In the US and worldwide, Ivy League schools are always considered the gold standard for higher education. The schools are eight in number and all located in the northeastern part of the US.
These colleges are well-known for their rigorous and demanding admission process, academic excellence, and favorable career opportunities for their students. So, if you are looking for outstanding and prestigious colleges to pursue your higher education, Ivy League colleges are the ones you should be considering.
Before applying for higher education in one of the Ivy League Schools, you must know what makes them unique and how can you apply there? Here are the essential things that you should know when choosing the right school for you:
List of American Ivy League Colleges
Ivy League is a group association of eight highly competitive colleges, which includes:
- Harvard University (Massachusetts)
- Dartmouth College (New Hampshire)
- Princeton University (New Jersey)
- University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
- Cornell University (New York)
- Yale University (Connecticut)
- Columbia University (New York)
- Brown University (Rhode Island)
With more funding and popularity, they have always strived to maintain the highest standards of students’ performance. Every Ivy League school has its reputation and accomplishments, and each school offers programs in the field of medicine and law.
The famous people who graduated from Ivy League schools also include Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Presently, other institutes claim to be as good as Ivy League schools. However, to date, Ivy League schools continue to produce the best graduates in academia and sports.
History of Ivy League Schools
In 1954, the Ivy League schools were grouped by the athletic conference for their prestige in sports. From the start, the schools have been known for outstanding student-athletes, presidents, noble award winners, and other famous competitive graduates.
They receive a handsome amount of research grants, additional financial aid and have the best and honored professors. Keeping that in view, anyone with a wish to join the Ivy League must have some extraordinary achievements.
➡LEARN MORE: Best Public Universities in the US
How to get admission to an Ivy League school?
The acceptance rate of Ivy League schools is very low. If you want to get admission, you need a lot of hard work, dedication, and foresight to get in. Just having a resume would not be sufficient to get you admission.
You have to go the extra mile and prepare the eye-catching application. It means to start preparing many years in advance. The preparation may include attending additional AP classes in high school, working hard to achieve the desired SAT grade, avoiding leisure activities, and sacrificing social time.
What should you know before applying?
- In 2020, the overall admission rate in Ivy League schools was less than 10%. As mentioned above, the admission process is highly competitive, and it is clear from the admission rate. Compared to public university requirements, Ivy League schools have high standards that are pretty difficult to achieve.
- Always check the requirement carefully and do not miss a single requirement because every requirement adds to the chances of getting admission. Requirements may include test scores (such as SAT, GRE, LSAT, GPA), recommendation letters, extra-curricular activities, and significant academic achievements.
- They have the highest tuition costs. The average tuition rates are $55,000- $60,000 per year. While you should prepare yourself to get admission to an ivy league school, remember that there are many other institutions with high rankings and low tuition costs.
So, when you decide where to get admission for higher education, you should search for an institute that fits best with your personal needs.