Top Tier Admissions
The landscape of college admissions continues to shift as universities re-evaluate the role of standardized testing in the application process. In a major policy change, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) has announced that it will reinstate its standardized testing requirement for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle. Meanwhile, Carleton College has chosen to permanently adopt a test-optional […]
Test-optional? Test-flexible? Test-blind? Test-neutral? Test-recommended? Test-aware? While many universities have announced post-pandemic admissions policies that re-instate mandatory standardized test scores, there is still no consensus. Even within the Ivy League there is division: Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, and Yale University have all returned to requiring test scores while Columbia University, University […]
Cornell will reintroduce standardized testing requirements for undergraduate admissions starting in fall 2026, based on findings from a university Task Force on Standardized Testing in Admissions and pressure from peer institutions. Most recently, Harvard reversed course in an April 11 announcement that it would require students applying for fall 2025 admission to submit either an […]
World-renowned Harvard University was founded in 1636 and is currently ranked #3 in National Universities by the 2024 U.S. News and World Report. Around 6,700 undergraduate students attend classes at Harvard’s urban location in Cambridge, MA, where 97% of students will live on-campus for all four years. HARVARD ACCEPTANCE RATE: HIGHEST IN FOUR YEARS AS […]
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is a prestigious Ivy League institution nestled in the heart of Philadelphia and ranked #6 in the list of National Universities by U.S. News and World Report. Renowned for its rigorous academics, innovative research opportunities, and vibrant campus life, Penn attracts top-tier students from around the globe. With its rich […]
Calling All Juniors!
Your August Edge Starts Here:
Application Boot Camp®
Complete your Common App and supplemental essays, build a school list aligned to your profile, and develop a clear admissions strategy—guided by the Top Tier Admissions team. In our 22 years running Boot Camp, our counselors have helped thousands of students earn admission to the country’s most selective colleges.