<p>I’m a junior in high school and I want to go to an Ivy league school. Lately I’ve been really down and depressed because of my SAT score and other academic defeats. What Ivy League school is the easiest - more like least difficult - to get into? Does Early Decision change the chances of acceptance any? Please respond. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Don't just apply to schools because it's an ivy.</p>
<p>If you just want to have the name, Cornell is the easiest to get in to.</p>
<p>Don't get down on yourself... if you really want to go to a school just work hard and try your best. Find a school that fits well; you don't have to attend an Ivy league school by any stretch.</p>
<p>And yes, early decision or early action will usually work to your advantage.</p>
<p>Early decision raises chances more than early action...but partially because the Ivies that do EA (Harvard and Yale) are so insanely hard to get into anyway that even a small advantage probably won't push you over anyway. </p>
<p>As Pete said, don't apply just for the name. Fit is the most important thing, and if you're smart enough to get into an Ivy, you're smart enough to get into a school that's a great fit (may be an Ivy, may not be) and well recognized for grad school/job placement. </p>
<p>SAT scores can always be raised. Or take the ACT, which is more user-friendly.</p>
<p>True... my post was a little superficial. I will clarify my intentions: I want to go to Brown mostly because of their pre-med and medical, and I heard that their grading system is based on (correct me if I'm wrong) pass/fail? I'm going there this summer, I hope, to see the environment. The main reason I want to go to an Ivy League is because of their education system; I would think that they gained all that prestige for a reason. Thanks for your advice; more would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Brown gives the option of taking courses pass/fail. No failures will be noted on your transcript. However, this might not be the best option if you want to go to med school. It is good though, for trying out courses, and taking off pressure. </p>
<p>You're right that Ivies are generally great educational institutions. However, so are most other accreditted colleges in their own rights. The educational philosophies at most of the Ivies are distinct, however, and it's up to you to figure out which suits you best. Columbia, for example, has a huge core that many students love. Brown has no core requirements, and again, many students love the freedom.</p>
<p>should I take the ACT even if I might get a worse score on it than on my SAT? Does it look worse than trying? Do they take the best score?</p>
<p>Where are you from, Quick?</p>
<p>Quick please do me a favor. Breathe. Now relax. Keep breathing. Think about what makes you happy. Not your parents, yourself. Now do some thinking dude...learn to love yourself. Is an ivy leauge really that important?</p>
<p>If you don't do well on the ACT, you can just not report the score. I think, although I'm not sure, that you can just send individual ACTs instead of all of them, if you bomb one or something.</p>
<p>To me, an Ivy League school was not important at all.</p>
<p>Brown University was. It also happened to be an Ivy. Cool coincidence, huh?</p>
<p>Now--be yourself.
And please--have some fun for the love of god.</p>
<p>also, going during the summer won't give you an idea of what its like to be there during the year.</p>
<p>Well, there are classes there, so it won't be like going to a LAC during the summer. But it would be better to visit when it's in full swing.</p>
<p>I'm from California.</p>
<p>during the summer it is mostly high schoolers from the summer@brown prgm, I know cuz i was one of them. I even got asked many times by kids on tours what it's like to be a student at brown. hehe.</p>
<p>so do you like Brown's location and overall atmosphere? Are students cooperative and teamwork-driven?</p>
<p>You can send individual ACT scores. I know b/c I did.</p>
<p>Cornell is the easiest; that is clear. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are the hardest; that is also clear. However, Dartmouth, Columbia, Penn, and Brown are all more or less equally selective. Anecdotally, Brown is known for being more capricious and less numbers-based, while Penn is known for being more numbers-based. (It's also probably a bit easier than the others.) The thing is, though, with the exception of Cornell, all ivies are very random. I know people who have gotten into Harvard but not Columbia, Columbia but not Brown, Brown but not Columbia, Penn but not Brown, Brown but not Yale, etc. </p>
<p>Looking for an "ivy" is a bad way to look for schools. The ivy distinction is somewhat arbitrary. Although all are good schools, they are all different, and there are lots of schools that are just as good but aren't ivies. Besides, some, most, or even all of the ivies might not be right for you. (I only applied to Brown and Yale.) Right now I'm choosing between Brown, Wesleyan, and Vassar; Brown is the ivy, but it might not be the best fit. (I'm visiting all of them again and then seeing how I feel.</p>
<p>Also, if your scores don't improve, you should think of applying to schools that don't require SATs. The top schools that come to mind are: Bowdoin (nearly ivy-level in terms of selectivity, no testing required at all), Bates, Mount Holyoke and Scripps (if you're female) and Connecticut College.</p>
<p>Cornell's somewhat random too. A friend of mine got into Notre Dame and Brown, but not Cornell. Basically, nothing's a sure bet with high calibre schools.</p>