Columbia University

Located in New York City, Columbia University is one of the original eight east coast Ivy League colleges known for their high academic standard and lengthy history.  The rest are Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.  Founded in 1754, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in New York State.  The Morningside Heights campus is a sculptured landscape of serenity in the middle of a very busy urban city.  You need never leave the campus; but if you do, you have all that New York City has to offer just a subway ride away.  World class museums, cutting edge shows, vanguard theatre, any cuisine in the world (authentically prepared) are at your disposal. Tickets to many events are discounted with a student ID.  The school pride of our very young student guides was palpable.  We followed the Engineering and Science groups into Havemeyer Hall twice, as no one failed to mention the much photographed lecture hall; as seen in Ghost Busters and all 3 Spiderman movies.

What is the downside?  Over 20,000 apply each year, but less than 10% are admitted.  The odds are against even the smartest and brightest in most U.S. high schools.  There is an elitist air that is slightly oppressive.  With all the Nobel Laureates on campus, one wonders if the undergrads are  given the nurturing attention they need.   



Students who applied to Columbia University, also looked at Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of Pennsylvania.  For more information on Columbia University, visit  http://www.columbia.edu/

Columbia University is located at 116th Street and Broadway, New York, NY  10027 (212) 854-1754

Princeton University

Located in Princeton, NJ; Princeton University is one of the original eight east coast Ivy League colleges known for their high academic standard and lengthy history.  The rest are Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.  Founded in 1746, as the College of New Jersey, and originally to train ministers; during the American Revolution, George Washington fired on the campus in order to rout out the British soldiers.   

Princeton went co-ed in 1969, admitting women for the first time in its history.  With an endowment of $17.1 billion, Princeton is among the wealthiest universities in the world.  Princeton's undergraduate program is highly selective, admitting 7.86% of undergraduate applicants in 2011.  In 2001, Princeton became the first university to eliminate loans for all students who qualify for financial aid.  All demonstrated need is met with combinations of grants and campus jobs.  In addition, all admissions are need-blind. U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review both cite Princeton as the university that has the fewest of graduates with debt even though 60% of incoming students are on some type of financial aid. Kiplinger magazine ranks Princeton as the best value among private universities, noting that the average graduating debt is $4,957, "about one fifth the average debt of students who borrow at all private schools."

Princeton has consistently ranked number one among the best schools in the world; conceding that title to Harvard only once in ten years.  Needless to say, it is really, really, really hard to be admitted as a freshmen.  It strikes me as very odd why they would have a grade deflation policy in place (since 2004).  What is Princeton's grade deflation policy?  The instructors are prohibited from awarding a grade of A to more than 35% of the students in their class.  That means even if all 100 students in the class is turning in A level work, only 35 of them will be receiving As.  The only conceivable point is that too many As have been awarded in the past.  In order to show a range of grades, administration has had to institute this grade deflation policy; that not only does a disservice to the students, but also demoralizes the entire organization.  Nonetheless, Princeton has many notable alums include Michelle Obama, the current First Lady of the United States.

Students who applied to Princeton University, also looked at Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania.

For more information on Princeton University, visit  http://www.princeton.edu/main/

Princeton University is located at Princeton , NJ  08544 (609) 258-3000

Yale University

Located in New Haven, Connecticut; Yale University is one of the original eight east coast Ivy League colleges known for their high academic standard and lengthy history.  The rest are Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton University.  Founded in 1701, Yale is the third oldest institution of higher education in the United States.  Originally charted as a college to train clergy and political leaders for the colony, it was renamed in 1718 to honor Elihu Yale, governor of the British East India Company.   Yale has also produced many notable alumni, including five U.S. Presidents, 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and many foreign heads of state.   Yale University Library, which holds over 12 million volumes, is the second-largest university collection in the United States.

Although an all-male institution, women have studied at Yale University as early as 1892, in graduate-level programs at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  In 1966, Yale began discussions with its sister school, Vassar College, about merging to foster coeducation at the undergraduate level.  Vassar, then all-female, declined the invitation.  Both schools introduced coeducation independently in 1969.  Even after a decade into co-education, rampant student assault and harassment by faculty became the impetus for the trailblazing lawsuit Alexander v. Yale.  While unsuccessful in the courts, the legal reasoning behind the case changed the landscape of sex discrimination law and resulted in the establishment of Yale's Grievance Board and the Yale Women's Center.  As recent as March, 2011, a Title IX complaint was filed against Yale.  Part of the Education Amendment since 1972, Title IX states that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.  Yale has had its share of coed troubles.

The U.S. News and World Report ranked Yale third among national universities in 2012, as it has for each of the past fifteen years, in every case behind, in either order or tied with Princeton and Harvard.  Like other Ivy League schools, Yale instituted policies in the early 20th century designed to increase the proportion of white Protestants of notable families in the student body, and was one of the last of the Ivies to eliminate such preferences, beginning with the class of 1970.  On the day of our visit, there was diversity among the student body in so far as we can tell.  Yale has indeed come a long way since the 1970’s.   Over 30,000 apply each year, but less than 10% are admitted.  In addition, the postgraduates outnumber the undergrads.  With all the Nobel Laureates on campus, one wonders if the undergrads are given the nurturing attention they need.

Students who applied to Yale University, also looked at Princeton University, Harvard University, and Brown University.

For more information on Yale University, visit  http://www.yale.edu/

Yale University is located at 38 Hillhouse Avenue  New Haven, CT 06511  (203) 432-9300

Brown University

Located in Providence, Rhode Island; Brown University is one of the original eight east coast Ivy League colleges known for their high academic standard and lengthy history.  The rest are Princeton University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.  Brown University was founded in 1764 under the reign of King George III as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation.  The school is highly selective, accepting only 8.9% of all applicants.  The women’s college, Pembroke College, merged with Brown in 1971, and it became co-educational.  In 1969, following a student rally in support of reform, Brown instituted sweeping changes featuring simplifying grades to A,B,C, and no credit; thus eliminating modifiers which was thought to increase unnecessary competition among students.  Brown is also in close proximity to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where students have the opportunity to take up to four courses and have the credit count towards a Brown degree.  The reciprocal also exists.  There is a dual degree program introduced in 2007 where students can pursue a five-year program resulting in a Bachelor of Arts at Brown and a Bachelor of Fine Arts at RISD simultaneously.

Brown has a need blind admissions policy, which means it does not take into consideration your ability to pay their full tuition into account during the admission process.  All loans for students whose family income under $100,000 have been eliminated, as well as all parental contributions for families whose incomes fall under $60,000.  This could account for the title conferred by the 2010 Princeton Review to Brown as the 'No. 1 College in America for Happiest Students.  Emma Watson of the Harry Potter movie series is rumored to be happy at Brown.

Students who applied to Brown University, also looked at Cornell University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.  

For more information on Brown University, visit http://www.brown.edu/.

Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island  02912 (401)863-1000.

Trinity College

Located in Hartford, CT; Trinity College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1823.  It is also the second –oldest college in the state of Connecticut.  Coeducational since 1969, the college enrolls 2,300 students.  Trinity College is part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, also known as the “Little Ivies” (along with Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Colgate University, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Haverford College, Middlebury College, Swarthmore College, Tufts University, Vassar College, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.)

Some of the most breathtakingly beautiful examples of gothic architecture can be found on Trinity’s campus in an area known as the “Long Walk”.  Designed and built by William Burges and F.H. Kimball.  The Trinity Chapel is also a sight to behold, composed almost entirely of limestone; it is the tallest point in the city of Hartford. 

In 2011, Trinity reported an increase in admission application by a whopping 47.38%, an unprecedented occurrence.  Trinity’s President James F. Jones credits the vast opportunities Trinity offers that are being better publicized through the new admission materials, website, and social media.  A recent Huffington Post article also claimed that Trinity graduates number among the largest group of millionaires in the country. 

On our stroll through campus it was hard to ignore the elitist air and the privileged scent of the students.  Although not an official Ivy League College, Trinity students exist in a “bubble” of intellectual exploration on an academic mount out-of-reach by most high school students.  It must be nice to be a Trinity student.

Students who applied to Trinity College also looked at Wesleyan University, Connecticut College, and Tufts University.

For more information on Trinity College, visit http://www.trincoll.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Trinity College is located at 300 Summit Street  Hartford, CT  06106  (860)297-2000