Carleton is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Roughly 2,000 undergraduate students attend the school, and it is known for small class sizes and a tight-knit community. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 20%.

Rice University is a private research university located in a lovely part of Houston, Texas’ Museum District. The undergraduate enrollment is about 4,000. With a student-teacher ratio of 6 to 1 and a 10 percent acceptance rate, Rice is academically competitive. The university offers 50 majors within its 11 schools. President Kennedy famously announced that the United States would be sending a man to the moon from Rice’s campus, an announcement fitting for a school with such prestigious science and business programs.

Pitzer is a small liberal arts school in Claremont, California. Students at Pitzer can take classes at Scripps, Harvey Mudd, Pomona, and Claremont McKenna. Most of the 5C’s stopped reporting their acceptance rates, but Pitzer’s acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was around

Scripps is an all-women’s college in Claremont, California. It is one of the 5C’s, so students can take classes at Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer. The acceptance rate is around 25%.

Claremont McKenna is a small liberal arts college with about 1,300 undergrads in Claremont, CA. It’s one of the “Claremont Colleges.” Each school has a slightly different emphasis in terms of community values and academic focuses. Claremont McKenna’s focuses are on leadership and immersive/experiential learning. They have strong academic programs all around, but their specializations lie in business, public policy, international relations, government, political science, and economics. Their acceptance rate is around 10%.

Harvey Mudd is a small STEM-focused school in Claremont, California. Students at HMC can take classes at Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pomona. The acceptance rate is around 13%.

Pomona is a small liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges, so Pomona students can take advantage of resources at Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer – all of which are within walking distance. Pomona stopped reporting their acceptance rate, but know that it is incredibly difficult to get into. The acceptance rate for the was 7.4%, and we imagine it is even lower now.

Haverford is a tiny liberal arts college, home to about ~1,300 undergraduates, located in Haverford, PA. It’s a part of the “Tri-College Consortium,” which includes nearby Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr. It’s about 20 minutes from downtown Philly, which is great if you want to be near a city but to still attend a school with a “cozy, campus-y vibe.” We see you, wanting the best of both worlds. Haverford’s acceptance rate is around 16%.

Smith is an all-women’s private liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts. Those who choose to attend Smith will be encouraged to study multiple disciplines, participate in internships, and engage with politics. The acceptance rate hovers around 31%.

Syracuse University is a private research institution located in—you guessed it—Syracuse, New York. Syracuse is a large private school (15,000ish undergrads) located in a college town. It’s notably cold, but a fun campus. The school offers 200 majors and has highly-regarded communications and business programs, among others. While there’s something for everyone at Syracuse, the school is also known to be great for veterans. The acceptance rate is 50%.

Bard is a super small liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Interdisciplinary studies are encouraged, and all freshman at Bard start by taking the same core courses.

Occidental is small liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. A vast majority of students on campus are involved with either volunteer work or community engagement, and the acceptance rate is around 37%.

Williams College is a small college located in the forests of Massachusetts in idyllic Williamstown. The school has about 2,000 undergraduates, it’s an intimate vibe, and is known for its high-quality faculty, super small class-size, and its strong liberal arts roots. Williams students *love* interdisciplinary studies. Their acceptance rate hovers around 10%.

NYU is a city campus in the truest sense. Founded in 1831, this university is a perfect blend of historic prestige and cutting-edge culture. With 50,000 students, it’s big for a private school and its student body is packed into the heart of lower Manhattan (or wherever it is they choose to rest their heads from Brooklyn on). NYU offers 19 schools and colleges from business to arts and just like its hometown, there’s something for everyone. The school also offers an expansive study abroad program, with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. The acceptance rate was 15% this year, making NYU highly competitive.

Bryn Mawr is a small women’s liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The school has relationships with Haverford, Swarthmore, and The University of Pennsylvania, so Bryn Mawr students can cross-register for courses at those institutions. The acceptance rate is around 33%.

Brandeis is a private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts. About 3,600 undergraduate students attend the Boston adjacent school that is known for its strong liberal arts program and attracting students who are interested in social justice work. The acceptance rate hovers around 30%. Their supplement is broken down below:

Vassar is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York. Vassar draws students who are passionate and engaged in activism, and the school values diversity. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 23.5%.

Emory is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. About 8,000 undergraduate students attend the school, and the academic programs are rigorous. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 17.5%.

USC continues to be one of our most asked about schools. In addition to stellar academic programs, the school spirit is unbeatable and the school is home to numerous special programs and opportunities. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 16%.

USC is a private research university in Los Angeles, California with about 20,000 undergraduate students.