College Lists

It's July and one of the US's most treasured holidays, the Fourth of July, is upon us, and Americans across the country are celebrating their independence. For high school students, the lure of independence is most closely associated with the transition to college, where they can break free of the traditional high school curriculum and explore their individual interests. Many colleges and universities let students do just that, with programs that give students the freedom to develop their own courses of study and command their own educations.

This month, more than 200 nations from around the globe will come together in London for the 30th Summer Olympic Games. The world's best athletes will compete in more than 400 events in 36 sports with the hopes of bringing home a gold, silver, or bronze medal. In the US, Olympic athletes past, present, and future can be found studying and training on college campuses throughout the country, many of which offer state-of-the-art athletic facilities and expert coaching.

This month, as college freshmen prepare to move into what will be their homes for the next four years, rising high school seniors are finalizing the list of colleges to which they will apply. College is an academic but also a social experience, and when finding the schools that are the best fits for you, it is important to consider the lifestyle that each school offers. Though historically dorm rooms have earned reputations as notoriously tiny spaces to sleep and study, colleges are increasingly offering residential halls where students can enhance their personal and educational growth.

The presidential election may only happen once every four years, but political activism doesn't have end with just a vote. For many students across the country, being politically active and aware is a way of life that can play a big role in their interests and goals. For students looking to participate in a politically active student body, from the curriculum to the voting booth, here are Dr.

Last month was National Poetry Month, so whether you love Emily Dickinson's slanted rhyme, Allen Ginsberg's beats, or Langston Hughes' Renaissance jazz, now is a great time to celebrate this literary art form. If you'd like to pursue your passion for poetry, be it writing, history, analysis, or performance, in college, the expert counselors at IvyWise have identified five great schools where you can find poetic inspiration. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI The English literature department at this public university offers students interested in writing or studying poetry the opportunity to pursue a poetry sub-concentration or fulfill requirements for a general English concentration.

It's nomination season! We're not talking the Oscars or Senate offices. Nobel prize winners were announced last week.

It's no wonder that health and medicine are top of mind in August, as this month is National Immunization Awareness Month, National Psoriasis Month, Cataract Awareness Month, Neurosurgery Outreach Month, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy Month in the United States. If you've been bitten by the medical bug and are considering a career in the field of medicine, the expert counselors at IvyWise have just the cure! We've done a healthy dose of research and compiled a list of schools where you can make (or witness) medical history.

In the US, September 11th marks the National Day of Service and Remembrance. In addition to giving back to the local community and building leadership, community service has also been shown to improve student motivation and engagement. For students who are looking to make a difference on campus, in the classroom, and in the community, our expert team of counselors is at your service - here are five colleges with outstanding commitments to social responsibility and service learning.

When building a balanced college list, we like to encourage students to look beyond academics and explore what else a college or university has to offer to meet their interests. For some, this may mean a touch of luxury. We've previously highlighted schools with luxurious dorms, but, just like the schools on this list, we wanted to take it a step further and show some of the other cool features colleges have to offer.

College is where great minds are molded – you never know if you’re sitting next to the next Nobel Prize-winner, global celebrity, or even President of the United States. While you’re likely to share some classes with innovators who will go on to do great things (yourself included!), often times the most famous and influential people you share a course with are the professors themselves!

It's May, and with the school year coming to a close, college seniors across the country are preparing to say goodbye to their university years and enter the real world. Commencement is a tradition held at just about every college and university in the US, but some schools like to take the pomp and circumstance to the next level with fun and funky graduation traditions of their own. At these schools, there's more to graduation than a cap, gown, and a short walk across the stage.

The word “finals” strikes fear in the hearts of many college students, as it’s the culmination of a semester’s worth of work and sometimes the determining factor of a final course grade. Colleges know the pressure that students are under when it comes to finals, and many aim to curb the anxiety by offering on-campus events to ease the stress. Over the years, many colleges have developed finals week traditions as a way of bringing the campus together and easing the stress of exam time.

With the start of the new school year comes an entirely new season of college sports! As one of the most prevalent and exciting parts of the college experience, athletic events bring the campus community together, and often serve as the catalyst for many college traditions. Cheers, chants, and pre-game rituals are customary at many colleges, but these schools have taken it to the next level with some fun, interesting, and unusual sports rituals.

Spring is often the mark of new beginnings, especially for high school students deciding where to go to college and college seniors wrapping up their undergraduate careers. Many colleges and universities have deep-rooted traditions that celebrate the end of winter, the new life of spring, and the student body as a whole. From carnivals and fairs, to 100-year-old parades and senior rites-of-passage, here are Dr.

The value of a college degree is a topic of constant debate and often something families consider when preparing for the college admissions process. There is no denying that a college education is one of the most important investment families will ever make. Recently, students and parents have begun to look beyond the prestige of name-brand schools and given more consideration to institutions with reputations for the best return on investment.

One of the most important parts of the college admissions process is finding the schools that are the best academic and social fits for you, where you will be happy and successful. With colleges offering activities in everything from squirrels (University of Michigan) to Seinfeld (University of Illinois), with the proper research, students are sure to find a school that fits their niche. This June, as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) organizations around the country come together for Pride Month, the expert counselors at IvyWise selected a list of schools with open and accepting campus communities, where students aren't afraid to show their pride!

No one wants to spend the summer sitting in a college class, however for many students, summer courses are a great way to stay on track for graduation in four years. Summer is meant to be fun, so if you have to spend it in a classroom, why not make the most of it? Here are some of Dr.

College is about learning and growing, and there’s no better way to gain a new perspective of the world than to study abroad! Many colleges offer varying study abroad opportunities, either for an entire academic year, a semester, or just a few weeks. By studying abroad, students are able to gain a global perspective, hone foreign language skills, discover a different side of their academic study, and benefit from international networking experience.

College is all about getting a great education that will serve as the building blocks for a successful career. At IvyWise, we encourage students to follow their passions – whether it’s science, art, music, business, or another area of study. Some students, however, have some “nontraditional” interests that often don’t fit into common majors.

Spring is in the air and across the country people are packing away their winter clothes and looking forward to donning brighter summer fashions! This time of year is popular for fashion shows as the style-obsessed begin to see what trends are taking hold in the new season – including students looking to pursue a career in fashion. For those enamored with fashion and the latest style trends, there are a few fashion-specific colleges that immediately come to mind when considering where to purse a degree in fashion.

Seniors are finally graduating, and very soon some will attend colleges with alumni networks that are stronger than those of other schools. Throughout my time in college admissions, though, I’ve noticed a few colleges where graduates really go above and beyond to help one another out—an undoubtedly useful quality when students need help getting a foot in the door. Please note that these institutions are listed alphabetically, rather than by rank: There’s a much-loved rumor among Middlebury students that their alumni have one of the highest rates (if not the highest rate) of inter-alumni marriage.

Some students are selecting faith-based colleges as a way to better focus on their studies or delve deeper into exploring their religious beliefs, all while experiencing a top-rate education. There are many reasons to choose a faith-based education, and some of the top schools in the nation provide one. With students, staff and faculty living, learning and praying together, a faith-based campus often fosters a deep sense of community.

Whether you own an Amazon Kindle DX, just got the super-hot iPad, or prefer the newest in ultralight PC netbooks, you can't deny that portable technology is advancing fast. Smartphones have become more and more popular, with the iPhone emerging as the device of choice among teens (according to a recent survey by investment firm Piper Jaffray). Now it's not exactly breaking news that teens like gadgets, but did you know that some schools are encouraging the use of the iPhone and iPod Touch to stay connected in and out of the classroom?

The Olympics may be over, but sports fervor is still going strong. March Madness has begun, which means that 65 Division I university basketball teams throughout the nation will compete for the national championship. Along with the expert counselors at IvyWise, we have compiled a list of schools to consider if you’re an avid fan of college basketball, and even if you’re not.

James Cameron’s Avatar recently became the highest-grossing film of all time. With its stunning 3D graphics and intense IMAX experience, this movie has pioneered new action-adventure ground. If you just can’t get enough of Avatar, IvyWise can help.

The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and for many collegiate athletics fans across the country, that usually means one thing: It's football season again! For most alumni and current students, game day experiences and traditions are memorable events that many look back on with great pride and nostalgia. In honor of football fanatics everywhere, the expert counselors at IvyWise have compiled a list of schools, including some you may not have thought of, for a great game day experience!

Sustainability has become a hot topic in the past few years, and with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day coming up this month, everyone is talking about reducing their carbon footprint. We've compiled a list of schools that strive to be environmentally friendly, facilitate “green” volunteer opportunities, and provide an academic setting focused on sustainability. If you’re passionate about saving the planet, or just interested in learning more about using less, these schools might give you the knowledge you need to go green.

For many students, giving time and service is not just a great way to spend the holidays, it’s a way of life. I’ve rounded up and compiled this list of schools where students are encouraged to get involved and shape the world around them. These schools aren’t just for community service superstars; they’re great for students interested in broadening their experiences and learning about the world from a different perspective.

It is an interesting time, to say the least, in college admissions. Among the now normal feelings of stress and anxiety, we are seeing active desperation. It casts shadows over normally sound judgment and overrides notions of ethics, legality, and genuine ambition in the name of achieving something perceived as necessary.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday celebrated by students and families across the country, but for the over 819,000 international college students, and many US students who can't make the trip home, the long weekend can be lonely on an empty campus. Some colleges have realized this and made efforts to make this holiday a fun time to be on campus. Here are some of the country's largest and longest-running college campus Thanksgiving traditions: The Ohio State University Thanksgiving Dinner Started 22 years ago as a small gathering for a few graduate students left behind during the holiday, the Thanksgiving Dinner at Ohio State University has become one of the most famous campus Thanksgiving traditions in the country.

Don't be surprised if there is a spike in applications to all colleges, but particularly highly selective institutions, this year. Here are three obvious reasons. The Department of Education estimates that the graduating class of 2009 is the largest in U.

One of the most important aspects of the college admissions process is identifying the schools that are good academic and social fits for you. To ensure that you are applying to a balanced list of reach, target, and likely schools where you will be happy and successful, extensively research each school before adding it to your list. In addition to helping you narrow down your choices now, down the road this research will also enable you to personalize your applications and communicate to an admissions committee why you want to attend that school.

As we finished crafting her final college list and were poised to begin working on her applications, a student sat across the table from me and asked, “how will I stand out?” What might have been a simple question was made more complex by the schools on her list. While many students will apply to a wide range of schools, it’s important to remember that when applying to both smaller and larger schools all the same information is considered, just in different ways.

It's important to dream big when planning for your future, but college bound students also need to dream smart when it comes to their college lists. A list too heavy on “reach” schools leads to an unbalanced college list and a greater chance of students being left with few offers of admission come decision day. What is a Balanced College List?

Junior year is a busy time for students, and arguably one of the most critical college prep years. There’s only a little bit of time left before summer break and juniors are suddenly rising seniors – and ready to start applying to college. There’s a lot that juniors can do between now and then to prepare and get on track with their college prep.

IvyWise counselors Rachel and Zach share their top tips on how to create a manageable and balanced college list on the Just Admit It! college admissions podcast, giving listeners expert insight from former admissions officers. Listen Now!

IvyWise students often begin working with their counselors on the college admissions process in the spring of 11th grade. Although college may seem far away, it's much closer than students think! If you are a junior, over the next few months you should conduct extensive research and develop concrete ideas about where you want to go to college, visit colleges, and make sure that your course load, test scores, and extracurricular activities will help your application stand out.

Junior year is probably the most important college prep year, and students need to ensure they’re on track in order to be prepared for the college admissions process next fall. The college admission process is about self-discovery and it is important to start by setting clear goals each year of high school – especially junior year! Junior year is critical.

Compiled by Katherine Cohen, Ph.D., CEO & Founder and the team of counselors at IvyWise You’re nearing the end of junior year, and at this point, you’ve hopefully started to research schools, create a preliminary college list, and visit prospective colleges.

So, you've begun developing your college list. Hopefully, you've established your priorities and started your research. Looking over your preliminary list, you can't pinpoint why several of those schools are even on your list in the first place.