IvyWise Blog

If Harvard is one of your top-choice schools, you may be wondering how you can make your application stand out to the admissions committee. This is where your college essays come in.

Colgate University is a small liberal arts college located in Hamilton, New York — about one hour southeast of Syracuse. It’s often ranked as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. As a selective institution, Colgate only admits a small percentage of applicants every year. To be considered for admission to Colgate, prospective students should start to prepare early by building their profile, doing their research, and gathering their application materials. Read on to learn what it takes to get into Colgate University.

If Vanderbilt University, also known as Vandy, is one of your top-choice schools, you may be wondering how to craft your admissions essay to help you stand out. Vanderbilt is incredibly selective, so they look for students who demonstrate what they can contribute to the diverse campus community academically and otherwise. Your response to the essay prompt contributes to the holistic review of your application, so it’s important to give it a lot of thought.

Grades are one of the most important factors in college admissions, but it matters how you earn them. In this episode of Just Admit It!, IvyWise counselors Tasha and Abdiel talk about course rigor and why it’s crucial for students not only to achieve strong grades, but also to challenge themselves academically.

As an Ivy League school based in New York City, Columbia University is a top choice for many students. The school offers a variety of well-regarded programs and is known for its signature Core Curriculum, part of the Columbia student experience for over a century. 

One of the most stressful parts of the admissions process for many students is writing the college essay. After all, the essay carries so much weight because it provides more insight into who you are, how you think, and whether you’re a good fit for the school. Because the essay is so stressful, many students put it off until the last minute. However, the trick to writing a winning essay is to prepare in advance.  

As a leading research university and a member of the Ivy League, Brown University is a popular choice for many students. This institution, located in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island, has many top-tier programs in addition to a dual-degree program with neighboring Rhode Island School of Design. If Brown is on your list of top-choice schools, here’s what you need to know.   

The UC application is the online application portal used by the University of California’s public university system. It is designed for undergraduate admissions and scholarships, allowing students to complete a single application and one set of essays that can be submitted to any of the nine schools that are part of the UC system.

Grades are typically one of the most important factors in the college application review, but your transcript doesn’t tell admissions committees the whole story. In this episode of Just Admit It!, IvyWise counselors Tasha and Anthony discuss grades in depth and how they are just one factor in the college admissions rubric.

While Stanford may not technically be part of the Ivy League, the school’s academic caliber — not to mention its competitive admissions process — rivals that of Harvard and Yale. Many students are eager to enroll in the top-tier university, which has a wide array of renowned programs including engineering and environmental science. Although earning admission at Stanford University is challenging, there are a few steps applicants can take to set themselves up for success.