Emory is a private research university in Georgia. Applying to Emory can be confusing for some students as they have two distinct academic pathways for freshmen: Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Oxford College. The College of Arts and Sciences is on the main Atlanta campus and has about 5,400 students. Oxford is about 38 miles away in the small town of Oxford, Georgia. Oxford only has about 950 students. Junior year, College and Oxford classes combine on the Atlanta Campus. Juniors also choose to finish their education at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, or apply to join the Goizueta Business School. Both are excellent programs and historically, about 50% of applicants have applied to both programs. If you choose both, there is a chance you will get into both and will have to decide between them. The College has an acceptance rate of about 11%, while Oxford has a 17% acceptance rate.

The University of Notre Dame is a leading research university in Notre Dame, Indiana. The university is rooted firmly in service, academic excellence, and faith — specifically the Catholic faith. It is one of the most well-respected Catholic universities in the world, and it’s high-caliber academically attracts students from a diversity of faith backgrounds and traditions. It’s also known for having one of the best on-campus collegiate experiences available. Ever heard of the fighting Irish? That’s Notre Dame. As a large research university, Notre Dame excels in nearly every subject and the students are evenly spread between the sciences, humanities, engineering, and business. The acceptance rate is 12%.

Notorious for its prime location in Uptown New Orleans and ranked in the top 2% of colleges for “very high research activity,” Tulane is a vibrant private research university and a leading destination for high-achieving students who want to let the good times roll (or laissez les bons temps rouler, for the Cajan purists among us). Cutting to the chase: Tulane may be perfectly situated in the Big Easy, but getting in is Big Hard. With just over 8,2000 full-time undergraduates, Tulane is medium in size but selective in admissions – the acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was 13% overall, but over the last five years the acceptance rate has hovered around 10%.

The University of Michigan is a top state school ranked as one of the top three state schools in the nation by numerous lists. The school is at the top of its game, and so is the college town it is in. Ann Arbor, Michigan is widely considered the #1 small college town in America. The acceptance rate at Michigan is about 20%. That’s a misleading statistic, though, because the acceptance rate for in-state students is much higher than for out-of-state students. For out-of-state students, getting into Michigan is akin to getting into an Ivy League school, and it carries the cachet to match.

Let’s be honest… You had us at “Miami.” Like Ken, our job is just beach. No one can take that away from us! U Miami has over 10,000 full-time undergraduates and offers over 100 majors, with programs ranging from Marine Science and Immunology to Music Engineering Technology. And, they’re test optional through 2025. It is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida with a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 19% admission rate.

Bard is a small liberal arts school along the Hudson River about two hours north of New York City by train. Bard has 1800 undergraduate students and is known for strong arts programs, globally respected intellectual and artistic forums, and a creative approach to a liberal arts education. The school is also known for having an alternative model that puts students in control of their academic experience. As a student at Bard, you’ll work with a faculty member at the top of their field to create your own individualized educational program geared specifically to your areas of interest. Because of the alternative approach at Bard that requires students to be self-starters in control of their academic experience, the school is known to be quite self-selecting. The acceptance rate is about 60%.  

A private liberal arts school in Hartford, Connecticut, Trinity College is proud of its small, independent student body pursuing higher education in the state capital. With just over 2,000 undergraduates and a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, Trinity places a lot of emphasis on its location, identifying itself as the “preeminent liberal arts college in an urban setting.” Trinity has an acceptance rate of 38%.

Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee’s historic midtown neighborhood. From Covid research to sports teams, there are many reasons to like Vandy. The university hosts four undergraduate schools: the College of Arts and Science, the School of Engineering, the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, and the Blair School of Music. Vanderbilt is test optional and is committed to need-blind financial aid. However, getting in has become more challenging over the years. For the class of 2027, their acceptance rate was only 4.2%  during the regular decision round. The early decision acceptance was higher at 15.7%, but these numbers have been on a slow downward trajectory.

Barnard College is an all-women’s college in New York City that is directly across the street from the main Columbia University campus. We say “main” because Barnard has a complicated relationship with Columbia. The college is part of Columbia, but it’s also sorta not. The application is separate and the schools operate independently. However, nearly all of the courses are mixed and your diploma will say “Columbia University” at the top of it with Barnard identified as your undergraduate college just as students in Columbia College or the engineering college of Columbia have. Over 12,000 students apply to Barnard annually, and the acceptance rate is 9%.  

Located in, you guessed it, Boston, BU is a large, private research university known for lots and lots of research, study abroad, internship, etc., opportunities for their students. Some fun facts: did you know the school was originally located in Vermont???? That’s not Boston! Plus, Alexander Graham Bell, a BU professor, invented the telephone in a BU lab. That’s right, you could technically call someone in the same lab the telephone was invented in. BU has gotten a lot more competitive over the last few years. Last cycle saw almost 81k applicants and a 14% acceptance rate. Compare that to 2020, with 65k applicants and a 22% acceptance rate. A plummeting acceptance rate combined with a test-optional policy means you better get ready to write some stellar essays. Let’s go.