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Diversity is key to enhancing the college experience and mixing students from various backgrounds, interests, and abilities. The Greenes said, “One of the most important findings in our interviews with thousands of undergrads in elite colleges was the powerful influence of their peers on the individual’s learning experience.”As cliche as it sounds, your essays are the heart and soul of your application. These essays show your writing skills and stories that offer a glimpse of your life, background, personality, and experiences.

Ivy League schools typically have more name recognition and a wider-recognized reputation than Hidden Ivies, but that doesn’t necessarily make them better schools. All schools have different offerings; what’s best for some may not be right for others.

When it’s time to build your college list, you might be overwhelmed by choice at first. While you may have heard of Ivy League schools and their prestige, there are other schools called “Hidden Ivies” you should also consider.

Yes, some of the Hidden Ivies are named in U.S. News World and Report’s list of Best National Universities. Some Hidden Ivy schools that make the top 25 are:Finding your best-fit schools requires introspection. Even if you’re unsure what major you want to pick, you should evaluate what you want out of the college experience and ask yourself these questions:

Although these schools are not formally part of the Ivy League, their programs can be relatively competitive. Each school’s selectivity means you must submit a polished application to stand out. Below are tips to help you maximize your chances of acceptance.

You’ll need to write at least one personal essay using the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Many schools require supplemental essays that ask more focused questions on why you want to attend the school and how you plan to contribute to its culture.Today, these schools connote a highly selective school committed to rigorous academics. Hidden Ivies are schools that share some of the Ivy League’s defining traits.You should also consider who you ask for these letters. Most colleges want recommendations from teachers who taught you core subject areas in your junior or senior years. Choose recommenders who know you well and with whom you’ve forged a deeper relationship.

The decision to apply to any school is ultimately yours to make. That said, you shouldn’t apply to schools based on their prestige; consider what each school offers and choose which colleges would be your best fit. If one or some of those colleges happen to be Hidden Ivy schools, there’s no reason not to apply.Drew Riley, associate dean of admission for Hidden Ivy school Colgate University, sometimes said admissions officers want to see “that applicants are motivated not just by improving themselves – but their communities too – through activities.”

Graduation rates are typically measured by five or six years to account for major changes, retaking classes, taking time off, or other personal reasons. However, recent data shows many Hidden Ivy schools had high four-year graduation rates. No, acceptance rates vary significantly among Hidden Ivy schools. For example, recent class profile data shows Stanford’s acceptance rate is 3.68%. On the other hand, Lehigh University’s recent acceptance rate was 28%. There are many colleges considered “Hidden Ivies.” Some of these colleges are relatively small but offer a comprehensive liberal arts education on par with the nation’s best schools. This is a list of all Hidden Ivy schools:

Some of the Hidden Ivies with the lowest recent student-to-faculty ratios are Pomona College, the University of Richmond, Skidmore College, and Vassar College. Although important, diversity means much more than race and ethnicity. Other factors like socioeconomic status, geographical location, sexual orientation, and political and religious affiliations make for a more varied college experience. Education from any Hidden Ivy League school provides the tools you need to succeed after graduation, whether you want to go to graduate school or enter the workforce.

Don’t count out the Hidden Ivies while building your college list. These schools boast some of the Ivy League’s wonderful traits, making them prestigious and excellent choices.He continues, “Admissions officers read hundreds – if not thousands – of applications a year and can tell if students aren’t being authentic and are just participating in activities because they think it will build their resume for college.”A low faculty-student ratio is another hallmark of an excellent academic environment. Many of the Hidden Ivies are pretty small, meaning you can expect to have a more intimate learning experience.Any school with an “Ivy” designation is committed to its students’ academic excellence and exploration, focusing on liberal arts-based education. Howard and Matthew Greene wrote that a liberal arts education is crucial and aims to help graduates:

Whatever extracurricular activities or community service projects you want to undertake, ensure you’re doing them because you want to, not just because you think they’ll “look good” on your college applications.Your extracurricular activities and community service endeavors show your interests, how you spend your time, and how you’ve contributed to your community.

Recommendation letters matter. They provide a fresh perspective on your character, intellect, personality, and growth. One way to ensure you receive good recommendations is to ask for them as soon as possible. When the application season starts, remember that many of your peers seek their own letters.Each Hidden Ivy college has many resources available for students. A great way to gauge a school’s resource availability is to assess the size of its endowment relative to the student body’s size. Does the college have a relatively high amount of investments and funds compared to the number of students enrolled?

The Ivy League had nothing to do with academic excellence at its conception. Initially, it was an athletic conference established in 1954 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1.High-caliber faculty is one of the defining factors of any Ivy school. Excellent faculty is a staple of a great education: often, these professors hold numerous degrees in the area of their expertise, have engaged in research, and have published books or journals relating to their work.

Their guidance also reinforces the mission and goals of each college. How well a college’s mission is upheld speaks to a school’s history and values. Top colleges have a clear direction of where they’re going and how they plan to achieve their missions.Imagine a college experience where creative thinking – combining different passions, considering new perspectives, and taking smart risks – is the status quo. Now, imagine a small, residential campus community in the perfect college town. That’s Skidmore. Will you apply?

We’re proud to be one of the largest employers in our region with some of the longest-tenured staff and faculty. People come to Skidmore to join a forward-thinking community and stay because it feels like family.NCSA College Recruiting® (NCSA) is the exclusive athletic recruiting network that educates, assists, and connects, families, coaches and companies so they can save time and money, get ahead and give back.

NCSA College Recruiting® (NCSA) is the nation’s leading collegiate recruiting source for more than 500,000 student-athletes and 42,000 college coaches. By taking advantage of this extensive network, more than 92 percent of NCSA verified athletes play at the college level. The network is available to high school student-athletes around the country through valued relationships with the NFLPA, FBU, NFCA and SPIRE. Each year, NCSA educates over 4 million athletes and their parents about the recruiting process through resources on its website, presentations of the critically-acclaimed seminar College Recruiting Simplified, and with Athletes Wanted, the book written by NCSA founder Chris Krause.

Admissions officials at Skidmore College consider a student’s GPA an important academic factor. An applicant’s high school class rank, when available, is considered important and letters of recommendation are considered important for admissions officials at Skidmore College. To see additional academic factors along with other school data, learn more about College Compass.Discover the perfect major for you based on your innate wiring. The Innate Assessment sets you up for success by pairing you with majors, colleges and careers that fit your unique skills and abilities.

Freshmen are immediately integrated into school culture at Skidmore College. Through the First Year Experience Program, freshmen are paired up with peer mentors and placed in introductory Scribner Seminars. Freshmen must live on campus in dorms near other students in their seminar. About 40 adventurous freshman can spend the fall semester in London, part of the First Year Experience program that lets students kick off their college career across the Atlantic. Back at the school’s campus in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., there are close to 100 student clubs and organizations, but no Greek system. Students can eat in traditional dining halls or, if they’re especially ambitious, can cook their own meals in an on-campus kitchen.See reviews and ratings of this school from students, alumni, staff and others. These reviews are not written by U.S. News and have no impact on any of the Best Colleges rankings. Read an explanation of user ratings.

Students are encouraged to pair up with faculty members for research projects. Science projects take place in the school’s unique laboratory in the North Woods. The Skidmore student body is about 60 percent female. The curricula at Skidmore has produced notable alumni in the sciences, including Cynthia Carroll, former CEO of mining powerhouse Anglo American; and Laura Taylor, president and CEO of information security company Relevant Technologies.* These are the average scores of applications admitted to this school. Ranges represent admitted applicants who fell within the 25th and 75th percentile.

Students promoting local off-campus activities that involve the sale of alcohol must obtain approval from Leadership Activities before posting the marketing materials.Students should also be aware of New York State law governing the operation of motor vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. The College is especially concerned about the potential consequences of students driving with their ability impaired. The College will pursue student conduct charges with students ticketed—on or off campus—for driving under the influence of drugs and or alcohol.Students should also be aware of a Saratoga Springs ordinance prohibiting any person to “have in his possession any open bottle or container containing liquor, beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages while such a person is on any public highway, public street, public sidewalk, public parking area or in any vehicle or public place.” The city enforces the policy downtown, and the College prohibits “open containers” in public spaces on campus.

Skidmore College, in accordance with federal and New York state law, regulates the use and possession of alcohol and other drugs on campus. The College’s main objective in this regulation of AOD is to provide a safe environment that promotes academic success as well as physical and psychological health on both the individual and community levels. The College understands that students make their own choices about AOD and, when appropriate, utilizes a harm reduction framework to encourage responsible choices and safety. However, the College also believes that students should be held accountable for their choices. AOD sanctions are designed to educate students about AOD use and encourage informed decision-making while deterring illegal and unsafe behavior. Specifically:

Harvard’s Murr Center opened in May of 1998. While the building houses the state-of-the-art facilities for the squash and tennis teams, it services the entire intercollegiate program. It is a centrally-located home for the department’s administration, and also houses a newly-revamped strength and conditioning facility that serves as a training ground for Harvard’s 42 varsity teams. The dedication plaque in the front lobby reads “Michael C. Murr ’73, MBA ’75, Longtime friend of Harvard, whose vision and generosity offer new generations of Harvard men and women the opportunity to realize their athletic potential.” The Murr Center tennis courts, a state-of-the-art complex complete with spectator seating, received a 1999 USTA Facility Award which recognizes high standards in public tennis facilities. Its six indoor courts, combined with the 18-court Beren outdoor facility gives the tennis teams arguably the finest facilities in the Northeast. The Murr Center also houses 16 international-size squash courts, giving Harvard a home deserved of its stature as one of the nation’s top programs. Now Harvard boasts the finest college squash facility in the country, complete with five feature courts that accommodate close to 1,000 spectators. And its location, adjacent to Harvard Stadium, ties it into the framework of Harvard’s athletic landscape. For more than six decades, squash events took place at Hemenway Gymnasium near the Law School. But with the sport changing to softball in recent years and with the old Hemenway Courts being of smaller size, neither Crimson squad had been able to host a match and the teams even traveled off campus to practice on regulation courts.

Lavietes Pavilion is Harvard’s refurbished and rededicated arena for men’s and women’s basketball . The Ray ’36 and Estelle Lavietes Pavilion, formerly called the Briggs Athletic Center stands among the most historic venues in the sport. The facility underwent multiphase renovation in recent years, completing its transformation prior to the 2017-18 season. Among the changes was naming the playing floor the Thomas G. Stemberg ’71 Court. First opened in 1926, it stands as the second-oldest building used for basketball among Division I schools. Only Fordham’s Rose Hill Gymnasium (1924) is older. The facility honors both Ray Lavietes ’36 and LeBaron Russell Briggs. Lavietes, a two-year letterman for the basketball team, has long supported Harvard and its athletic program, and his generosity inspired a $2.1 million refurbishing project that was completed prior to the 1995-96 season. The result was a new lobby with trophy cases and indoor ticket windows; new locker rooms, team rooms, and coaching offices for both the men and the women; an on-site training room; a beautiful second-floor lounge that overlooks the court and the Charles River; and a media room. To request use of the Lavietes Lounge, please download the Facility Request Form and return it to: Harvard Athletic Dept, Athletic Operations, 65 N. Harvard Street, Boston, MA 02163 two weeks prior to the event date requested. Lavietes Pavilion has a seating capacity of 1,636. The first Harvard basketball game played there was a women’s contest against the University of Chicago on November 26, 1982, as part of the Harvard Invitational. The men played their first game at Lavietes the following day, facing M.I.T. and defeating the Engineers by an 83-58 count.Ohiri Field is named for Chris Ohiri ’64, a native of Owerri, Nigeria, who was a soccer and track standout for the Crimson. A magna cum laude graduate, he died of cancer while attending classes at Harvard Business School. Harvard dedicated its field in honor of Ohiri on October 15, 1983, in a ceremony preceding a match with Dartmouth. Ohiri, who led the Ivy League in scoring all three of his varsity years, is the Crimson’s all-time points (94) leader and is tied for the lead in goals (47). He also shares the school record for goals in a game (5, which he accomplished twice) and owns the mark for consecutive games with a goal (13). A member of the 1960 Nigerian Olympic soccer team, Ohiri was selected a First Team All-American in his senior season of 1963. Ohiri Field consists of a 120 yards x 75 yards natural grass pitch for matches and an additional one of the same dimensions for practice.