7 Hard Truths About Apply for the Ivy League Class of 2026
For top students in the United States and from all over the world, getting into an Ivy League university is a very big dream to be part of the Ivy League class of 2026.
After all, the eight schools that make up the Ivy League are widely considered to be amongst some of the most prestigious, impactful, and influential schools in the entire world.
But for every student that gets into one of the eight Ivy League schools, there are – quite literally – thousands of students that do not end up getting in.
That is true every year and will certainly be true for the students that want to be a part of the Ivy League class of 2026.
The application and admissions process is incredibly difficult, and that is just one of the reasons why so many students turn to Ivy League admissions consultants like AdmissionSight to help them achieve their goals of getting into schools like Yale, Harvard, Princeton and the other top Ivy League schools.
At AdmissionSight, we make it our top priority to help the students that we work with beat the odds of the Ivy League acceptance rates and get into the schools of their dreams.
That’s why we’re so proud of the fact that we are able to get 75 percent of the students into top-10 schools or Ivy League universities. But we are not only interested in helping the students that we work with specifically.
Indeed, we want to help every student that has lofty goals for themselves. Part of the way in which we look to help every high school student out there is to break down some of the most important information regarding the top schools in the country.
That’s why we have broken down seven hard truths that every high school student should know about the Ivy Leagues if they are planning on trying to become one of the members of the Ivy League class of 2026.
Basic admissions facts about the Ivy League schools
Before we break down the seven hard truths about trying to become a member of the Ivy League Class of 2026, we thought that it would first be helpful to break down some of the most basic facts regarding admissions to the eight Ivy League schools.
But even before we do that, let’s just list each Ivy League university, just to make sure that you know precisely which schools are part of the elite group. The eight schools are:
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Dartmouth College
- Harvard University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Princeton University
- Yale University
Okay! Now with that out of the way, we want to go over the acceptance rates for a recent graduating class of Ivy League students. Here is the breakdown of acceptance rates for all eight schools.
You will also see the total number of students that applied as well as the difference in acceptance rate between students who applied Regular Decision and students who applied Early Decision or Early Action if offered.
Take a look!
Now the final thing that we want to go over is the average GPA for students that get into each of these schools. These are average grade point averages for high school students, and it is important to note that any of the average GPAs that are above a 4.0 indicate that the average is on a weighted scale for students who are taking many advanced courses such as honors, AP or IB courses.
As you can see, the GPAs are incredibly high for every student that gets into any Ivy League university. There is no easy path to becoming a member of the ivy League community and any student that is truly dedicated to getting into any of the eight schools is going to have to work incredibly hard for it.
But now that you know some of the most basic facts related to admissions to any of the Ivy League schools, we think that it is time to start going over the main bit of this piece.
The hard truths that every student that wants to be part of the ivy League class of 2026 should be fully aware of.
Let’s get started!
Hard truth No. 1 – Great grades and test scores are not enough
Along with a high school student’s GPA, the admissions officers at any Ivy League university are going to look at applying students’ standardized test scores.
Of course, we know as well as you do that standardized tests have been made optional at all of the Ivy League schools, but there is a strong chance that they will soon be required to apply once again.
On top of that, the schools are making it clear that students who are able to take one of either the SAT or ACT safely should do so.
On top of that, students who are really looking to make their case to get into one of the Ivies are going to want to offer as much proof that they are up for the challenge. Earning a great score on either the SAT or ACT can certainly be that proof.
Still, even if a student can earn a fantastic GPA and ACT or SAT score, they will not be able to consider themselves a shoo-in to get into any of the Ivy League schools.
These days, it takes a whole lot more than just that.
First off, students are going to want to make sure that they are not only earning top grades, but also earning top grades in the right kinds of classes.
This essentially means that students are going to want to take as many advanced courses as possible throughout their high school years. The reason for this is because it helps show admissions officers that they are up to the challenge of the rigorous and demanding curricula that are offered at all of the Ivy League schools.
On top of that, there are many more things that go into a student actually getting into the top Ivy League schools. Students need to be able to commit themselves to extracurricular activities that they are truly passionate about and invested in.
Really, they should not only get involved in these activities, but also earn roles of impact and leadership whenever possible.
Beyond that, students will also have to get fantastic letters of recommendation from their teachers. Even more importantly, students are going to want to craft powerful and reflective personal essays for all of their university applications. This takes a lot of time and effort to get right.
In fact, one of the key factors of the application process that we work on with our students is the development, writing and perfecting of their personal essays.
Believe it or not, there are some schools that rate personal essays as the second most important factor in a student’s application, right behind the GPA itself.
Considering a student spends years building their GPA and just a few weeks (or months) developing their essays, it should be clear just how impactful they can be.
To be clear, these are not even the only things that are taken into consideration, but they are some of the most important things that are actually in a student’s control. They are all crucial to keep in mind if you are truly committed to being a part of the Ivy League class of 2026.
Hard truth No. 2 – Some kinds of applicants will get better chances than others
This is a fact that every student will have to grapple with. Whether it is officially made clear by the school or not, there is absolutely no doubt that some kinds of students enjoy better chances than others when it comes to getting into the Ivy League schools.
Whether it is a student with a strong legacy within their family or a student that is getting a boost because they are the first person in their family to ever apply to university, the Ivy League is going to consider each and every student’s individual situation.
That may mean that if you are a more, let’s say, typical, Ivy League applicant, that your chances of getting in might be lower than more unique applicants.
We know, this might not seem fair – and it absolutely is not fair in the truest sense of the word, but it is absolutely the reality. And on top of that, life itself isn’t fair, so why should trying to get into one of the very best universities in the world be fair either?
One important thing to remember here is that even if you do not think of yourself as a unique applicant, you can do a lot of things to separate yourself from the pack.
Proving your passion, your dedication, talking about your lofty goals and how you how to build and improve community once you get to campus will help show admissions officers that while you may not be a legacy student, or while you may not come from unique beginnings, that you are a unique individual who absolutely deserves to call an Ivy League school home.
Hard truth No. 3 – It may take more than one try to get in
Just like is the case for many students at Ivy League programs, a number of students end up transferring into the Ivy Leagues.
While it is incredibly hard to get into Ivy League schools as a transfer student, it is done each year. And you can be sure that a lot of the students that do end up transferring are young men and women that tried and failed to get into an Ivy League school right out of high school.
If you are curious about how many students do get into Ivy League schools as transfer students, take a look at the breakdown below:
To be clear, students have much better odds of getting into any Ivy League university as a first-year applicant than they do as transfer students.
Still, each and every year there are students that transfer from either community colleges (some Ivies actually prefer these kinds of students) and other four-year colleges or universities into Ivy League schools. If they can do it, so can you!
Hard truth No. 4 – Just because it is your dream school doesn’t mean it’s the best fit
This hard truth applies to every school in the world, but it is most important to keep in mind with schools like the Ivy Leagues or other top schools because so many students dream of attending them.
But for some students, no matter how much they dream of attending an Ivy League university and being part of the Ivy League class of 2026, they simply do not fit in.
Whether it is the difficult nature of the courses, the ways in which the courses are taught, the different kinds of subjects that the Ivy League schools excel in teaching, the culture of the school, the location of the campus, or any other factor, sometimes students simply find that the reality is very different than the dream of going to an Ivy League school.
For that reason, it is important that students that are interested in going to Ivy League schools make sure that it is a great fit before they decide to spend tons of time and energy applying.
The best way to do that is to go on an official visit to the school and get a feel for the campus. Applying for and going to summer programs on campus is also a great way to get a good idea of how well you will fit on an Ivy League campus.
Hard truth No. 5 – If you get in, that’s when the hard work really begins
There is so much emphasis on how hard the application process is to Ivy League schools that some students forget that that is actually the easiest part.
Without a doubt, Ivies offer some of the most demanding courses and competitive students in the world. If you are truly interested in getting into an Ivy League school, you are going to make sure that you are prepared for four years of incredibly demanding schoolwork.
For some students, it can absolutely be overwhelming, and students can end up really regretting their decision to go to an Ivy League school.
Going to any Ivy League university is only for the most committed students who are looking for a real challenge.
Hard truth No. 6 – Going to an Ivy League school does not guarantee success
Another crucial thing that students need to keep in mind is getting into any Ivy League university alone does not guarantee success in school or after school. Instead of thinking of going to an Ivy League school as the end goal, they should simply think of it as an important stop on a much longer road.
So just because a student gets into an Ivy League school, they shouldn’t believe that they will automatically be able to get a great job or get into a fantastic grad program after they finish undergrad.
Indeed, it can help, but the work that they do and the ways that they spend their time at university will have a much larger impact than simply going to a top school.
Hard truth No. 7 – It’s only getting harder to get in
Remember when we went over the acceptance rates for students who were applying to be a part of the graduating class of 2024? Well, the acceptance rates for students who got into Ivy Leagues to be a part of the graduating class were even lower. In fact, they had the lowest acceptance rates in the history of the Ivy League.
While there are some pretty unique circumstances that led to that history-making acceptance rate, there is no doubt that acceptances are trending downward across the board.
Students who are applying to be part of the Ivy League graduating class of 2026 should assume that their acceptance rates are going to be even lower.
It can feel like an impossible task to get into an Ivy League school, but there is no question that it is indeed possible. It is just a matter of doing everything within your power to make your chances as good as possible!
Need more help getting into top tier colleges
At AdmissionSight, we know exactly how difficult it can be to get into an Ivy League school. But we also know that it is possible.
That is why our admissions consultants work so tirelessly to help the students that we work with achieve their dreams and get into the schools that they want to go to most. If you are interested in learning how we can help, contact us today to set up a free consultation.
