William & Mary is a top public university with 115 majors and 7,000 undergraduate students. They are known as a fun college experience, with academics that pack a punch. The campus is beautiful, and they attract students from around the world who want a balanced college experience with loads of opportunities. There are amazing opportunities beyond campus, too, like the St. Andrews Joint Degree Programme. Students also have access to research, internships, and community-engaged learning. The acceptance rate is about 36%.

Northeastern University is a leading research university with campuses across the US, in England, and Canada — but based in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern has a very large undergraduate community, with nearly 25,000 students enrolled full-time. They offer 371 majors including single-subject majors and multi-disciplinary programs, and the most popular programs are in business, computer science, and the health sciences. Northeastern is especially famous for their co-op program, an immersive experiential full-time placement that positions undergrads ahead of the pack before graduating. It’s like an internship on steroids, and helps to define the Northeastern culture. They receive the over 100,000 applications, and the acceptance rate is 5.22%. 

The University of Southern California is a top-tier research university that is not in the California state school system. Rather, it is a large private university and comes with serious chops. Undergraduate students can study nearly anything at USC and receive an exceptional education in a stunning and exciting setting. There are 21,000 undergraduates, and nearly 50,000 students overall. The acceptance rate is just under 10%.

New York University, or NYU, is a famed mid-sized university headquartered in the heart of downtown New York City. Going to NYU is immersive, exciting, and launches students into meaningful careers — but it isn’t only in the Big Apple. The university has three degree-granting campuses globally: New York, of course, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. The international campuses off much more than most remote campuses. Whereas other schools may have a small outpost, NYU has really gone all out to create unique learning environments globally. We’ve been to the Abu Dhabi campus, in fact, and it is stunning. They received more than 120,000 applications for the Class of 2029 and accepted only 7.7%.

The University of Pennsylvania is an iconic urban research university and member of the coveted Ivy League. Admission to Penn, as it is best known, is particularly sought after by students with a strong pragmatic streak. Whether in the humanities, STEM, or business, Penn students are known as problem solvers and solution seekers. There are nearly 10,500 full-time undergraduate students, and the largest undergraduate college (by far) is the College of Arts and Sciences. They also have the School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Nursing, and the Wharton School — the most famous business school in the United States with an undergraduate program. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was only 4.9%.

Yale is one of the most well-known, and well-respected, universities in the world. A member of the famed Ivy League, Yale brings together outstanding minds and nearly extensive resources to provide 6,700 undergraduate students with exceptional opportunities. Yale has a tight-knit community on its New Haven, CT campus, and 75% of undergraduate students (and 100% of first-years) live on campus. The acceptance rate is about 4%.

Wellesley is a prestigious all-women’s liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The college is especially well-known for offering a close-knit community with a global perspective. There are over 50 majors on offer, and the college is passionate about supporting student endeavors in service, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. They are highly selective when it comes to admissions, and only accepted 13.7% of first-year applicants for the Class of 2029.  

Harvey Mudd is a hyper-selective and super specialized college in Claremont, California that only offers a Bachelor of Science degree. They specialize in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering, and take that specialization super seriously. The student body is small, with under 1,000 students. Despite the small size, Harvey Mudd is widely regarded as one of the best undergraduate colleges in the country for students focused on STEM. Harvey Mudd is quite tight-lipped about their acceptance rate, but the most recent officially reported rate of acceptance was 12.7%.

We know – getting deferred from Cornell hurts. You spent months building an application that showed off your strengths, your passions, and why you belong in Ithaca. You hit submit hoping for a yes, and instead you got… not yet. And that can feel like rejection. But a deferral isn’t a no. It’s Cornell saying, “We’re still thinking about you.” You’re still in the running, and that means there’s still time to strengthen your application and remind them why you’re such a strong fit.

Haverford is a leading small liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia. They are known for offering an intensive learning environment that encourages both exploration and excellence. There are just under 1,500 students, and 98% live on campus. This, combined with a student-run and authored Honor Code, contribute to a tight-knit community that prioritizes togetherness, mutual support, and also mutual challenge. Students at Haverford aim to always be raising the bar. This starts before they are even accepted. That rate of admission at Haverford for the Class of 2029 was 13.3%.