Greek life. Phew. It’s a hot topic on every college campus, and everyone has questions about it. How many people are in it? What’s the ~vibe~? Am I paying for friends? Do I have to be in it to have a college experience? Is it worth it? Also why is it called Greek Life when “fraternity” and “sorority” are Latin derived? Do they serve Mediterranean cuisine?
What is the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business?
If you are interested in undergrad business programs, you may have already stumbled upon the at the University of Pennsylvania. But what is it? Is it different from the Wharton School of Business? Don’t worry, we are here to break down everything you need to know about this competitive undergrad program.
What is the Columbia Core Curriculum?
The is one of the most important things to Columbia. To quote them directly, “the Core Curriculum is the cornerstone of the Columbia College education.” So yeah, we’d say it’s a big part of their mission and something to learn about before applying. The goes all the way back to 1880, and recounts over a century of tweaks and changes they’ve made to this program. At a basic level, it’s a robust liberal arts foundation to your education, but it’s really a lot more wide-reaching than that. With classes like Contemporary Civilization and Frontiers of Science and requirements in Physical Education and Foreign Language, you can be certain you’ll leave Columbia with a wide breadth of knowledge and as they say, “rigorous preparation for life as an engaged citizen in today’s complex and changing world.”
Ivy League Test-Optional Policy
The Ivy League has gone test-optional for 2022-2023. UPenn, , , and have extended all extended their policies for 2023. and have extended their policies through 2024. has extended even further to 2026. Since extending test-optional policies is the hot trend for top colleges, let’s talk about it.
PLME at Brown
Some students dream of going to the Ivy League pre-med and then becoming a doctor since they were kids. If this sounds like you, you might have already heard about Brown’s PLME program. It’s a very popular program for students who just can’t wait to become doctors. It’s highly competitive and can be a little tricky to figure out, so we thought we would break it down for any of our readers who are dreaming of being MDs.
UPenn Test-Optional Policy
Test-optional has been a word that every college counselor has heard over and over for the last two years. The pandemic has led many colleges to adopt a test-optional policy as it has been hard for some communities to access testing. While going to the test-optional model has been a huge trend, some schools have been test-optional outside of the pandemic. Being test-optional/no-testing has worked outside of the pandemic for schools like Bennington College, Wesleyan, Wake Forest, etc. and as colleges keep extending their test-optional policies, we may see more schools adopt the policy even as the pandemic hopefully fades away.
Top 10 Least Popular Majors at Cornell
Getting into college can be tough. Getting into one of the nation’s top colleges, like Cornell or the other Ivies, can be near impossible. Students often ask us what they can do to get ahead. After all, they’re vying for a spot against countless other candidates with perfect grades, flawless essays, and extracurriculars that impress. Every little bit helps and we think landing on the right major is a solid strategy for getting ahead if the rest of your application is already perfect.
Top 10 Least Popular Majors at Stanford
Clients are always asking us how they can get ahead in the college admissions process. College is hyper-competitive these days and with many schools going test-optional since the pandemic began, some students feel as though they have fewer opportunities to showcase their talents above neck-and-neck competition.
Top 10 Least Popular Majors at Brown University
We are often advising clients on how to get ahead in a world in which prestigious universities have single-digit acceptance rates. First and foremost, you need to have the basics down if you really want to get into an Ivy League school like Brown. You must have a stellar GPA in the most advanced classes offered at your school. You have to have exceptional extracurriculars. You also need to have really excellent essays. But each year, tons of hyper-qualified students apply to the Ivies. So how is anyone supposed to get ahead? One strategy we suggest is picking the right major.
Top 10 Least Popular Majors at Columbia University
When it comes to college admissions, everyone wants a new angle. But we’ve found one truth in the admissions process: there’s no substitute for good grades. We work with our students to stand out from the stacks of applications through unique and thoughtful essays and resumes that impress, but ultimately, if you’re trying to get into an Ivy League school like Columbia, you must have the GPA to cut it. That said, if you’re a top-caliber high schooler itching to get ahead of the competition, there are a few other tricks you can keep in mind. Honing in on the right college major is one of them.
Top 10 Least Popular Majors at Princeton
College admissions are like an extreme Olympic sport these days. That is to say, they’re hyper-competitive. It would seem no matter what you do, you’re going to be duking out with an equally-qualified candidate, if not several. While we want to prepare kids for the fact that college admissions can be a daunting process, we also believe there are ways to get ahead. Focusing on the right major might be a good investment of your time.
Top 10 Least Popular Majors at Yale
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: colleges are very, very hard to get into these days. Kids try all kinds of tricks to get into great schools, going so far as to move into lower-performing school districts in their final years of high school to get ahead in the rankings. (By the way, we do not recommend this. Doing so takes away spots from potentially less-privileged kids who’ve earned the opportunity). Instead, we usually prescribe good-ole-fashioned hard work and planning. There is no substitute for excellent grades, a solid resume, and stunning essays. But there are a few strategies you might want to consider. Choosing the right major is one of them.
Deferred from Dartmouth Early Decision
We’re guessing you’re here because you got deferred from Dartmouth. We’re sorry that happened, and we encourage you to take some time to yourself to feel your feelings about it. But, if you’re reading this, you probably want to do something about it. Our guide will help you make a strategy for the rest of regular decision, while also sending your last pitch to Dartmouth.
Deferred from Columbia Early Decision
Deferred from Princeton Early Action
If you’re reading this, you probably just got deferred from Princeton. We’re sorry you’re going through this right now. Take some time to process, be a little sad, and treat yourself to a nice coffee or something. This is not the end of the world. In this post, we have a few tips on how to best pitch yourself to Princeton again, and more importantly, how to diversify and expand your college list so you’re prepared no matter what.
Deferred from Yale Early Action
Getting deferred from Yale is hard. Take a moment to feel sad, or angry, or disappointed. Whether you’re feeling paralyzed by your feelings and need someone to help you through this, or you’re a person of action who wants to know exactly what steps you should take next, this guide should help you organize your action plan.
Deferred from Penn (UPenn) Early Decision
We’re very sorry to hear you’ve been deferred from the University of Pennsylvania. We know this is a difficult time, but it’s more important than ever to think about how to maximize your chances of admission. We called Penn to ask about their deferral rates, but they specifically do not provide information on what proportion of applications are deferred each year. We do know, however, that approximately % of those deferred applications are eventually accepted. So, if you’ve been deferred, your chances for admissions are actually higher than those of normal regular-decision applicants. We’re going to talk about how to push your application into that 16%: we’ll outline what to do for the best chances of success.
Deferred from Brown Early Decision
We’re sorry to see you’ve been deferred from Brown. We know this has to be tough -- but if you’re here you probably are trying to do something about it. Take a beat to feel your feelings and give yourself a pep talk, then come right back here for our guide on how to get through these next few weeks.
Deferred from Cornell Early Decision
Getting deferred from your dream school can be hard -- especially if it’s a great school like Cornell. Don’t fear, you’ll get through this. Take a moment to feel your feelings, have a snack, and then jump into this guide to get some ideas on how to best strategize other applications and how to best handle the deferral.
Qualifications for Ivy League Schools
Now that we have you, aside from very strong standardized test scores and excellent grades, there are no true qualifications for Ivy League schools. But here’s where it gets tricky: there are a lot of students out there who got a 1580 on their SAT and have a 4.0 GPA, and still didn’t get into Princeton. And people always want to know why. We thought it might be helpful to list out some trends and qualities that we’ve seen internally over the years from our clients who have gotten into Ivy League schools. Keep reading for our list: