If you're a bright student with big dreams, you may be considering an Ivy League school. These are top universities with long-standing influence, lots of resources, and discerning admissions officers.
The Ivy League was established in 1954 to foster intercollegiate athletics, and consists of eight top-tier institutions in the northeastern United States:
Luckily, there's no special application process for Canadians or other international students! Read on to learn how to apply to Ivy League schools.
Your application
To apply, you'll have to pay each school a fee of roughly $75 USD ($103 CAD), or apply for a fee waiver if the expense causes you economic hardship.
Most schools accept several types of application. The most popular are:
Each of these is broadly similar: you'll be asked some standard questions and some university-specific questions. Both the Common App and the Universal App even let you save your application for use at multiple schools!
Be aware that not every Ivy League school accepts each application service, so read carefully.
As part of your application, you'll be asked to respond to a series of short answer and essay questions to gauge your suitability as a candidate. You can expect questions like:
- What academic areas fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Why do they appeal to you?
- Reflect on your engagement with your community. How has this engagement affected you?
- The school often hosts conversations with guests. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What question would you ask?
You may also need to include other materials. Princeton, for example, requires the Princeton Supplement, which includes more questions and the submission of a graded paper you've already written.
Reports and recommendations
This section is just as important as your actual application. This is where you include your transcripts, standardized test results, and reference letters.
School reports & transcripts
When you apply, your guidance counsellor's office will send your transcript, but it won't have your grade 12-level courses on it. Thus, at the midway point of your final year, your counsellor will have to send a midyear school report as well. This shows how you've performed in your grade 12 courses to that point, and should be submitted quickly.
You'll also have to send your final school report and official transcripts as soon as your courses conclude. Ensure your counsellor is on top of this! Harvard, for example, has a deadline for transcripts of July 1.
Admissions essays
Writing an admissions essay is almost a rite of passage for students — especially those interested in the Ivy League. Essay topics and requirements vary by school, program, intake year, and even the application portal you choose, so generalizing is difficult.
At Brown, for example, incoming first-year students must answer three essay questions of 250 words each, plus a handful of short answer questions up to 100 words each. Similarly, Yale requires a 400-word essay, alongside a small list of short answer responses.
Writing a strong essay requires more than a prompt for ChatGPT. You always want to be responsive to the prompts while weaving your personality, background, and goals into your work. When in doubt, include topics like:
- Who are you, what is your background — what's your "elevator pitch"?
- What are your goals? What do you hope to achieve by attending the school and graduating from their program?
- How would gaining admission to the program impact you?
- How would your being admitted have a positive impact on your community?
For more advice on writing strong personal statements and admissions essays, check out these articles:
Standardized test results
There are two standardized tests accepted by Ivy League schools:
Per the Princeton Review, "neither the SAT nor the ACT is harder than the other," but "different students tend to do better on one test over the other." So, if you have the choice, which test should you take? (Of course, some students take both!)
The main difference between the SAT and ACT is a science section. The SAT is focused on reading, writing, and math, while the ACT includes a section on science that tests your critical thinking skills (as opposed to your memorization of science facts). The ACT also includes an optional essay component, which the SAT does not.
Performing well on the SAT or ACT is an important benchmark for your application. Allow yourself plenty of time to study for your exam, and be sure to plan your study strategies.
If you plan to take one (or both) of these standardized tests, you'll probably want to run some practice sessions first. The internet has plenty of free practice tests; here are a few links to get you started:
All that said, some schools have become "test-optional," meaning the SAT / ACT isn't mandatory to apply for admission. Each of the Ivy League schools has its own SAT / ACT policy. For 2024, the following four Ivy League universities require a standardized test as part of your application:
If your first language isn't English, you may also be asked to include official test results from TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or another language testing firm. You'll have to schedule and pay for this test on your own. You may be able to avoid this requirement if you've done a few years at an English-speaking high school. If you grew up in the Canadian education system, you can avoid this requirement.
Reference letters
You'll need to submit at least three letters of recommendation:
- One from your guidance counsellor or academic adviser, and
- two from your teachers
The three application platforms discussed above offer links and forms to send to your referees.
The teachers you choose should know you from high-level courses, and each should be from a different core subject area, like English, math, or science. Gve your referees plenty of notice — several weeks is ideal — and be sure to follow up with a thank you note afterwards.
Check out this piece for more on getting good references.
Additional & supplementary materials
If you're interested in art or design, you may feel the need to include a portfolio of your work to show your capabilities. This is entirely optional, and typically sent through a service like SlideRoom once your university application has been received. These supplemental materials are usually reviewed by faculty members, not admissions officers, so if you choose to send a portfolio, make it a good one!
Most successful applicants don't submit anything extra, though, so think carefully about whether you should do so. You may find more success by focusing your time and effort on the most important parts of the application, like your SAT / ACT, your volunteering or work experiences, and your high school grades.
Early action, early decision, or regular decision
Many elite institutions offer multiple admissions timelines for amibitious students. Here's a quick explanation of early action, early decision, and regular decision, along with info on why you might choose one over the other. Your specific options will depend on your school(s) of choice.
Some stats suggest that early-round applicants are accepted at a higher rate than regular-round applicants, so there may be advantages to applying early!
Early action
Early action means applying to the university early — two months before the regular decision deadline. If the school chooses to admit you, you don't have to accept right away. You can wait until you've heard back from all your schools before making your choice. (This is called a "non-binding" acceptance.)
Schools might be flattered to see that you've chosen them ahead of the pack and applied early, and it shows that you're committed and driven to succeed.
Early action is only offered by a handful of schools. The early action deadline is usually November 1 each year.
Early decision
Early decision is a way to apply to universities early, but unlike early action, if you're accepted, you must attend the school! You can't wait to hear back from other universities. (This is called a "binding" acceptance.) Applying for early decision shows you're dedicated, which may be appealing to admissions staff.
Early decision is a way for schools to assess how many seats need to be filled in popular programs, and offers a way to more easily predict the total student intake for each semester.
You can only apply for early decision at a single school, as you have to attend it if you're accepted, so if you choose this route, make sure you do your research first.
The early decision deadline for most schools is November 1 — the same as early action.
Regular decision
This is the standard pathway: you apply to universities on the usual timeline, competing with a broad group of applicants, and waiting longer to hear back from admissions staff.
The biggest advantages of regular decision is you have more time to complete your application, can apply to as many schools as you like, you're not rushed to decide between admissions offers.
Instead of applying by November 1, regular decision deadlines range from mid-December through to mid-January.
And that's it! You've applied to some of the most prestigious schools in the world. Congratulations! You'll find out your results on "Ivy Day," when, in late March, all eight Ivy League schools release their regular admissions decisions online.
One more thing: don't hesitate to reach out to schools if you have questions. You'll find contact info at the links above.
Good luck!
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