Ivy Plus Schools: Beyond The Big Eight

Most people have heard about the Ivy League, at least in passing. These eight schools– Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University– are known for their highly selective admissions practices and excellent graduate outcomes. 

But they aren’t the only selective schools with impeccable reputations in the US. In fact, the most selective top university in the US isn’t even one of the Ivies! These highly competitive schools are often referred to as “Ivy Plus.” The phrase sounds impressive, but also confusing. What does it really mean? Who’s included in this group? And more importantly, if one of these schools is your dream, what should you be doing right now in high school to make it happen?

What Does Ivy Plus Actually Mean?

“Ivy Plus” is a confusing term for two major reasons. First, there’s the formal, technical definition of the term… which doesn’t actually refer to the schools themselves, but rather to their libraries. The Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation (IPLC) is a group of thirteen academic institutions that work together to manage library resources. The group includes all eight Ivy League schools, plus Stanford, MIT, the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and Duke. But when people are talking about “Ivy Plus” as a group of colleges, they’re virtually never talking about the academic libraries. Instead, the term gets thrown around to mean “any elite college,” but that’s not quite accurate. Generally, it does refer to the schools in the IPLC, along with Caltech. 

What sets this group apart isn’t just prestige. It’s influence, resources, and the academic powerhouses they represent. Many of these universities work together on research, recruitment, and initiatives that affect higher education nationally and globally. They also dominate in sending graduates into competitive fields, including medicine, law, finance, tech, academia, and government. 

Just How Selective Are Ivy Plus Schools?

You probably already guessed the answer to this. Getting accepted is very, very difficult. Acceptance rates for Ivy Plus schools are among the lowest in the country. For the Class of 2028, Stanford accepted fewer than 4% of applicants. Harvard accepted about 3.59% (its highest rate in four years), and schools like MIT, Columbia, Yale, and Princeton had similar numbers. The University of Chicago, UPenn, and Brown were slightly higher, but still under 7%. Even Cornell, widely considered to be the easiest Ivy Plus school to get into, had an acceptance rate of 8% last year.

If one of these institutions is your goal, you need to think about why they’re so hard to get into in the first place. There are several reasons the admissions bar is so high. First, these colleges get tens of thousands of applications each year, and they only have a limited number of spots. Second, they’re looking for more than just grades. They want students who bring intellectual curiosity, strong writing skills, and the potential to contribute to campus life in real, specific ways.

Third, these schools attract applicants from all over the world, so the competition isn’t just national. You’re up against students who have published research, started companies, competed internationally, or made significant contributions in their communities. That doesn’t mean you have to be a prodigy, but it does mean that standing out requires authenticity, effort, and direction.

What You Can Do in High School to Prepare

If Ivy Plus is your goal, your choices in high school matter. Start with your classes. Take the most challenging courses your school offers, especially in core subjects like math, science, English, history, and foreign language. AP, IB, or honors courses help show colleges that you’re ready for academic rigor. Grades matter, of course, and we’ll talk more about those later. Admissions officers want to see that you’re intellectually engaged. That could mean reading widely, taking initiative in class discussions, doing independent projects, or pursuing academic interests beyond school. Passion and curiosity go a long way. 

But it’s also important to not overextend yourself. One of the biggest misconceptions about elite college admissions is that you need to be involved in everything. In reality, depth matters more than breadth. Ivy Plus schools are looking for students who have made a meaningful impact in a specific area, whether that’s science research, music composition, activism, writing, coding, or athletics. The more clearly you can show who you are and what drives you, the stronger your application will be.

It’s also important to start building relationships with your teachers early. Students often overlook the importance of teacher recommendations. These letters give colleges a view into how you work in the classroom, how you treat others, and how you approach learning. Strong recommendations come from teachers who know you well and can speak to your character as well as your intellect. You need to participate actively and ask thoughtful questions. Let them see your strengths in the classroom and as a person; you need strong letters of recommendation to get into these elite universities. 

Use Your Summers Wisely

Summers are a great time to deepen your interests or try something new. You don’t need an expensive program or a prestigious internship to impress colleges. What matters is how you use your time. Volunteering, conducting research, starting a project, or working a job can all add value to your story. But if you’re going for Ivy Plus, you need to be strategic. 

A summer job in retail or food service might be a great plan financially– but the reality is that these jobs aren’t as impressive to admissions counselors as research, creative work, or academic enrichment that connects directly to your interests and long-term goals. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take those jobs, because they do show responsibility and work ethic, but if you’re aiming for a highly selective school, try to find ways to tie your summer experiences back to your passions. The goal is to spend your summer doing something purposeful that reflects your curiosity, initiative, and potential. If you do pursue a formal program, look for ones that align with your goals. Writing camps, coding bootcamps, university-sponsored research, or academic competitions can all strengthen your profile, especially if they lead to deeper involvement during the school year.

Ivy Plus By The Numbers

Now that we’ve talked about how to strengthen the holistic overview of your application, let’s get honest about numbers. Getting into the Ivy Plus schools also requires incredible grades. For example, the average admitted GPA at Harvard for the class of 2028 was a weighted 4.21. For U Chicago, it was 4.32. And those are averages. If you don’t have a 3.9 or higher, it’s going to be harder to get in. Remember, virtually everyone who’s applying to these schools is at the top of their class– so that means you really need to work hard to keep your grades up.

You also need to excel in as many AP/IB courses as you can, because these courses contribute more heavily to your weighted GPA. If two students have 4.0s, and one of them took no AP classes and the other one took five AP classes, the student with the AP classes will have a higher weighted GPA, which is something the Ivy Plus schools take very seriously.

Unfortunately, not every school offers a full suite of AP or IB classes; according to Georgetown University’s reporting in 2021, about 30% of American schools don’t offer any AP classes. And even more unfortunately, these gaps often fall along marginalization lines, making it even harder for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to show that they deserve a place at these schools. 

The silver lining? Standardized testing. As Yale’s administration pointed out, ignoring standardized testing like the ACT and SAT “can, inadvertently, disadvantage students from low-income, first-generation, and rural backgrounds.” Not every school has access to AP classes or high-impact extracurriculars, but every student has access to SAT and ACT materials ahead of time. And while prep classes certainly help, self-study can get you there.

But as with your grades, you’ll need a very high score on these standardized tests! For example, the average SAT score for students admitted to MIT is around 1520-1570. For ACT scores, think 34 or above. While test-optional policies are still in place at some of these schools, strong scores will absolutely work in your favor, especially if you’re coming from a school that doesn’t offer many advanced academic opportunities. A high test score can help you prove your readiness for college-level work, and more importantly, it shows colleges that you’re serious, disciplined, and willing to put in the time to improve.

If testing isn’t your strength right now, don’t panic. These scores reflect your potential, not your worth. And potential can be developed. You have time to improve, especially if you start early and take your preparation seriously. Take a practice test to figure out where you stand, then build a study plan that helps you strengthen weak areas and build confidence over time. Whether you choose to use books, online resources, take a prep course, or work privately with a tutor, what matters most is consistency and effort. 

Dream Big. Prepare Smart.

Reaching for the Ivy Plus schools is a bold, ambitious goal. It requires preparation, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose. These schools represent a level of academic excellence and selectivity that appeals to driven, high-achieving students. But if you’re someone who loves to learn, who wants to challenge yourself, and who dreams of joining a community of high-achieving, driven students, then you’re already on the right path.

At Prep Expert®, we’re here to support you through every step of that journey, from test prep to application strategy. Whether your goal is Stanford, MIT, Duke, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, UChicago, or another top-tier school, the effort you put in now can shape the opportunities you have later. You’ve got big dreams. We’ve got the tools to help you get there. Ready to prepare? Check out our test prep course catalogs for the ACT and SAT to get started.