Let’s talk about Cornell University! We’ll start with the obvious, which many of you future applicants probably already know: Cornell is an Ivy League college located in Ithaca, New York. Of the Ivies, in terms of campus size (745 acres) and undergraduate enrollment (about 16,000 students) and has the highest acceptance rate (~8%).
How to Write the Notre Dame Supplement 2026-2027
How to Write the Johns Hopkins Supplement 2026-2027
Johns Hopkins University pulls off something highly improbable. The university is the #1 school in the United States for research investment, but also a mid-sized (5,600) close community. So, it’s a powerhouse, but also a welcoming space that embraces their undergraduate community. In fact, 98% of students conduct at least one year of research or internship experience before graduation. The first-year acceptance rate is about .
The Best College Counseling Firms for Highly Selective Colleges in 2026
Admission to highly selective colleges has never been more competitive. At institutions where acceptance rates routinely fall below ten percent, applicants are expected to excel not only in the classroom but also through meaningful extracurricular involvement, compelling personal essays, intellectual curiosity, and clear evidence of long-term purpose. Strong grades and test scores may open the door, but they rarely guarantee admission on their own.
An Analysis of How to Get into Dartmouth 2026-2027
Dartmouth University is an outstanding Ivy League university in the idyllic college town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It is very much the mountain Ivy. It isn’t completely isolated, but it is the most rural of the Ivy League schools. It has the hardest winter, by far, and many would argue them most indomitable spirit. Students who choose Dartmouth don’t pick it just because they want a fancy name on their diploma, they pick it because they want Dartmouth. Unsurprisingly, getting in is tough. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was only
The Best Boutique College Counseling Firms of 2026
The college admissions consulting industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, but not every firm has grown in the same direction. While some organizations have expanded into large national operations with dozens, or even hundreds, of counselors, others have intentionally remained small. These boutique firms often prioritize long-term relationships, founder involvement, and highly individualized advising over scale. For many families, that personalized experience is precisely what they're looking for.
How to Write the NYU Supplement 2026-2027
New York University, or NYU, is one of the most popular universities in the United States, and not only because it’s in the middle of the action of New York City. NYU doesn’t have a campus in the traditional sense. Downtown NYC is the campus. Students live alongside outstanding pizza spots and jump on the subway to get to week-night concerts. The arts are alive at NYU, and students are able to start building their careers in business long before receiving their diploma. Unsurprisingly, competition is steep to get in. The first year is about for the New York campus, with the addition of the global campuses in places like Abu Dhabi only increasing the acceptance rate to 12%. For this post, we’ll be focused on the most competitive NYU campus: New York.
The Best College Admissions Consulting Company of 2026
The college admissions consulting industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. What was once a niche service reserved primarily for applicants to the Ivy League has grown into a diverse field of specialists helping students navigate everything from athletic recruiting and conservatory auditions to financial aid planning and highly selective admissions. As application numbers continue to rise and admissions offices place increasing emphasis on essays, extracurricular depth, and institutional fit, more families are turning to outside experts for guidance.
How to Write the Wake Forest Supplement 2026-2027
Wake Forest could be described as a liberal arts college with a strong research backbone, or as a research institution with a liberal arts ethos. Both apply. The university has become famous for offering undergraduate students the types of opportunities typically only available at much larger institutions, but in a manageable package and a close-knit community. There are 5,600 undergraduate students total, and that accounts for about ⅔ of the total student body. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was 17%.
Inside Admissions: How The UC Berkeley Admission Process Actually Works
Berkeley has long been associated with groundbreaking research, political activism, entrepreneurship, scientific discovery, and public discourse. It has produced Nobel laureates, CEOs, judges, economists, astronauts, journalists, and countless leaders across nearly every discipline imaginable. But Berkeley isn’t super interested in students just chasing prestige and access to Silicon Valley, and their admissions process reflects those values.
How to Write the Emory Supplement 2026-2027
Just as Ludacris once said, “Welcome to Atlanta.” Emory is Hotlanta’s No. 1 private research university. Emory has a lot going for it. They are best known for their health/premed programs (the CDC is pretty much in their backyard), the Goizueta Business School, and a strong liberal arts curriculum. They are also home to Oxford College, a smaller school for freshmen and sophomores looking for a LAC (liberal arts college) vibe before being folded into the greater Emory community for their last two years.
The Top 10 Best College Consultants for Juniors of 2026
Junior year is when college admissions starts to become significantly more concrete. Students are taking their most important classes, sitting for the SAT or ACT, thinking seriously about summer plans, developing preliminary college lists, and deciding which activities will remain central to their applications. By the end of the year, rising seniors should be positioned to begin their applications with a clear understanding of where they are applying and what they want colleges to understand about them.
How to Write the Michigan Supplement 2026-2027
The University of Michigan is one of the most well-respected and well-known public universities in the United States. It is especially well-known for out-of-state students interested in studying STEM subjects. However, as a public university Michigan has to heavily prioritize in-state applicants. That has driven the acceptance rate down for out-of-staters, making actually getting into Mich a formidable challenge even for the best of the best. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was , but remember that this is a combined acceptance rate that includes both in-state and out-of-state applicants. Michigan has not broken out their in-state vs. out-of-state acceptance rates in recent years, but we are confident estimating that the in-state acceptance rate is closer to 30%, and the out-of-state acceptance rate is well under 10%.
The Top 10 College Counselors for Top 20 Schools of 2026
Applying to a Top 20 college has become increasingly competitive over the past decade. Acceptance rates at many of the nation's most prestigious universities now sit in the single digits, while applicants arrive with near-perfect grades, demanding course loads, impressive extracurricular activities, and standardized test scores that would have been extraordinary only a generation ago. Academic excellence remains essential, but it is rarely enough on its own. Admissions officers are assembling a class, not simply admitting the students with the strongest résumés.
How to Write the Pomona Supplement 2026-2027
How to Write the Brown Supplement 2026-2027
How to Write the Columbia Supplement 2026-2027
Columbia University is a world-renowned Ivy League university in the heart of New York City. The traditional undergraduate colleges, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, are highly-sought after for students passionate about both learning and being in the midst of the action. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 was .
How to Write the USC Supplement 2026-2027
How to Write the Dartmouth Supplement 2026-2027
Dartmouth is the mountain Ivy. It is an outstanding top-tier university nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Due to its quite isolated location, it attracts students who are at the top of their game in school but who also want to be outdoors, in nature, and who aren’t scared of a hard winter. The overall acceptance rate for the was 6%. The Early Decision acceptance rate that same year was 21.6%.
The 10 Best College Counselors for Transfers of 2026
Transferring colleges is often more complicated than applying as a first-year student. Transfer applicants must explain why they are leaving one institution for another, demonstrate how they have grown since high school, navigate transfer credit policies, and convince admissions offices that the move is motivated by purpose rather than dissatisfaction. Whether the goal is transferring from a community college to a flagship university, moving between two four-year institutions, or earning admission to an Ivy League or other Top 20 university, successful transfer applications require a distinctly different strategy than traditional freshman admissions.