The University of Virginia, most often referred to as UVA, is very highly ranked, very big school, in (shocker) Virginia. It is widely considered one of the best national universities as well as one of the best-value schools (aka you actually get what you pay for). They also have their own medical system — attention: aspiring doctors — which includes one of the best hospitals in the world.

Williams is a small liberal arts school in Massachusetts with an undergraduate student body of approximately 2,000 students. Williams offers a winter study program in the month of January during which students study a single subject, pursue research projects, and/or do fieldwork. The admission rate for the class of 2022 was 12%.

The University of Notre Dame is an academic powerhouse with Catholic roots. Religion isn’t omnipresent at Notre Dame, but it does provide a notable backbone for how the school functions. It’s a school with history, with legacy, and it’s very proud of it. If you like sports take note that they love their athletics too.

Mount Holyoke is an all women’s liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. There are just over 2,200 undergraduate students, classes are generally small, and the school is heavily focused on research. The acceptance rate for the class of 2022 was 50.8%.

The business and international relations arm of the Claremont Colleges consortium, Claremont McKenna, is located in just east of sunny Los Angeles. With an acceptance rate of just 9 percent, McKenna is a highly selective school. The school’s academic focus is largely finance, government, foreign policy, and related fields.   

Carnegie Mellon is private university based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for its programs. In 2017, the school’s acceptance rate was 13 percent.

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia is a leading research university that offers an outstanding education. It’s competitive, but one of the things that we like about it is that in the time of tiny acceptance rates, it’s still accessible for high-achieving students. Last year (2017-18), they accepted 22% of applicants. 1 in 4 isn’t high by any means, but throwing your hat in the ring is worth it for students who want a medium-sized-college experience (7916 undergrads) with big-school resources.

UNC is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with an undergraduate student body of approximately 19,000 students. Chapel Hill is known for its campus life: students are heavily involved with sports, Greek life, and community service. The acceptance rate for the class of 2022 was 24%.

Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts school in Brunswick, Maine. In 2018, the acceptance rate was a mere 10.3 percent.

Barnard is an all women’s college in New York City with an undergraduate student body of approximately 2,500. It’s right across the street from Columbia University and students are able to take advantage of Columbia’s resources and curriculum. The acceptance rate for the class of 2022 was 13.7%.

GWU is a private university in Washington, D.C with an undergraduate body of approximately 11,000 students. It’s one of the most politically active schools in the United States. The admission rate for the class of 2022 was 42%.

Wake Forest is a research university located in North Carolina. Last year, their acceptance rate was 27 percent. In this post, we discuss strategies for completing the unique (and lengthy) Wake Forest supplement.   

Johns Hopkins is a private university in Baltimore, Maryland. There are approximately 6,000 undergrads and the school is heavily focused on research. The acceptance rate for the class of 2022 was 9.9%.

Tulane is a top-ranked research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Emphasis on top-ranked, of course, but also on New Orleans. New Orleans is at the core of the Tulane experience. In fact, engaging with the New Orleans community through service work is part of the university’s required curriculum.

Colgate University is located in Hamilton, NY. It’s a liberal arts school with almost 3,000 undergraduates. It’s getting to be increasingly competitive to get in, which is why it’s important to answer their supplemental questions with care and intention. No worries—we’ve got your back on this one.

Villanova is a private Catholic school with an undergraduate body of roughly 7,000 students located in Villanova, PA. The school is big on student engagement, giving back to the community, and NCAA basketball. Last year, Villanova’s acceptance rate fell to 29%.

The University of California is a system of public schools located across the Golden State, including Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Davis, Irvine, Santa Cruz, and Merced. The schools range in acceptance rates from 14.1% to 66.9%, with UCLA and Berkeley as the most exclusive.

Haverford is a liberal arts school eight miles from Downtown Philadelphia. The student body is small, only 1,318 students, and Haverford has become known for putting immense trust in them. All students commit to adhering to an honor code that comes with more freedom than most college kids could imagine. This tradition was started in 1897, and the Honor Code is re-approved each year by the student body themselves. Haverford dorms do not have RAs overseeing student behavior, and exams are un-proctored (yes, there is no teacher in the room making sure you don’t cheat). Don’t think about breaking the honor code, though. With great freedom comes great consequence.

Swarthmore is a private liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. Swarthmore is also a member of the tri-college consortium, along with Bryn Mawr and Haverford. With an acceptance rate is 13 percent, Swarthmore has been continuously ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top (and for many years the top) liberal arts schools in the nation.