Yale. The name speaks for itself. Yale is widely regarded as one of the best school in the nation (though these days, U.S. News & World Report ranks it at #5). And aspiring Yalies should take the application process extremely seriously. Recently accepted students had very impressive test scores. SATs were (on average) between 1500 and 1580, which ACT averages ranged from 33-35! And the acceptance rate for the most recent class reported was just 5%. So, if you aspire to attend Yale or any other Ivy for that matter, it’s critical you take advantage of every opportunity to stand out, including during summer vacation.
The New University of Chicago Early Early Decision Option
In the summer of 2024, the , one of the best universities in the county and an elite institution frequently cited as Ivy Adjacent, announced a new admissions option that will fundamentally change getting into the university. “Announced” is a mischaracterization, though, and a huge one. There wasn’t an announcement at all. Nothing on the admissions website. No press release. No blog post. Nothing.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Penn
Whether you call it Penn, UPenn, or the official name, The University of Pennsylvania, this school is regularly ranked as one of the best in the world. Penn (cause that’s our preferred name for this prestigious Ivy League) is known for attracting students who are driven, focused, and who have big dreams and even bigger plans for their futures. The Philadelphia university was founded by Benjamin Franklin and has been rooted in independent thought and bold ideas . It’s “.”
Summer Strategy Ideas for UCLA
UCLA, or the University of California, Los Angeles, offers a big school experience in a big city. It’s sort of like ‘maximum’ college. UCLA is prestigious, it’s fun, it’s creative, it’s community focused, and it’s academically intense. It’s everything, and that’s why students love it. There are 33,000 undergraduates at UCLA, and nearly 50,000 total students. The student body represents over 100 countries, and over 9% of students are international — one of the highest ratios of international students in the country. Students in the undergraduate colleges are able to pick from over 125 majors, and over 90 minors, and many mix and match subjects and arenas. People who love to explore, to challenge themselves, and to collaborate with others . Two out of three classes have less than 30 students.
Summer Strategy Ideas for UC Berkeley
The UC schools are all excellent, top-tier state schools. But Berkeley stands out as being one of the best in the nation. With an acceptance rate of just 11%, it’s an extremely competitive school. If you’re dead-set on enjoying the NoCal life for the next four years at one of the best programs the west coast has to offer, we have some advice as to how you can maximize your summer.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Columbia
For more than 250 years, in New York City has led the conversation academically and culturally. The community is passionate, engaged, and lively. Sometimes really lively. And they like being in . Most of all, though, they’re smart. Students at Columbia want to be at the forefront of whatever it is they are passionate about, whether it’s through assisting with research, working in a lab, or pushing a field forward.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Michigan
Nestled in the wonderful college town of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan is an excellent school academically with a vibrant college culture. With an undergraduate population of approximately 30,000, Michigan is big! It’s a great option for students who are serious about academics, but want to experience being in a spirited, sports-centric atmosphere (and students who can handle…or at least tolerate the cold). Michigan boasts 415 All-Time Big 10 athletic championships and is home to almost 1,000 student athletes.
Summer Strategy for NYU
NYU is an outstanding university with a (big) city-campus vibe. And with an acceptance rate of just 12%, it is highly selective. NYU is the perfect school for high-achieving students hoping to soak up the cultural and vibrance of the Big City. Nestled across parts of NYC’s historic Greenwich Village and surrounding areas, NYU students are truly in the thick of it: protests, weirdness of Washington Square Park, art, comedy, food, culture. It’s all there…though NYU tends to attract an affluent student body. After all, New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University is between a research university and a small liberal arts school. They have the resources of a research university, but the culture and community of a more intimate school. This, along with 70+ majors, leading faculty, an amazing campus, and outstanding resources, has made Vanderbilt a very, very popular college. It also doesn’t hurt that Vanderbilt is committed to the idea of work hard, play hard. They want students to genuinely enjoy being at Vanderbilt, and being in Nashville. So there are tons of student groups, lots of intramural sports, so many concerts and guest lectures, and just fun stuff for the (and 13,700 students overall) to do.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Duke
Duke University in Durham, North Carolina is one of the universities in the country, and is home to 6,542 undergraduates and just under 17,000 students total. The college is iconic for offering an outstanding education in a world-class community with a vaunted athletic and social culture. They are passionate about in the classroom and outside of it, and they think of college as “a verb.” The college experience is something they want their students to be active players in. They look for students who want to be part of that. They want to admit students who intend on being active players in creating this community they treasure so much.
Summer Strategy Ideas for the University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is one of the top universities globally. Based in Chicago, Illinois, they offer 53 majors and 47 minors and have a distributed global network of campuses and centers. Around 7,500 undergraduates call the University of Chicago home, and they have access to paid, career and profession-oriented internships.
Summer Strategy Ideas for MIT
MIT, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a world-renowned university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, right alongside Boston, that is best known for cutting-edge technological work and research. This doesn’t just mean building apps and the like, though, at MIT, technology touches every subject and field, from the obvious (say, computer science) to the more obscure (say, the classics). They admit that they are
Summer Strategy Ideas for Dartmouth
Dartmouth is the outdoor Ivy. The campus is in the mountains of New Hampshire, and offers an exceptional educational experience in a rugged setting ideal for lovers of hiking, skiing, climbing, and exploring. You don’t need to love the woods to love Dartmouth, though. Most of all, you need to treasure community.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Amherst
Amherst College is a small undergraduate-only liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It has become extremely well-respected for providing a unique undergraduate experience to their (just under) 2,000 students both in the classroom, and in the community. The school boasts 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an enviable 95% first-year retention rate. They also have an without any distribution requirements that encourages exploration and depth. They want you to try things out, and when you find what you love they don’t want to get in your way. Students have their pick of 42 majors, and 85% of classes have fewer than 30 students. This leads to strong student-professor relationships, as students work alongside their professors building research and career chops before graduation.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Harvard
Let’s be honest, applying to is audacious. By Harvard, we are of course referring to the Harvard, the iconic Ivy League institution that needs no introduction around the globe. Go nearly anywhere and say “Harvard,” and whoever you’re talking to conjures up ideas of academic excellence and high expectations. The reputation is valid, and it’s upheld by the undergraduates and over students total who call Harvard their academic home at any given time.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Princeton
Princeton is in Princeton, New Jersey, and probably needs little introduction. We’ll do our best, anyways, and perhaps you’ll learn something new! Princeton is a place where students to take audacious steps, and to make daring bets. When reading applications, the admissions officers look for students who are immensely intelligent, and who pair that intellect with a desire to change the world. That change is palpable and realized. of the current Supreme Court are Princeton grads.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Stanford
Stanford is an elite research university founded in California with a mission to change the world. It’s one of the most competitive undergraduate universities in the world, and Stanford doesn’t get all that much easier once you get in. The 7,841 undergraduate students at Stanford they have to love working hard to thrive. They represent 76 countries and 49 states, and 600+ student groups and 81 undergraduate student residences (the vast majority of Stanford students live on campus).
Summer Strategy Ideas for Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a small liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, a town with only about as many residents as there are students at Kenyon. Seriously, it’s nearly a 1:1 ratio. Kenyon has become renowned, though, for being informed by a small town but not limited by it. The campus is , too, that there is nearly half-an-acre per student.
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 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 1,000-acre campus. The encourages creativity, and attracts students from around the world.
Summer Strategy Ideas for Cornell
Cornell University is , a member of the vaunted Ivy League, and has top programs in just about anything you could possibly want. The university is comprised of a collection of undergraduate colleges, and you should have the college you want to go to in mind as you plan your courses, your activities, and how you spend your summers. Altogether, across the various colleges, Cornell is home to over 16,000 undergraduate students from over 130 countries.