IvyWise KnowledgeBase
College Lists

In 2013, a Pennsylvania high school student named Suzy Lee Weiss wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal about not being admitted to the Ivy League colleges of her dreams. The article drew national controversy over the unrealistic expectations of college admissions offices and the role of diversity in building an incoming class at the most prestigious universities. “I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker,” she wrote, satirically.

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. To aid you in your college search, the expert counselors at IvyWise have compiled the following tips on how to research a college effectively.

When it comes to Greek life, students are pretty divided about joining a fraternity or sorority. Some students know they’re going to pledge, others are sure they want to skip it, and the rest haven’t made up their minds yet.

Sustainability is a hot topic, and everyone is talking about reducing their carbon footprint. If this topic interests you, we compiled a list of schools that strive to be environmentally friendly, facilitate “green” volunteer opportunities, and provide an academic setting focused on sustainability.

With so many facets to the college application process, it can be difficult for high school students and their families to even know where or how to begin. A good starting point — and one of the most important pieces of the application process — is formulating a balanced college list. Junior year is the ideal time to start, as it will leave you time to do your research, visit campuses, and eliminate schools that may not appeal to you as much as you originally thought.

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 gain a global perspective, hone foreign language skills, discover a different side of their academic study, and benefit from international networking experience. These are all benefits that can translate into real job skills after graduation.

The growing cost of college combined with the increasing demand for students in career-ready fields such as engineering, finance, computer science, and medicine has left many people challenging the liberal arts. Much of the conversation surrounding higher education is focused on value and ROI. What majors earn the most right out of college? Which institutions produce graduates with the highest salaries? When deciding how to choose a major, you may find yourself asking: Is a liberal arts education still relevant in the 21st century?