Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 23:14     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


Which schools on this list are known to have collaborative, less cutthroat academic cultures. My DS is bright and intellectually curious, just not a fan of very intense, competitive enviros.



Tufts, WashU, Rice for sure
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 23:14     Subject: Re:Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
What’s the goal?

Bc if it’s an IB job, and you don’t have Wall Street connections, figure out how you’ll get there?

Poor kid:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/s/L8CrefT890
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:52     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


Which schools on this list are known to have collaborative, less cutthroat academic cultures. My DS is bright and intellectually curious, just not a fan of very intense, competitive enviros.



Northwestern


False. NU is cutthroat and striver-y. DCUM will tell you otherwise but that’s because posters’ kids come from wealthy suburbs and attend the NU sports games/drink. Most don’t.


Weirdo.

There are lots of different types of people at Northwestern some like the person who posted who is a troll and striver-ish in her own way and many who are collaborative and collegial.

Maybe visit? And talk to real people?
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:45     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


Which schools on this list are known to have collaborative, less cutthroat academic cultures. My DS is bright and intellectually curious, just not a fan of very intense, competitive enviros.



Northwestern


False. NU is cutthroat and striver-y. DCUM will tell you otherwise but that’s because posters’ kids come from wealthy suburbs and attend the NU sports games/drink. Most don’t.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:26     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


Which schools on this list are known to have collaborative, less cutthroat academic cultures. My DS is bright and intellectually curious, just not a fan of very intense, competitive enviros.



Northwestern
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:25     Subject: Re:Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
What are ‘non popular majors’ that people have had success with? And how do you find them for each school?
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:18     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
These are all in the sweet spot size-wise of what my DD is looking for. It's too bad they are so selective! She scratched off HYP a long time ago but even these seem so, so unattainable.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:17     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


Which schools on this list are known to have collaborative, less cutthroat academic cultures? My DS is bright and intellectually curious, just not a fan of very intense, competitive enviros.



Tufts, WashU, Rice, Notre Dame?
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:16     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


Which schools on this list are known to have collaborative, less cutthroat academic cultures. My DS is bright and intellectually curious, just not a fan of very intense, competitive enviros.

Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 22:11     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Best practices? Ugh


oh come one! how many kids do you think are born HYPSM. They all strategize or rather their parents strategize with them.


Which is exactly what has devalued them. IYKYK
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 21:55     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This data is old, it’s even harder now =)

First step: Apply to them all. Even with 75th%+ stats, amazing ECs, legacy, etc… you simply cannot guess how any school is shaping its class, nor does anyone know where the bar is until all the applications are in.


Agree. And do NOT apply test optional. Most of these are TEST PREFERRED.


+1

I think many schools will stay test optional so they can be more forgiving for some institutional priority groups like: athletic recruits, first-gen, and rural. But for everyone else, submit scores or you will miss out.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 20:43     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:This data is old, it’s even harder now =)

First step: Apply to them all. Even with 75th%+ stats, amazing ECs, legacy, etc… you simply cannot guess how any school is shaping its class, nor does anyone know where the bar is until all the applications are in.


Agree. And do NOT apply test optional. Most of these are TEST PREFERRED.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 18:41     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:Best practices? Ugh


oh come one! how many kids do you think are born HYPSM. They all strategize or rather their parents strategize with them.
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 18:34     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Best practices? Ugh
Anonymous
Post 04/01/2026 18:28     Subject: Best Practices for getting into the so-called Private) "New Ivies"? Beyond high GPA?
Anonymous wrote:The Private New Ivies
INSTITUTION STATE UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT ACCEPTANCE RATE 50th PERC. SAT 50th PERC. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania 7,497 11% 1540 35
Emory University Georgia 7,606 11% 1520 33
Georgetown University District of Columbia 8,670 13% 1500 33
Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8,654 8% 1550 35
Northwestern University Illinois 10,210 7% 1530 34
Rice University Texas 4,712 8% 1550 35
Tufts University Massachusetts 7,631 10% 1510 34
University of Notre Dame Indiana 9,157 12% 1500 34
Vanderbilt University Tennessee 7,284 6% 1540 35
Washington University in St Louis Missouri 8,821 12% 1540 34

Sources: National Center For Education Statistics, college websites.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/


choose a non-popular major. this might differ by gender. then focus on building a story around it. could be independent projects, commuity service, competitions. this has worked in suprising cases.