At Columbia, students spend their first years debating ancient philosophy, reading classic literature, and working through a famously rigorous Core Curriculum. Once they’re done with that, they walk out of class into Manhattan, one of the most modern cities on the planet.
An Analysis of How to Get into Amherst 2026-2027
Amherst is a college but enormous in impact. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, students are immersed in an intellectual environment that prizes making an impact. For most of Amherst’s modern existence, it flew quietly under the radar, attracting mostly east coast students who prized the educational environment and community Amherst offered. Twenty years ago, the acceptance rate was a (then) record low for the college at . A lot has changed in the past two decades, though. Word about a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts spread far and wide, and the acceptance rate plummeted. Most recently, for the Class of 2030, Amherst reported another record low acceptance rate of only .
Inside Admissions: How Cornell’s Admission Process Actually Works
Cornell is one of the most misunderstood schools in the Ivy League. People know the agriculture and hotel schools, but don’t always recognize the strength of their engineering, business, or liberal arts colleges. It combines the resources of a large major research university with the close-knit academic vibe people expect from an Ivy. That complexity shows up in their admissions, too.