How to Get into Ivy League Schools

How to Get into Ivy League Schools

Getting into the Ivy League is less about “cracking a secret code” and more about building an application that proves, with evidence, that you will thrive in a demanding academic environment and contribute meaningfully to a campus community. The eight institutions in the Ivy League collectively receive tens of thousands of applications each year per university (for example, Harvard University reported 47,893 applicants for the Class of 2029), with acceptance rates typically in the mid-single digits. 

In practice, a successful “how to get into ivy league schools” strategy has three pillars:

Academic readiness in context (rigorous curriculum + high performance, interpreted relative to your school and opportunities); a coherent personal narrative (your activities and essays showing depth, initiative, and intellectual energy rather than a random list); and excellent execution (deadlines, recommendations, supplements, and testing policies). Because policies and data transparency differ by school and year, you should expect some statistics (for example, full applicant totals at some Ivies) to be unavailable for the most recent cycle and plan with uncertainty in mind. 

What the Ivy League is and what it is not

The Ivy League is, formally, an intercollegiate athletics conference established by an agreement among the presidents of its member schools in 1954; it began formal competition in the 1956–57 academic year.  In everyday conversation, “Ivy League schools” is used more broadly as shorthand for eight highly selective private universities in the North-eastern United States. 

The eight Ivy League schools are:

• Brown University 
• Columbia University 
• Cornell University 
• Dartmouth College 
• Harvard University 
• University of Pennsylvania 
• Princeton University 
• Yale University 

What the Ivy League is not: a single, centralised admissions system, or a uniform set of admissions requirements. Each university sets its own testing policy, early deadlines, supplements, interviews, and financial aid rules. Even when two schools both use the same platform, your application is reviewed independently by each institution. 

Admissions Landscape

What “current” data can and cannot tell you

Some Ivy League schools publish full-cycle headline statistics (applicants, admits, enrolling) quickly; others publish partial figures, or delay/limit reporting. For example, Harvard publishes an annual admissions statistics snapshot that includes applicants, admitted students, and enrolling students.  In contrast, Cornell’s official Ivy Day communications may state how many students were admitted, without also publishing total applicants, which means you cannot compute an official acceptance rate for that class from the announcement alone. 

Because the user requested latest acceptance rates, applicants per school, and yield where available, the table below uses the most recent officially published figures located during research. Where a school has not publicly released a metric for the most recent class, it is marked as not disclosed (and, where useful, the latest available year from an official report is used instead).

Comparison table of the eight Ivies

Table notes (read before interpreting):

• “Applicants” and “acceptance rate” figures are year-specific; several rows use Fall 2025 entry (“Class of 2029”) where officially published; some use Fall 2024 entry (Common Data Set) where that is the latest official public dataset located. 
• “Test policy” is summarised from official admissions policy statements and/or official reporting for the relevant cycle; always verify before applying because policies have changed rapidly since 2024. 

Ivy (undergraduate admission)	Latest applicants (official)	Latest acceptance rate (official)	Application fee (official)	Early plan offered	Test policy (as stated in official materials)
Harvard	47,893 (Class of 2029)	4.2% (computed from official counts)	Not specified in sources reviewed (check application portal)	Restrictive Early Action + Regular Decision	SAT/ACT required; alternatives accepted when SAT/ACT access is limited (per policy)
Yale	50,266 (Fall 2025)	4.8% (reported)	$80 (fee waiver available)	Early Action + Regular Decision (policy details vary)	Test-flexible style reporting in official class profile materials
Princeton	40,468 (Fall 2024 CDS)	4.6% (computed)	$70 (fee waiver available)	Early Action (deadline/notification shown in CDS)	Test optional (scores considered if submitted)
Columbia (College/Engineering)	60,247 (Fall 2024 CDS)	3.9% (computed)	$85 (fee waiver available)	Early Decision + Regular Decision	Standardised testing optional for Columbia College/Engineering applicants (per OPIR)
Brown	42,765 (Class of 2029)	5.7% (computed)	$80 (fee waiver available)	Early Decision + Regular Decision	SAT/ACT required (policy reinstated starting 2024–25 cycle)
Dartmouth	28,230 (Class of 2029)	6% (reported)	$85 (fee waiver available)	Early Decision + Regular Decision	Standardised test scores required (reinstated; see admissions release)
Penn	72,544 (Class of 2029)	4.9% (reported)	$75 (fee waiver available)	Early Decision + Regular Decision	Testing remained optional for the Class of 2029 (per class profile page)
Cornell	Not disclosed for Class of 2029 announcement	Not disclosed for Class of 2029 announcement	$85 (fee waiver available)	Early Decision + Regular Decision	Test requirement reinstated for Fall 2026 entry (announced); earlier cycle remained test optional

Sources supporting the headline stats and policy claims include: Harvard admissions statistics (Class of 2029).  Yale’s official class profile document (Fall 2025) and Yale admissions fee waiver policy.  Princeton’s Common Data Set 2024–2025 screenshots.  Columbia College/Engineering Common Data Set 2024–2025 (including application fee) and Columbia OPIR explanation of test optional admissions for CC/SEAS.  Brown’s Class of 2029 admission release (applicants and admits) and Brown’s testing policy page confirming a return to required SAT/ACT.  Dartmouth’s Class of 2029 admission release plus Dartmouth fee glossary page.  Penn’s Board of Trustees reporting (applications and admission rate) and Penn admissions application requirements page (fee) and class profile (test optional statement).  Cornell’s Class of 2029 admission announcement (admitted count) and Cornell admissions pages confirming the $85 fee and fee waivers; plus Cornell’s announcement on reinstating tests for Fall 2026 entry. 

Yield and what it signals

Yield (the share of admitted students who enrol) varies by school and year, and it matters because it influences how many offers a university must extend to build a class. Where official admitted and enrolled counts are available, you can compute yield reliably.

• Harvard reported 2,003 admitted students and 1,675 enrolling students for the Class of 2029, implying a yield of roughly 83.6%. 
• Princeton’s Fall 2024 CDS shows 1,868 admitted and 1,410 enrolled, implying a yield around 75.5% for that entering class. 
• Columbia College/Engineering’s Fall 2024 CDS shows 2,325 admitted and 1,483 enrolled, implying a yield around 63.8% for that entering class. 

For several Ivies, yield is not directly published in the same “admissions decision day” announcement (or requires later institutional reporting), so you should treat yield as unknown until confirmed by the university’s own data. 

How many people apply to Ivies

If you add up the official applicant counts available for seven of the eight Ivies using the latest figures located in this research, you already exceed 342,000 applications—and that total is incomplete because Cornell did not publish a corresponding applicant total in its Class of 2029 announcement. 

That single fact is an important reality check for families asking “how hard is it to get into ivy league schools”: you are competing in a market where each place is contested by many extremely qualified applicants, and where selection is holistic rather than purely score-based. 

Step-by-step application process

This section answers, in practical terms, how to apply for an Ivy League university in a way that is manageable for students and parents. The specifics vary by school, but the process below matches what the platforms and universities themselves require.

Choose your application platform and understand what transfers between schools

Most Ivy League first-year applicants apply via centralised platforms, chiefly the Common Application or the Coalition for College Access application (often delivered through tools such as Scoir). The practical benefit is that you complete one core application and then add college-specific questions and writing supplements for each school. 

Even with one platform, do not underestimate the workload: “college-specific questions” and “writing supplements” can be substantial, and each Ivy’s supplement is different. 

Build a deadline strategy before you write essays

You will typically choose between:

• Early Decision (binding commitment if admitted)
• Early Action (non-binding; earlier response without a commitment until the normal reply date)

These definitions are not “internet folklore”; they are stated clearly by admissions authorities such as NACAC and the College Board. 

The most important constraint: binding Early Decision changes what you can do elsewhere. If you apply Early Decision to one Ivy, you are making a commitment that can prevent other early applications depending on the other schools’ rules. 

Examples of official Ivy deadlines in current published materials include: Harvard’s Restrictive Early Action deadline of 1 November and Regular Decision deadline of 1 January.  Brown’s Early Decision deadline of 1 November and Regular Decision deadline of 5 January.  Dartmouth’s Early Decision deadline of 1 November (with a specific ED timeline). 

Standardised tests and score submission

The old “all Ivies are test optional” simplification is no longer safe. Policies diverge:

Harvard

It requires the SAT or ACT to meet its standardised testing requirement, while also encouraging applicants who lack access to those exams to submit other standardised results where appropriate. 

Brown

Explicitly returned to requiring SAT/ACT for first-year applicants beginning with the 2024–25 admission cycle. 

Princeton

Its CDS for Fall 2026 admission policy marking shows SAT/ACT not required for admission, but considered if submitted—i.e., test optional. 

Columbia

Its OPIR states standardised testing remains optional for applicants to Columbia College and Columbia Engineering (its first-year pathway). 

The practical takeaway for planning is simple: you should decide your testing plan as early as possible in your application year, but you must base that plan on the specific testing policy of each Ivy you are applying to (not on general headlines). 

Academic record and transcripts

Ivies read your transcript with a “context lens”: course rigour, trajectory (is your performance improving?), and whether your academic choices make sense for what you want to study. Schools commonly require school reports and midyear updates from counsellors. Harvard, for example, documents that Restrictive Early Action applicants do not need to submit a midyear report by the November deadline (but would need it later if deferred). 

If you are applying from the United Kingdom or another non-US system, the transcript equivalent may include GCSE results, predicted A-levels/IB, and school references. Harvard’s testing policy also explicitly references IB/GCSE/A-level and other national leaving exam results/predictions as potential alternative standardised data when SAT/ACT access is constrained. 

Recommendations, interviews, and school-specific components

While exact requirements differ by institution, most Ivies expect:

• a counsellor recommendation and school report (submitted by the school)
• two teacher recommendations (often core subject teachers)
• an activities list and honours section

These are typical of highly selective “whole-application” systems and are reflected in Ivy-specific checklists (for example, Brown’s checklist emphasises that supplements are submitted through the Common App and that the application fee (or fee waiver) must be submitted). 

Interviews are another variable component. Dartmouth’s official application timeline, for instance, includes responding to an optional alumni interview invitation in the early decision process.  You should treat interviews as an opportunity to add colour to your application—never as something you can “win” with clever answers alone.

Essays and supplements

Your essays typically fall into three buckets:

The main personal statement (shared across schools).
In the Common App ecosystem, a common personal essay is shared with every college you apply to, and the general Common App essay prompt response is capped at 650 words (250–650 word range with 650 as the maximum limit is widely reflected on university application prompt pages). 

Ivy-specific writing supplements.
These are usually shorter, and they test fit and specificity (“why this programme?”, “why this major?”, “community contribution?”). Brown explicitly notes that its supplemental essays are submitted through the Common App. 

The “Additional information / challenges” area.
For the 2025–26 Common App updates, Common App’s official update deck notes that the Common App essay prompts remain the same, while the “Additional information” maximum is reduced from 650 to 300 words. 

A workable planning approach is to draft the personal statement first, then build supplements around it so you avoid repetition and show additional dimensions of yourself across the whole application.

Suggested essay word counts and strong topic themes

You should always use the word limit set in the application portal for each school-specific question. The planning ranges below are “draft targets” that help you allocate time and space without over-writing:

Essay component	Official limit (where available)	Sensible drafting range	What it should achieve
Common App personal statement	Up to 650 words	~550–650	Show voice, values, and intellectual/character traits not obvious from grades
Common App “Additional information”	300 words max (2025–26 update)	~150–300	Clarify context: disruption, responsibilities, anomalies, constraints, unusual opportunities
Ivy writing supplements	Varies by school	100–250 (short) or 250–650 (long)	Demonstrate precise fit, depth of interest, and reflection

Examples of strong (and safe) topic themes that tend to work well—without needing a “dramatic trauma story”—include:

• Making something difficult work: teaching yourself a skill, building a project, or sustaining a commitment over time
• Intellectual curiosity in action: how a question led to reading, research, experiments, or meaningful conversations
• Community contribution with depth: not “I volunteered”, but what you changed, learned, and sustained
• Character under pressure: a time you handled responsibility, disagreement, or setbacks with maturity
• Perspective shift: when evidence, experience, or a mentor changed your mind in a meaningful way

The theme is less important than the execution: specificity, reflection, and an authentic voice.

Costs, fee waivers, and financial aid

Do you have to pay to apply to Ivy Leagues?

In most cases, yes: Ivy League schools charge an application fee. The 2025–26 reality is that fees are real (often US$70–$85), but fee waivers are also real.

Official examples:

• Brown’s application fee is $80, with fee waivers available. 
• Yale will waive its $80 fee if the fee would be a significant financial burden. 
• Penn’s application fee is $75, with fee waiver instructions through Common App or Coalition. 
• Cornell’s application fee is $85, with fee waivers available if it presents a financial burden. 
• Dartmouth’s first-year application fee is stated as $85, and the fee waiver process is explained. 
• Princeton’s CDS reports a $70 application fee, with need-based waiver availability. 
• Columbia’s CDS reports an $85 application fee and confirms it can be waived for applicants with financial need. 

How application fee waivers work in practice

If you use the Common App, Common App publishes guidance explaining that requesting a Common App fee waiver involves answering “Yes” to the fee waiver statement and certifying your request, with your counsellor also asked to confirm eligibility (you can submit while confirmation is pending). 

If you apply through the Coalition’s ecosystem, the Coalition explains that eligible students can receive application fee waivers in one short step through the fee waiver section, and it lists eligibility criteria accepted by Coalition member schools. 

Outside the platforms, NACAC maintains student-facing guidance on fee waivers (including downloadable waiver forms and instructions). 

College Board’s BigFuture also provides a fee waiver FAQ noting that students may use as many college application fee waivers as needed and that verification is handled upstream via eligibility. 

The wider cost picture

Families often focus on application fees, but the bigger costs are usually:

• standardised testing and (where required) official score sends
• travel (campus visits or interviews, where offered)
• time cost: the hours required to write high-quality supplements

The most cost-effective strategy is to plan early and reduce rework: one strong personal statement, a clear activity profile, then tailored supplements.

How hard is it to get into Ivy League schools?

It is extremely difficult by any statistical definition. Recent official acceptance rates in the table above commonly range from roughly 4% to 6% at several Ivies (with Columbia’s fall 2024 CDS-based rate below 4%, and Penn’s reported rate at 4.9%). 

However, “difficulty” is also about fit and about what the institution can build in a class. Dartmouth’s own release, for example, frames admits as joining a cohort shaped by values and experiences, not just raw academic metrics. 

A stronger way to think about it is:

• You need academics that prove readiness (in the context of your school).
• You need evidence of initiative and depth outside lessons.
• You need application execution that is polished and punctual.

Can you apply to all Ivy League schools?

You can apply to multiple Ivy League schools, and in theory you can apply to all eight. The constraints are practical rather than “rules-based”.

Workload

every Ivy has school-specific supplements, and quality drops quickly if you over-extend. 

Early rules

Early Decision is binding and Early Action is non-binding; restrictive early options can limit where else you can apply early. 

Cost

Application fees add up, though fee waivers exist. 

A realistic strategy for most students is to apply to a small set of Ivies where fit is clear (often 2–5), alongside non-Ivy “targets” and “likelies”.

Practical timeline and checklist

A high-performing Ivy League application is rarely built in the final fortnight. The timeline below reflects a typical US high-school path (junior year through decision season), with language that also maps well for many UK-based applicants applying on the US cycle.

Sample application checklist table

This is a practical checklist you can adapt, especially useful if you are applying to multiple Ivies.

Component	Who owns it	When to start	What “excellent” looks like
School list + strategy (ED/EA/RD)	Student + parents/counsellor	Junior year spring	Fit-driven list; not only “prestige”; clear early strategy consistent with binding/non-binding rules
Testing plan	Student	Junior year spring	Policy-specific plan by school (e.g., SAT/ACT required vs optional)
Personal statement	Student	Summer	Distinct voice; specific evidence; within limit (≤650)
Supplements	Student	Summer → autumn	No repetition; very school-specific; proofread; submitted through platform
Recommendations	Teachers/counsellor	Early autumn	Recommenders who know you academically; you provide a concise “brag sheet”
School report + transcript + midyear	Counsellor	Autumn + midyear	Accurate, complete, on time; midyear handled per school policy
Fees / fee waivers	Student (and counsellor where needed)	At submission	Fee waivers requested correctly through Common App/Coalition; no last-minute scrambling
Interview preparation	Student	When invited	Calm, reflective conversation; you can articulate interests and fit

Tips for international students

International applicants follow the same broad process but should plan for extra documentation and timing.

Fee waivers are not limited to US citizens. Yale explicitly states its fee waiver policies and steps are the same for all applicants, including international students.  Cornell’s international applicant guidance likewise addresses fee waivers if the fee presents a financial burden. 

International students should also:

• build extra time for transcript formats, predicted grades, and school reports
• check each college’s policy on financial aid for non-US applicants
• avoid assumptions that one Ivy’s approach equals the rest

Common mistakes that weaken Ivy League applications

A few patterns reliably reduce competitiveness, even for excellent students:

• Treating the application as a “tick-box” accumulation exercise rather than a coherent narrative
• Submitting generic supplements that could be pasted into any school’s portal
• Misunderstanding early programmes (especially binding Early Decision) 
• Not using fee waivers correctly (or assuming you “must pay”) 
• Leaving the “Additional information” area to the last minute (and exceeding updated limits) 

How can Dukes Plus help your Ivy application succeed?

At Dukes Plus, we provide support for applications to various top universities across the world. Our programs offer personalised guidance, and strategic advice to strengthen your application. 

We can support you to identify and showcase your unique strengths, align your application with your chosen university’s values, and effectively communicate your accomplishments and potential contributions to the admissions committee. For more information on how Dukes Plus can assist with your application, please visit our private US admissions consulting page. Alternatively, you can contact us here, and we can help you submit a winning application.