted to break down everything Cornell has said about admissions and what in, our professional opinion, is your student’s best shot at getting in.
Best Colleges for Asian History
If you’re thinking of studying Asia in college, you’re going to need to narrow it down a little. Saying that Asia is a big place is an understatement. Picking a geographic or thematic concentration helps to narrow it down, directing your attention and bringing passions into focus. You’re probably also going to need to study a language associated with your area of focus, so you should keep that in mind when making your decision.
The Best Colleges for your Astrological Sign: Leo
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my? Have no fear, another astrology post is here! This time featuring our most ferocious sun sign: the leo. If you haven’t been following along on our astrological dive, we’ve been conducting an experiment of sorts in college lists. A common consideration in constructing a college list, other than academic viability, is social fit. We think astrology provides excellent categories for different types of social preferences and instincts. So, we’ve been going through each sun sign and establishing which colleges might feel like home for them. This process is strictly experimental and we by no means believe that astrology should be a serious or legitimate factor when you are deciding which schools to apply to. Consider this a fun break from your more serious considerations.
Best Colleges for African History
Africa is a continent full of thousands of cultures and languages, which is a lot to cover in one major. If you’re considering studying Africa in college, you’ll want to look for programs that offer opportunities to niche down and zoom in, whether it be through a geographic focus, an issues-based focus, or another lens. We also recommend looking for programs that prioritize language studies and study abroad, and both of those are game changers when it comes to studying a place from afar — especially one you may have never visited!
Princeton Legacy Strategy
"Well, I went to Princeton, so of course…" This is a sentence we hate to hear from parents because it usually ends with something to the effect of "my child will get in." We work with a lot of legacies. And many legacy parents believe that their kid getting into a top school like Princeton is a shoo-in. But that simply isn't the case. Legacy admissions are a lot more complicated and a lot more competitive. So let's break it down.
Best Colleges for Foreign Languages
Some people are simply really good at languages. They immerse themselves and gain proficiency rapidly, and some even collect languages like they’re arcade prizes. If you are one of those people, you may be considering majoring in a foreign language (or two!) in college. College language programs aim towards a high level of proficiency or even fluency in reading, writing, speaking, and cultural awareness.