Ivy League Universities - HISTORY

The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

Ivy League schools are generally viewed as some of the most prestigious, and are ranked among the best universities worldwide. All eight universities place in the top sixteen of the U.S. News & World Report 2015 university rankings, including the top four schools and six of the top eleven. U.S. News has named a member of the Ivy League as the best national university in each of the past fifteen years ending with the 2015 rankings: Princeton eight times, Harvard twice and the two schools tied for first five times.

Six of the eight Ivy League universities consider their founding dates to be simply the date that they received their charters and thus became legal corporations with the authority to grant academic degrees. Harvard University uses the date that the legislature of the Massachusetts Bay Colony formally allocated funds for the creation of a college. Harvard was chartered in 1650, although classes had been conducted for approximately a decade by then. The University of Pennsylvania initially considered its founding date to be 1750; this is the year which appears on the first iteration of the university seal. Later in Penn's early history, the university changed its officially recognized founding date to 1749, which was used for all of the nineteenth century, including a centennial celebration in 1849. In 1899, Penn's board of trustees formally adopted a third founding date of 1740, in response to a petition from Penn's General Alumni Society. Penn was chartered in 1755, the same year collegiate classes began. "Religious affiliation" refers to financial sponsorship, formal association with, and promotion by, a religious denomination. All of the schools in the Ivy League are private and not currently associated with any religion.

Ivy League Universities - MONEY, PEOPLE

The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

Ivy League universities have some of the largest university financial endowments in the world, which allows the u niversities to provide many resources for their academic programs and research endeavors. As of 2014, Harvard University has an endowment of $36.4 billion. Additionally, each university receives millions of dollars in research grants and other subsidies from federal and state government.

Undergraduate enrollments range from about 4,000 to 14,000, making them larger than those of a typical private liberal arts college and smaller than a typical public state university. Total enrollments, including graduate students, range from approximately 6,100 at Dartmouth to over 20,000 at Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, and Penn.

Admission statistics

Applicants Admission rates

Brown 30,432 8.6%

Columbia 32,952 6.9%

Cornell 43,041 14.0%

Dartmouth 19,296 11.5%

Harvard 34,295 5.9%

Penn 35,868 9.9%

Princeton 26,641 7.3%

Yale 30,932 6.3%

Ivy League Universities - US PRESIDENTS

The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

Of the forty-three men who have served as President of the United States, fourteen have graduated from an Ivy League university. Of them, eight have degrees from Harvard, five from Yale, three (two were honorary) from Columbia and two from Princeton. Eleven presidents have earned Ivy undergraduate degrees. Two of these were transfer students: Barack Obama transferred from Occidental College and John F. Kennedy transferred from another Ivy, Princeton, where he had been class of 1939. John Adams was the first president to graduate from college, graduating from Harvard in 1755.

Ivy League universities - SPORT The Ivy League (Ivies, Ancient Eight)is a collegiate athletic conference comprising sports teams from eight private institutions of higher educationin the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group. The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University. The term Ivy League has connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism.The term became official after the formation of the NCAA Division I athletic conference in 1954. Seven of the eight schools were founded during the United States colonial period; the exception is Cornell, which was founded in 1865. Ivy League institutions account for seven of the nine Colonial Colleges chartered before the American Revolution, the other two being Rutgers University and College of William & Mary.

Rivalries run deep in the Ivy League. For instance, Princeton and Penn are longstanding men's basketball rivals; "Puck Frinceton", and "Pennetrate the Puss" t-shirts are worn by Quaker fans at games. In only 11 instances in the history of Ivy League basketball, and in only seven seasons since Yale's 1962 title, has neither Penn nor Princeton won at least a share of the Ivy League title in basketball, with Princeton champion or co-champion 26 times and Penn 25 times. Penn has won 21 outright, Princeton 19 outright. Princeton has been a co-champion 7 times, sharing 4 of those titles with Penn (these 4 seasons represent the only times Penn has been co-champion). Harvard won its first title of either variety in 2011, losing a dramatic play-off game to Princeton for the NCAA tournament bid, then rebounded to win outright championships in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Rivalries exist between other Ivy league teams in other sports, including Cornell and Harvard in hockey, Harvard and Princeton in swimming, and Harvard and Penn in football (Penn and Harvard have each had two unbeaten seasons since 2001). In men's lacrosse, Cornell and Princeton are perennial rivals, and they are the only two Ivy League teams to have won the NCAA tournament. In 2009, the Big Red and Tigers met for their 70th game in the NCAA tournament. No team other than Harvard or Princeton has won the men's swimming conference title outright since 1972, although Yale, Columbia, and Cornell have shared the title with Harvard and Princeton during this time. Similarly, no program other than Princeton and Harvard has won the women's swimming championship since Brown's 1999 title. Princeton or Cornell has won every indoor and outdoor track and field championship, both men's and women's, every year since 2002-03, with one exception (Columbia women won indoor championship in 2012). Harvard and Yale are football and crew rivals although the competition has become unbalanced; Harvard has won all but one of the last 11 football games and all but one of the last 13 crew races.The Ivy League is home to some of the oldest college rugby teams. Although these teams are not "varsity" sports, they compete annually in the Ivy Rugby Conference.Teams in Ivy League competitionBaseball

8 men‘s- women‘s

Basketball88

Cross-country88

Fencing67

Field hockey-8

Football8-

Golf87

Ice hockey66

Lacrosse78

Rowing77

Soccer88

Softball-8

Swimming and diving78

Squash88

Tennis88

Track and field (indoor)88

Track and field (outdoor)88

Volleyball-8

Wrestling6-

Ivy League(Ivies, Ancient Eight)

Established 1954

Association NCAA

Division Division I FCS

Members 8

Sports fielded 33 (men's: 17; women's: 16)

Region Northeast

Headquarters Princeton, New Jersey

Commissioner Robin Harris (since 2009)

Website ivyleaguesports.com

Locations

Ivy League universities - IVY

The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

Students have long revered the ivied walls of older colleges. "Planting the ivy" was a customary class day ceremony at many colleges in the 1800s. In 1893 an alumnus told The Harvard Crimson, "In 1850, class day was placed upon the University Calendar.... the custom of planting the ivy, while the ivy oration was delivered, arose about this time." At Penn, graduating seniors started the custom of planting ivy at a university building each spring in 1873 and that practice was formally designated as "Ivy Day" in 1874. Ivy planting ceremonies are reported for Yale, Simmons, Bryn Mawr and many others. Princeton's "Ivy Club" was founded in 1879.

The first usage of Ivy in reference to a group of colleges is from sportswriter Stanley Woodward (1895–1965).A proportion of our eastern ivy colleges are meeting little fellows another Saturday before plunging into the strife and the turmoil.— Stanley Woodward, New York Tribune, October 14, 1933, describing the football season

The first known instance of the term Ivy League being used appeared in The Christian Science Monitor on February 7, 1935. Several sportswriters and other journalists used the term shortly later to refer to the older colleges, those along the northeastern seaboard of the United States, chiefly the nine institutions with origins dating from the colonial era, together with the United States Military Academy (West Point), the United States Naval Academy, and a few others. These schools were known for their long-standing traditions in intercollegiate athletics, often being the first schools to participate in such activities. However, at this time, none of these institutions made efforts to form an athletic league.

A common folk etymology attributes the name to the Roman numeral for four (IV), asserting that there was such a sports league originally with four members. The Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins helped to perpetuate this belief. The supposed "IV League" was formed over a century ago and consisted of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and a fourth school that varies depending on who is telling the story. However, it is clear that Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Columbia met on November 23, 1876 at the so-called Massasoit Convention to decide on uniform rules for the emerging game of American football, which rapidly spread.

Ivy League universities - FASHION, SOCIETY

Fashion and lifestyleDifferent fashion trends and styles have emerged from Ivy League campuses over time, and fashion trends such as Ivy League and Preppy are styles often associated with the Ivy League and its culture.Ivy League style is a style of men's dress, popular during the late 1950s, believed to have originated on Ivy League campuses. The clothing stores J. Press and Brooks Brothers represent perhaps the quintessential Ivy League dress manner. The Ivy League style is said to be the predecessor to the preppy style of dress.Preppy fashion started around 1912 to the late 1940s and 1950s as the Ivy League style of dress. J. Pressrepresents the quintessential preppy clothing brand, stemming from the collegiate traditions that shaped the preppy subculture. In the mid-twentieth century J. Press and Brooks Brothers, both being pioneers in preppy fashion, had stores on Ivy League school campuses, including Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.Some typical preppy styles also reflect traditional upper class New England leisure activities, such as equestrian, sailingor yachting, hunting, fencing, rowing, lacrosse, tennis, golf, and rugby. Longtime New England outdoor outfitters, such as L.L. Bean, became part of conventional preppy style. This can be seen in sport stripes and colours, equestrian clothing, plaid shirts, field jackets and nautical-themed accessories. Vacationing in Palm Beach, Florida, long popular with the East Coast upper class, led to the emergence of bright colour combinations in leisure wear seen in some brands such as Lilly Pulitzer. By the 1980s, other brands such as Lacoste, Izod and Dooney & Bourke became associated with preppy style.'Today, these styles continue to be popular on Ivy League campuses, throughout the U.S., and abroad, and are oftentimes labeled as "Classic American style" or "Traditional American style".

Socioeconomics and social classStudents of the Ivy League, both graduate and undergraduate, come primarily from upper middle and upper classfamilies. In recent years, however, the universities have looked towards increasing socioeconomic and class diversity, by providing greater financial aid packages to applicants from lower, working, and middle class American families. In 2013, 46% of Harvard College students came from families in the top 3.8% of all American households (over $200,000 per annum). In 2012, the bottom 25% of the American income distribution accounted for only 3-4% of students at Brown, a figure that had remained unchanged since 1992. In 2014, 69% of incoming freshmen students at Yale College came from families with annual incomes of over $120,000, putting most Yale College students in the upper middle and/or upper class. (The median household income in the U.S. in 2013 was $52,700.) In the 2011-2012 academic year, students qualifying for Pell Grants (federally funded scholarships on the basis of need) comprised 20% at Harvard, 18% at Cornell, 17% at Penn, 16% at Columbia, 15% at Dartmouth and Brown, 14% at Yale, and 12% at Princeton. Nationally, 35% of American university students qualify for a Pell Grant.

Ivy League universities - CHANCES 1

What is a Reach School in College Admissions?Learn to Identify Reach Schools when Applying to CollegeA reach school is a college that you have a chance of getting into, but your test scores, class rank and / or high school grades are a bit on the low side when you look at the school's profile. This article helps you identify schools that qualify as a "reach." As you apply to colleges, it's important to not underestimate yourself and rule out good schools simply because you don't think you can get in.On the flip side, it can be a waste of time and resources if you apply to colleges and universities that will certainly reject your application.What Colleges Qualify as a Reach?If the college requires standardized test scores, you should consider it a reach if your ACT or SAT scores fall below the middle 50% range presented in the college profile data.You should consider a school a reach if your GPA falls below the primary blue and green area in the admissions scattergram.You can get a good sense of your chance of admission by setting up a free account at Cappex. You can sign up here: Calculate Your Chances of Getting In.

You should always consider the top U.S. colleges and top universities to be reach schools. Most of these schools have such high admissions standards and low acceptance rates, that even top students with strong grades and standardized test scores are more likely to be rejected than admitted.

What Is a Match School?As You Choose Colleges, Be Sure to Apply to Several Match SchoolsA "match school" is a college or university that is likely to admit you because your grades, standardized test scores, and holistic measures are similar to those of typical students at the school. When applying to colleges, it's important to choose your schools wisely. You should make sure you apply to a mix of reach schools, match schools and safety schools.How Do You Know if a School is a Match?If you know your high school GPA and you've taken either the SAT or ACT, it's fairly easy to figure out if your grades and test scores are on target for a university.Here are two methods for doing so:Find schools that interest you in my massive A to Z index of college profiles. When you click on a college, you'll find SAT and ACT data for matriculated students. This data represents the 25th and 75th percentile of students who enrolled at the college. If your ACT and/or SAT scores are above the 25th percentile number, you're a potential match for the school.For a more visual representation of where you fit in, Cappex can calculate your chances and provide graphs such as the one above that positions your admissions data among that of students who were admitted, rejected, and waitlisted. Cappex is a free service and a useful tool for identifying colleges that match both your interests and your academic profile. Follow this link and enter any school name, create a free account, and find out if you're a match: Calculate Your Chances of Getting In.

What is a Safety School in College Admissions?Learn to Identify Safety Schools or Back-Up Schools When Applying to CollegeA safety school (sometimes called a "back-up school") is a college that you will almost certainly get into because your standardized test scores, class rank and high school grades are well above the average for admitted students. Also, safety schools will always have relatively high acceptance rates.How Do You Know If a School Qualifies as a "Safety"?I've heard from some students who made the mistake of over-estimating their chances at colleges by considering schools safeties that should have been match schools.In most cases this is fine and the applicants get into one of their match schools, but once in a while students find themselves in the unenviable position of being rejected at every college to which they applied. To avoid finding yourself in this situation, it's important to identify properly your safety schools. Here are some tips:Explore the college profiles on this site and find schools for which your SAT and/or ACT scores are at or above the 75% numbers. This places you in the top 25% of applicants for this measure, so assuming your grades, application essay (if applicable) and other measures are in line, you should have a very good chance of being admitted.

Ivy League universities - CHANCES 2

Match ≠ Guaranteed Admission:It's important to realize that there is no guarantee of admission at schools that you've identified as matches. While many students with grades and test scores similar to yours were admitted, it's equally likely that some students with similar profiles were not admitted. This is one reason why it's important also to apply to a safety school or two so that you are nearly certain to be admitted somewhere.It can be heartbreaking to discover in the spring of senior year that you've received nothing but rejection letters. Possible reasons for a rejection to a match school include: The college has holistic admissions, and your essay or extracurricular involvement weren't as impressive as those of other applicants.Your application was incomplete or had careless mistakes (see 6 Common Blunders of College Applicants)You failed to demonstrate interest in the college.Related to demonstrated interest, you may have been edged out by applicants who applied through early action or early decision (both tend to have higher admit rates than regular decision)Your letters of recommendation raised concerns for the college.The college wasn't able to meet your financial needs (a significant number of colleges and universities are not needs-blind, and they will not admit students who would face unreasonable financial hardship should they try to attend)The college admitted students who may have had similar grades and test scores but who were more likely to contribute to the diversity of the campus community. Colleges don't have formal geographic, racial, or cultural quotas, but many schools do believe that a diverse student body benefits the learning environment.You have a criminal record that concerns the college.

Some Schools Are Never Matches:If you're a straight "A" student with top 1% standardized test scores, you're still not guaranteed admission at the country's most selective colleges and universities. The country's  top U.S. colleges and top universities have such low acceptance rates that many fully qualified applicants receive rejection letters. You should certainly apply if you wish to attend these schools, but be realistic about your chances. When a college has a single digit acceptance rate, you should always consider the school a reach, not a match, even if your grades and test scores are exceptional.

A Final Word:I always recommend that applicants be realistic about their chances of admission, and it's important to remember that many students receive rejection letters from match schools. That said, chances are good that you will get into some if not most of the match schools to which you apply. Also keep in mind that match schools are often good choices because you'll be among peers who have academic abilities that are similar to your own. It can be frustrating to be at a college where the majority of students are significantly stronger or weaker than you.

Ivy League universities

Supplemental Essay for College AdmissionsThis Sample Essay Responds to Duke University's Application SupplementThe supplemental essay for college admissions can be a stumbling point for a lot of applicants. Many students put significant time into their longer personal statement but then rush off the shorter supplemental section of the application. The strong essay below was written in response to the application to Duke University's Trinity College.The guidelines for the optional supplemental essay ask, "If you are applying to Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular at Duke that attracts you? Please limit your response to one or two paragraphs."

When I visited the Duke campus last fall, I immediately felt at home. The Gothic architecture and tree-shaded walks created an atmosphere of peaceful but serious reflection. The place is at once Southern—which, as an Alabamian, is important to me—and universal as it reflects the traditions of Europe and the classical world. The Trinity College liberal arts curriculum also reflects this unique pairing of the modern South and the global past. For example, I am considering a major in history, and am very interested in the combination of geographic and thematic areas of study offered by Duke’s history program. The combinations of areas offer seeming endless areas of specialization. One interesting possibility is a focus in the geographic area of the U.S. and Canada, combined with a thematic study of Women and Gender or African Diaspora. By juxtaposing and intertwining these two foci, my understanding of the American South—and much more—would be greatly enriched. This innovative and flexible approach to both traditional and non-traditional subject matter is greatly appealing to me. I know by reputation and from a friend currently enrolled in Trinity College that the liberal arts curriculum is very challenging, but also rewarding. I believe I am more than prepared for these challenges, and that I will thrive in this climate. Duke University’s campus already feels like home; I believe that its academic opportunities will also provide a stimulating environment in which I feel I belong.

Before we look at the actual essay, think about the prompt. The admissions officers want to know if there is something "in particular at Duke" that makes the applicant want to go there. A bad essay (never discusses features that are unique to Duke. A good essay gets specific and shows particular knowledge of the school.This sample essay succeeds on this front. Although the essay is just a paragraph long, the author presents three specific features of Duke that make her want to attend:

The attractive campus with its Gothic and Southern appeal The flexible nature of the history curriculum The fact that she has a friend at Duke This last point doesn't matter much in the admissions process and the writer was correct to mention

it only indirectly. The first point has moderate importance. Many colleges have impressive Gothic architecture, so the

feature isn't unique to Duke. However, the writer connects the campus to her own Southerness. She also demonstrates that she has visited the campus, something that is not true of many applicants who haphazardly apply to a long list of prestigious schools.

The second point about the history curriculum is key to this essay's success. This applicant knows what lies beneath the university's surface. She has clearly researched the curriculum. She is not applying to Duke simply because of its beauty or its reputation, but because she likes how the university approaches learning.

Admissions officers will certainly take note of the fact that this applicant has done some research and has thoughtful reasons for wanting to attend Duke.

Such questions often generate a lot of remarkably bland essays. The example below is one example of what not to do. Read the short essay, and then read the discussion of the mistakes made by the author.

I believe the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke is an excellent match for me. I believe college should not be merely a gateway to the work force; it should educate the student in a variety of subjects and prepare him or her for the range of challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in life. I have always been a curious person and enjoy reading all kinds of literature and nonfiction. In high school I excelled in history, English, AP psychology, and other liberal arts subjects. I have not yet decided on a major, but when I do, it will almost certainly be in the liberal arts, such as history or political science. I know that Trinity College is very strong in these areas. But regardless of my major, I want to receive a broad education that spans a variety of areas in the liberal arts, so that I will graduate as not only a viable job prospect, but also as a well-rounded and learned adult who can make diverse and valuable contributions to my community. I believe Duke’s Trinity College will help me grow and become that kind of person.

This sample supplemental essay for Duke is typical of what an admissions office frequently encounters. At first glance, the essay may seem just fine. The grammar and mechanics are solid, and the writer clearly wants to expand his or her education and become a well-rounded person.But think about what the prompt is actually asking: "discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you.Is there something in particular at Duke that attracts you?"The assignment here is not to describe why you want to go to college. The admissions office is asking you to explain why you want to go to Duke. A good response, then, must discuss specific aspects of Duke that appeal to the applicant. The sample essay fails to do so.

Think about what the student says about Duke: the school will "educate the student in a variety of subjects" and present a "range of challenges and opportunities." The applicant wants a "broad education that spans a variety of areas." The student wants to be "well-rounded" and to "grow."These are all worthwhile goals, but they don't say anything that is unique to Duke. Any comprehensive university offers a variety of subjects and helps students to grow.

As you write your supplemental essay, take what I call the "global replace test." If you can take your essay and substitute the name of one school for another, then you have failed to address the essay prompt adequately. Here, for example, we could replace "Duke's Trinity College" with "the University of Maryland" or "Stanford" or "Ohio State." Nothing in the essay is actually about Duke.In short, the essay is filled with vague, generic language. The author demonstrates no specific knowledge of Duke and no clear desire actually to attend Duke. The student who wrote this supplemental essay probably hurt his or her application more than helped it.

How I got into an Ivy League school 1

Name: Jaclyn Price Schools accepted to: Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, Cornell

Hometown: Clearwater, Florida

Background: "My mom is a second generation teen mom. My dad was a five-time convicted felon on charges of possession with intent to sell cocaine. When I was born, he was on house arrest.That's had a profound effect on my development. My dad was the one who really talked about the Ivy League for me. My parents got me into a great school district. They started their own small business. As I was able to see their successes, I was able to see myself through their eyes.

My story was different than my peers'. People who apply to Yale have privileged backgrounds, their parents went to these schools and they wanted this all their life. My parents struggled to get high school diplomas. It's a really big deal that they've given me a life that I can flourish in."

How I did it: "I was a competitive swimmer for four years. We just won state championships. I'm a long distance freestyler. I volunteer at the YMCA and I work as a lifeguard there.After my college tours last year, especially as a first generation college student, I found out a lot of things that would have helped me when I was younger. For example, a lot of people don't know about the grant programs that make the process more affordable. So I started a program for academically promising freshman and sophomores at my school, where we match them up with older mentors who have been through it. We meet biweekly and talk everything they need to know about the process, like standardized testing and activities."

Test scores and grades: "I have a 3.98 GPA. I got a 34 on my ACT and a 2140 on my SAT.When people ask me about my test scores, they don't understand that it's more of a holistic process now. You have to have what my mom calls the 'it' factor."

What pushed me: "It's definitely my parents I'm doing this for. I applied to six colleges, and got waitlisted at Harvard. My parents were just so excited that I wasn't flat out denied. When I opened the Yale news, my parents started crying. It was a mess. It's a really cool thing to get to experience with them, knowing how much they went through to get me to where I am."

How I got into an Ivy League school 2

Name: Dylan Mellor Schools accepted to: Dartmouth

Hometown: Lovettsville, Virginia

How I did it: "I play football -- wide receiver. I'm going to be playing at Dartmouth. I've played my entire life. My dad played in high school, my grandfather played, my brothers played. It's something that we love to do and it's a passion of ours. A lot of people think [football] gets you into college, but at Dartmouth, I had to get in by myself. I have to really manage my time well to get my school work done and my other activities.

I work out every single day. I also work at the Nike factory store, 5 p.m. to close.

I'm in several clubs. I mentor little kids at the elementary school who may be struggling in school or at home. I'm also in the Varsity Club, which is the same thing for middle schoolers, but you have to be a varsity athlete to be a mentor. As much as the younger kids get out of it, I get out of it, too. We've all been there, and all had to fight through struggles. It's so great to feel like you're contributing to someone's life. It's something I hold dear to my heart.I'm highly motivated. There's always time during the school day to do homework. I make time in my day to get stuff done."

Test scores and grades: "I get mostly As in school. I got a 2250 on my SAT."

What pushed me: "Having such a close-knit family, making them proud drove me. My brother said something that resonated with me, that I could take our family name from being a middle-class family to an Ivy League name.

Football has made me very competitive, as well. It's opened so many doors for me.The best thing was probably when I told the coach I'd be coming to Dartmouth, I looked over at my mom and she was bawling. That was one of the greatest moments of my life."

How I got into an Ivy League school 3

Name: Kimberly Peterson Schools accepted to: Princeton, Brown, University of Chicago, Northeastern, Johns Hopkins Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

How I did it: "I'm really interested in sciences. I'm planning on studying geophysics. I have been really active in Science Olympiad. I've been doing that since 9th grade. My team made it to nationals several times. We got the highest place for Hawaii ever.I'm also part of a project called MoonRIDERS at my school. We are partnered with NASA and PISCES to send a lunar dust experiment to the moon and recently completed testing of our Electrodynamic Dust Shield on the slopes of Mauna Kea, since the volcanic dust is very similar to lunar dust in size, geochemistry, and magnetic properties.When I was a sophomore I went to Japan and presented at the Japan Super Science Fair. We did a project on wave energy. Being in Hawaii, that was easy to test. We tested a turbine where water would wash into it and the mechanical energy would be converted into electrical energy.I got a job as a teaching assistant with a nonprofit that encourages under-resourced children to become interested in STEM while also teaching them about Hawaiian culture. I'm currently working at a local middle school. We're using Minecraft to teach them about coding, computers and Hawaiian culture.I also Science Bowl-- a quiz science competition. I've done student government every year and other service clubs. I don't like having that much free time because I get bored."Test scores and grades: "I think that it really helped that I managed to maintain all As. I got a 2320 on my SATs.I also tried to challenge myself in the courses I was taking. This year, I'm taking 6 AP courses and auditing another course, but it's not that bad. For the most part, I still go to sleep by 11."What pushed me: "I think my drive is both nature and nurture. My parents are very into education. [My father] said there's nothing else I'd rather spend money on than a good education. My school has been fantastic at instilling in me a drive and motivation to do well.I'm planning on studying geophysics, hopefully getting a PhD. I could see myself working or teaching at a university, or working at NOAA or the National Weather Service, or NASA if it's still around."

How I got into an Ivy League school 4

Name: Ethan Carpenter Schools accepted to: Yale, University of Tennessee, East Tennessee State University Hometown: Morristown, Tennessee

How I did it: "I've always taken rigorous courses, APs and such. I've been very involved with clubs, especially yearbook. My first year I was a section editor. My junior year I was co-editor. And as a senior I was editor-in-chief. As I moved up the totem pole, I started more with managing people and being a leader. I was devoted and it showed that I could move up and I wasn't just hanging around in the background.

I also won Best Dressed in the superlatives. I campaigned a bit for it.It's important to be in clubs, but you can't be in every club if you have a job, and I work at a Subway."

Test scores and grades: "I've gotten all As in high school. We just got our most recent grade card and I just made my first B. It was a 92%, though.I took the ACT and got 31. I thought that was okay because I hadn't planned on going to an Ivy League school, I was just going to go to University of Tennessee. I thought it would give me a scholarship. But I got some letters from Yale telling me about the school, that they had generous financial aid, and so I started to think I could make it happen. Then I took the test again and got a 32.I was able to have an interview with an alum and I think that really helped. I know that I have overcome things, but a big part of it is being able to meet someone in person to show them I'm normal, I can carry on a conversation and they can relay that to the admissions."

Getting in: "I had a feeling about Yale from the very beginning. I told my mom and grandparents that I had a gut feeling that it would work out.I was expecting a letter, but I found out online. I'm a "Gilmore Girls" fan. I was thinking of Rory worrying if she would get a big package or a little package from schools. When it came time to check, I was shaking because I was so nervous. When I logged in, it popped up 'congratulations' and a video with the Yale song played. I sat there for a few seconds and said 'what the hell?' Then it sunk in. I called my grandmother and I started cry.I called my mom at work and she started to cry. I told her about the financial aid package and she started crying again."

What pushed me: "I live in a pretty impoverished area. I looked around and I saw the regrets people had. I knew I didn't want that for myself. I'm the first in my family to go to a four-year college. I knew that I wanted more for myself."

How I got into an Ivy League school 5These 12 high school students share what it took to get accepted into Ivy League schools.

Name: Camille Rapay

Schools accepted to: Penn Hometown: Dobbs Ferry, New York

How I did it: "I play volleyball and I'm captain of my lacrosse team. I'm also on the debate team, in student government and I play three instruments -- piano, guitar and ukulele.

I'm a freelance visual illustrator. I run a business where people can contact me if they want an illustration. It's mostly a lot of portraiture. I'm fascinated by human anatomy and faces. I like drawing scenes that tell a story and evoke emotions. I sent my portfolio to Penn. I want to study visual studies, because they have a really great program there, and I told them that."

Test scores and grades: "I'm in the top 10 percent of my class. I got mostly As in school until I started taking IB classes junior year, when I got some Bs in those.My test scores are low. I guess I'm not a great test taker. I got a 28 on the ACT. I thought that would ruin any chance to get in.

No one anticipated for me to get in. Statistically, everyone told me I was better off trying for my second choice. But I said I have to at least go for my dream.

I was completely shocked. Our school never really has kids going off to the Ivy Leagues. We had two this year in my class, and we're both going to Penn."