I have seen hundreds of college application related videos. This channel is THE BEST. Really solid information and crystal clear explanations! Really appreciate!
I really appreciate the overview and I think many of these helped to open my view on these different schools. I really enjoyed this video and am wondering if it's possible to do something similar with top schools like MIT, Stanford, and Duke?
interesting video! for reference, i'm a current cornell student and working in the undergraduate admission office. i think some of your points are spot on, harvard having that elite student complex, princeton grade deflation, cornell & dartmouth being in the middle of nowhere. i think the takes on leftist schools are the most off in the present day, from the culture i've seen it's really columbia, brown, and harvard leading the charge as politically involved students. yale now has the mark of elite (sometimes nepo) out of touch rich students, as princeton and harvard rise yale recruits those less extracurricular-ly established. i would also mention the school spirit at cornell - it's really the only ivy that feels like a state school (probably because it partly is!) with the huge sports, giant student body, and love for "big red". i also loved your point about the rigor of education: princeton, columbia, (and i would argue) cornell students are fighting for every grade and students are schools like upenn, yale, and harvard are so career and extracurricular focused looking for those summer and semester opportunities that students at the other ivies aren't chasing as directly. fantastic take. finally, from an admissions standpoint, your mark on the stark differences between the ivies is spot on. the "i want to go to the best BLANK program" essay really doesn't cut it anymore, and taking the time in "why" essays to mention those outstanding cultural pieces is massively important.
I appreciate your comments. And I agree that when it comes to far-leftist politics, Columbia, Brown and Harvard lead the charge. I would keep Yale on that list, however.
i dont understand the recent consensus that schools can be leftist. if the scientific results match the leftist ideology, it just means leftist ideology is academically sound, not the other way around as in academia is left or right
I went to Yale for Chinese, then to BYU for pre-med. I think BYU had a much better campus life, and every bit as good academic experience. I was accepted to every med school to which I applied.
Wow, this is awesome! Thanks so much for providing all of these videos. I’m currently a Sophomore who is looking to apply to 5 of these schools and I’ll be sure to take this into account. God bless you!
@@IvyAdmissionHelp actually, I misrepresented this comment, my apologies. I’m a Sophomore in undergraduate looking to transfer. I’m in my last few weeks of preparation! Do you have any last minute tips for someone like me?
If you're looking to transfer, you will need to have a high GPA, good professor recommendations, and a compelling reason why you need to transfer. Also, bear in mind that some Ivies (like Harvard, Yale, Princeton) have less than 1% transfer acceptance rate. But other Ivies (like Dartmouth, Columbia, and Cornell) have much higher rates: 10-15%. Also, a few very good non-Ivies have very high transfer rates, such as: UVA (36%), U Michigan (42%), NYU (41%), USC (22%), Vanderbilt (18%), UChicago (14%), Emory (34%), Washington Univ. St. Louis (21%), and University of Florida. This is all data from the Class of 2026.
Your knowledge and communication style are both soothing and informative. As a foreign student short-listed for Cornell’s Ph.D. program, your insights have been invaluable. Thank you very much!
This just might be the greatest video I've come across explaining the similarities and differences between all 8 Ivy League schools by far, definitely one of the best - I wish I would've seen it about a month ago when I was applying as a transfer! It seems that you're still answering to comments, so I'll just ask this here, how did you come to know so much about all these schools? Not just the Ivies but all of the other videos on your channel. Looking at your description, it definitely checks out and a quick google search confirmed your credentials. The only thing that I can surmise is that after years of working at college consulting firms, you picked up the knowledge for all of these other schools alongside your own lived experiences at Dartmouth. Am I right?
Thanks for your comment. My job as a college consultant is not only to help students get into their top school, but also to advise them on the key differences among those schools. You learn this by studying each school, seeing who they admit each year (and who they don't), and talking with students and alumni who have first-hand knowledge.
I recently visited Brown and fell in love with it. I am currently a junior in high school and was wondering what they care about and look for in students the most? I'm planning on majoring in international relations, for reference.
This is awesome thanks. I've been looking for detail like this everywhere without luck. I see you specialize in Ivies, but comparison to other top 20 schools would be great.
This idea that there are "top 20" schools is fantasy and nothing more than a marketing ploy, perhaps the greatest in history. Don't allow your life decisions to be governed by a defunct second rate publication. Contrary to popular belief, the US News rankings are not an edict from god. As for the Ivy League, it's an athletics conference. That's all.
The rankings are definitely not an edict from god, but they are a valuable tool to help you understand how graduate schools and top employers regard students who graduate from these colleges. In our hyper-competitive job climate, it's important to understand how certain schools can open doors for you. But ultimately, it's more about who you are than where you went to school.
1. Make getting top grades, taking the hardest courses offered, your top priority in high school. 2. Find one "passion area" outside of class where you can really excel and accomplish something uncommon. The 1-2 combination of academic scholarship plus a signature area of extracurricular achievement is the best and easiest "formula" to follow. 3. Finally, start reaching out to a few professors at Cornell in a field a interest and cultivate a relationship that can lead to a research opportunity while you're still in high school. When you apply to Cornell, they will love that, and maybe you'll even get a recommendation out of it.
Here's my question - if you are just starting high school, why are you "looking to go" to ANY particular school? What is it about Cornell that you have singular focus on it? While it is important now to get your academics in order and to start exploring what interests you and pursuing activities related to those interests (either inside or outside of school), there's really no reason why you should be so focused on any one school. It may turn out that Cornell is the right school for you and it may turn out not to be, whether because gaining admission may be difficult for you or because Cornell does not really offer what 11th and 12th grade you may be looking for in a college academically, socially or financially. For now, and for the next couple of years, just focus on you. When it is time, then start looking into schools that may be of interest. But I urge you not to fixate on Cornell or any other college or university.
I agree with what you're saying in theory. But sometimes it's nice to have a tangible goal (like Cornell) to "keep your eye on the prize." It can be helpful to wear a favorite Cornell t-shirt, etc. But you're right, we frequently find that what we thought we want isn't what we really need. But I think it can make the journey a bit more fun to have these goals in mind.
My girl is a freshman in Tufts right now( Deferred by Yale and waitlisted by Harvard before). She has applied to transfer to another universities like Umich , Cornell and Columbia. She got in the first two colleges and waiting for the last one. As a “ low end “ father😂, I know it’s a tough decision for her but I don’t qualify for giving her any advices. I can only support whatever she does eventually ❤!
Yes, it is. There are many excellent public universities, especially when you consider their specialty programs such as business, engineering, computer science, nursing, etc. If you do well at a public university, and really distinguish yourself, you can certainly go on to have a stellar career.
I'm from a very poor family and recently became an EMT. I had my son over a year ago and I'm wanting to do everything I can to help push him into a better life than my family has ever had. Any tips on how to properly groom a child into success, aimed at these schools?
your crazy. The fact that you 1. are trying to launch your child into the ivy league at 1 YEAR OLD is crazy. the fact that you believe these schools also mean success also is indicitive of your shallowness.
You're right to prioritize your child's education as the key to a better life. I would: 1) prioritize reading, writing, and homework at home. They are the essential building blocks of a good education. And 2) make sure to surround yourself with other families and students who prioritize education. Their influence can have a profound impact on your child's future plans.
The first thing you can do is not buy the nonsense that the only path to success is if a person attends one of these 8 schools. A person can be equally successful whether they attend Yale or Kansas State. It's the person, not the college and this has been confirmed by multiple studies. And even if you set your children on the best path in terms of their education, if they are inclined to become an auto mechanic or a chef, then that's what they should do and they will still be a success.
I find it interesting that you say harvard is "hyper-left" but then you also say they're super competitive and put others down. Those two things are contradictory, aren't they? My experience is at Yale and I have little Harvard experience... but I have a hard time seeing being super genuinely left and not caring about other people as compatible.
What I meant to say is that the campus politics are extremely leftist. You might say fiercely progressive. It's also hyper-competitive. I don't see those as contradictions.
@@IvyAdmissionHelp Thank you for addressing my question. I just tend to see left as often caring TOO MUCH sometimes about others, so I found it interesting if that's the culture. But I hear your point!
Great insightful analysis , it's not just rankings but the aura and culture uniqueness that you have very well articulated. I am father of an aspirant for Ivy league ( international student) for admissions in 2025.. can i reach out to you for more guidance for it. Will be glad if you van share your email or co-ordinates. Thanks.
Prestigious is an empty term. These schools excel becsuse they are distinguished, not prestigious. Distunguished by how they contribute to knowledge and prepare people to contribute.
except they dont have and difference other than prestige, which results in the better teachers to prefer the school, and the better students who would excel regardless. They arent prestigious because they are distunguished in any way, they are distunguished because they are prestigious
@@ege8240facts. The only thing that stands between them and, say, Michigan or UVA is a slight difference in prestige. But they all have great professors and students with weighted gpas of 4.8 aprox.
Brown was my dream school. I was rejected, but accepted to Yale and Columbia. I opted for Columbia, because I received a 100% academic scholarship. CU, as mentioned, is extremely difficult academically and the core curriculum is extremely demanding. Not sure I would do it again if I had to.
Great video! Regarding the very leftist and progressive student body you mentioned at Harvard, Yale, and Brown, would you say the same is found at Northwestern and Duke, or less so?
Northwestern is definitely known for being liberal. Overall, I would say that Duke is much more moderate, given that such a large percentage of the student body comes from the south, which is traditionally more conservative.
These schools exclusively want kids from wealthy families. If your family is middle class where your child goes to public school....... very difficult.
@@IvyAdmissionHelp Absolutely true, however the very idea that they reserve 25% of the spots for those from "low income" out of some form of kindness and altruism is absurd. I stand by my statement that children from "middle class public schools" have a very hard time getting admitted. They don't fill quotas and don't increase the donation pool. Just because their accreditation relies on being required to take "low income" students doesn't mean that they want to.
It's true that very wealthy and very poor students both enjoy a distinct advantage in competitive college admissions. As with all things college-related, it's better to be an outlier of some kind. The more you stand out in some way, the better your chances of admissions.
Good point. But there's a great article in January 2024 edition of The Atlantic about how Yale's eight secret societies are now filled with minority, low-income, and first-generation students... all extremely progressive. They're still exclusionary and problematic, but now for very different reasons.
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I have seen hundreds of college application related videos. This channel is THE BEST. Really solid information and crystal clear explanations! Really appreciate!
Glad you like them!
I really appreciate the overview and I think many of these helped to open my view on these different schools. I really enjoyed this video and am wondering if it's possible to do something similar with top schools like MIT, Stanford, and Duke?
Glad it was helpful. And yes, I plan on expanding the pros/cons video series to include many other top-tier schools like the ones you mentioned.
interesting video! for reference, i'm a current cornell student and working in the undergraduate admission office. i think some of your points are spot on, harvard having that elite student complex, princeton grade deflation, cornell & dartmouth being in the middle of nowhere. i think the takes on leftist schools are the most off in the present day, from the culture i've seen it's really columbia, brown, and harvard leading the charge as politically involved students. yale now has the mark of elite (sometimes nepo) out of touch rich students, as princeton and harvard rise yale recruits those less extracurricular-ly established. i would also mention the school spirit at cornell - it's really the only ivy that feels like a state school (probably because it partly is!) with the huge sports, giant student body, and love for "big red". i also loved your point about the rigor of education: princeton, columbia, (and i would argue) cornell students are fighting for every grade and students are schools like upenn, yale, and harvard are so career and extracurricular focused looking for those summer and semester opportunities that students at the other ivies aren't chasing as directly. fantastic take. finally, from an admissions standpoint, your mark on the stark differences between the ivies is spot on. the "i want to go to the best BLANK program" essay really doesn't cut it anymore, and taking the time in "why" essays to mention those outstanding cultural pieces is massively important.
I appreciate your comments. And I agree that when it comes to far-leftist politics, Columbia, Brown and Harvard lead the charge. I would keep Yale on that list, however.
i dont understand the recent consensus that schools can be leftist. if the scientific results match the leftist ideology, it just means leftist ideology is academically sound, not the other way around as in academia is left or right
I'm not aware of the "scientific results" you're referring to.
I went to Yale for Chinese, then to BYU for pre-med. I think BYU had a much better campus life, and every bit as good academic experience. I was accepted to every med school to which I applied.
Wow, this is awesome! Thanks so much for providing all of these videos. I’m currently a Sophomore who is looking to apply to 5 of these schools and I’ll be sure to take this into account. God bless you!
I'm glad to hear that you're starting early. The whole application process will be much easier for you if you start thinking about college now.
@@IvyAdmissionHelp actually, I misrepresented this comment, my apologies. I’m a Sophomore in undergraduate looking to transfer. I’m in my last few weeks of preparation! Do you have any last minute tips for someone like me?
If you're looking to transfer, you will need to have a high GPA, good professor recommendations, and a compelling reason why you need to transfer. Also, bear in mind that some Ivies (like Harvard, Yale, Princeton) have less than 1% transfer acceptance rate. But other Ivies (like Dartmouth, Columbia, and Cornell) have much higher rates: 10-15%. Also, a few very good non-Ivies have very high transfer rates, such as: UVA (36%), U Michigan (42%), NYU (41%), USC (22%), Vanderbilt (18%), UChicago (14%), Emory (34%), Washington Univ. St. Louis (21%), and University of Florida. This is all data from the Class of 2026.
Your knowledge and communication style are both soothing and informative. As a foreign student short-listed for Cornell’s Ph.D. program, your insights have been invaluable. Thank you very much!
Glad I can help. Cornell is an excellent school. And if for some reason you don't get in, there are many excellent alternatives.
Thanks for the summary. From this video, seems like Cornell and Yale are the best fit reaches for me. Very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
This just might be the greatest video I've come across explaining the similarities and differences between all 8 Ivy League schools by far, definitely one of the best - I wish I would've seen it about a month ago when I was applying as a transfer!
It seems that you're still answering to comments, so I'll just ask this here, how did you come to know so much about all these schools? Not just the Ivies but all of the other videos on your channel. Looking at your description, it definitely checks out and a quick google search confirmed your credentials. The only thing that I can surmise is that after years of working at college consulting firms, you picked up the knowledge for all of these other schools alongside your own lived experiences at Dartmouth. Am I right?
Thanks for your comment. My job as a college consultant is not only to help students get into their top school, but also to advise them on the key differences among those schools. You learn this by studying each school, seeing who they admit each year (and who they don't), and talking with students and alumni who have first-hand knowledge.
Thanks for posting this! Extremely helpful
I recently visited Brown and fell in love with it. I am currently a junior in high school and was wondering what they care about and look for in students the most? I'm planning on majoring in international relations, for reference.
This is awesome thanks. I've been looking for detail like this everywhere without luck. I see you specialize in Ivies, but comparison to other top 20 schools would be great.
Glad you liked it. I plan on expanding this to include top 20 schools over the next few months.
This idea that there are "top 20" schools is fantasy and nothing more than a marketing ploy, perhaps the greatest in history. Don't allow your life decisions to be governed by a defunct second rate publication. Contrary to popular belief, the US News rankings are not an edict from god. As for the Ivy League, it's an athletics conference. That's all.
The rankings are definitely not an edict from god, but they are a valuable tool to help you understand how graduate schools and top employers regard students who graduate from these colleges. In our hyper-competitive job climate, it's important to understand how certain schools can open doors for you. But ultimately, it's more about who you are than where you went to school.
Thanks for the insightful analysis on eight excellent schools.
Can you do a similar comparison video for the liberal arts colleges or little ivies?
Yes, I am working on those. Stay tuned.
About to start High school and I am looking to go to Cornell. What should I do to maximize my chances and perfect it from early on?
1. Make getting top grades, taking the hardest courses offered, your top priority in high school. 2. Find one "passion area" outside of class where you can really excel and accomplish something uncommon. The 1-2 combination of academic scholarship plus a signature area of extracurricular achievement is the best and easiest "formula" to follow. 3. Finally, start reaching out to a few professors at Cornell in a field a interest and cultivate a relationship that can lead to a research opportunity while you're still in high school. When you apply to Cornell, they will love that, and maybe you'll even get a recommendation out of it.
Here's my question - if you are just starting high school, why are you "looking to go" to ANY particular school? What is it about Cornell that you have singular focus on it? While it is important now to get your academics in order and to start exploring what interests you and pursuing activities related to those interests (either inside or outside of school), there's really no reason why you should be so focused on any one school.
It may turn out that Cornell is the right school for you and it may turn out not to be, whether because gaining admission may be difficult for you or because Cornell does not really offer what 11th and 12th grade you may be looking for in a college academically, socially or financially. For now, and for the next couple of years, just focus on you. When it is time, then start looking into schools that may be of interest. But I urge you not to fixate on Cornell or any other college or university.
I agree with what you're saying in theory. But sometimes it's nice to have a tangible goal (like Cornell) to "keep your eye on the prize." It can be helpful to wear a favorite Cornell t-shirt, etc. But you're right, we frequently find that what we thought we want isn't what we really need. But I think it can make the journey a bit more fun to have these goals in mind.
My girl is a freshman in Tufts right now( Deferred by Yale and waitlisted by Harvard before). She has applied to transfer to another universities like Umich , Cornell and Columbia. She got in the first two colleges and waiting for the last one. As a “ low end “ father😂, I know it’s a tough decision for her but I don’t qualify for giving her any advices. I can only support whatever she does eventually ❤!
Very insightful, thank you.
I wish public universities were given the the same sort of clout these ivys get. For example University of Florida is an excellent school
Yes, it is. There are many excellent public universities, especially when you consider their specialty programs such as business, engineering, computer science, nursing, etc. If you do well at a public university, and really distinguish yourself, you can certainly go on to have a stellar career.
Yale or Stanford. My son accepted class of 2028
This is a really wonderfully insightful video. Very impressed.
Thank you!
I'm from a very poor family and recently became an EMT. I had my son over a year ago and I'm wanting to do everything I can to help push him into a better life than my family has ever had. Any tips on how to properly groom a child into success, aimed at these schools?
your crazy. The fact that you 1. are trying to launch your child into the ivy league at 1 YEAR OLD is crazy. the fact that you believe these schools also mean success also is indicitive of your shallowness.
You're right to prioritize your child's education as the key to a better life. I would: 1) prioritize reading, writing, and homework at home. They are the essential building blocks of a good education. And 2) make sure to surround yourself with other families and students who prioritize education. Their influence can have a profound impact on your child's future plans.
You should encourage your son to have hobbies, it's essential for both his brain development and his childhood memories
The first thing you can do is not buy the nonsense that the only path to success is if a person attends one of these 8 schools. A person can be equally successful whether they attend Yale or Kansas State. It's the person, not the college and this has been confirmed by multiple studies. And even if you set your children on the best path in terms of their education, if they are inclined to become an auto mechanic or a chef, then that's what they should do and they will still be a success.
@@IvyAdmissionHelp if you think prioritizing education is looking at arbitrary rankings, you should get education before worrying about your new born.
I find it interesting that you say harvard is "hyper-left" but then you also say they're super competitive and put others down. Those two things are contradictory, aren't they? My experience is at Yale and I have little Harvard experience... but I have a hard time seeing being super genuinely left and not caring about other people as compatible.
What I meant to say is that the campus politics are extremely leftist. You might say fiercely progressive. It's also hyper-competitive. I don't see those as contradictions.
@@IvyAdmissionHelp Thank you for addressing my question. I just tend to see left as often caring TOO MUCH sometimes about others, so I found it interesting if that's the culture. But I hear your point!
Great insightful analysis , it's not just rankings but the aura and culture uniqueness that you have very well articulated. I am father of an aspirant for Ivy league ( international student) for admissions in 2025.. can i reach out to you for more guidance for it. Will be glad if you van share your email or co-ordinates. Thanks.
Columbia University has become so ghetto. It hardly feels like an ivy school.
Dirty, problems with law enforcement, red and orange alerts... Ugh.
Prestigious is an empty term. These schools excel becsuse they are distinguished, not prestigious. Distunguished by how they contribute to knowledge and prepare people to contribute.
except they dont have and difference other than prestige, which results in the better teachers to prefer the school, and the better students who would excel regardless. They arent prestigious because they are distunguished in any way, they are distunguished because they are prestigious
@@ege8240facts. The only thing that stands between them and, say, Michigan or UVA is a slight difference in prestige. But they all have great professors and students with weighted gpas of 4.8 aprox.
@@ege8240real
Brown was my dream school. I was rejected, but accepted to Yale and Columbia. I opted for Columbia, because I received a 100% academic scholarship. CU, as mentioned, is extremely difficult academically and the core curriculum is extremely demanding. Not sure I would do it again if I had to.
Nice, I thought no Ivy's have merit scholarships, is this incorrect?
Great video! Regarding the very leftist and progressive student body you mentioned at Harvard, Yale, and Brown, would you say the same is found at Northwestern and Duke, or less so?
Northwestern is definitely known for being liberal. Overall, I would say that Duke is much more moderate, given that such a large percentage of the student body comes from the south, which is traditionally more conservative.
These schools exclusively want kids from wealthy families. If your family is middle class where your child goes to public school....... very difficult.
what about the scholarships...
The Ivies actively recruit students from low-income households and these students make up about 25% of their freshman class.
@@IvyAdmissionHelp Absolutely true, however the very idea that they reserve 25% of the spots for those from "low income" out of some form of kindness and altruism is absurd. I stand by my statement that children from "middle class public schools" have a very hard time getting admitted. They don't fill quotas and don't increase the donation pool. Just because their accreditation relies on being required to take "low income" students doesn't mean that they want to.
It's true that very wealthy and very poor students both enjoy a distinct advantage in competitive college admissions. As with all things college-related, it's better to be an outlier of some kind. The more you stand out in some way, the better your chances of admissions.
Lol, Yale's Skull & Bones is hardly friendly and fun.
Good point. But there's a great article in January 2024 edition of The Atlantic about how Yale's eight secret societies are now filled with minority, low-income, and first-generation students... all extremely progressive. They're still exclusionary and problematic, but now for very different reasons.